Sports News Roundup: French chess team quarantined in Russia; Delayed Tokyo Olympics likely to open in July 2021 and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

French chess team quarantined in Russia plan next move

When a group of French chess players traveled to the Russian Arctic city of Murmansk for a tournament this month, they didn't expect to end up in quarantine and face delays in getting home. Hailing from the Ile-de-France region, the 14-strong group, which includes eight minors, arrived in Murmansk, 1,480 kilometers (920 miles) north of Moscow, on March 12 to play opponents from Russia, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Doping: Russian agency halts testing amid coronavirus outbreak

Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA said it was temporarily halting all testing in response to government measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Russia has reported 1,036 cases of the virus and has stepped up measures to prevent it from spreading further, including declaring next week a non-working week and ordering shut all Moscow cafes, restaurants and shops apart from those providing vital services, such as food and medicine.

Report: PGA Tour to aid golfers, caddies in financial need

The PGA Tour is stepping in to assist golfers and caddies who are financially struggling as a result of the suspension of play due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Golf Channel reported Saturday that the tour can advance compensation to golfers based on their performance to date, among other programs.

Japan's economy minister says Olympic postponement to push back trillions of yen in demand

The government's stimulus package will take into account the fact that the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games will push back several trillions of yen worth of demand until next year, Japan's economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Sunday. "If demand is being pushed back until next year, that means the same amount of demand will evaporate this year. We'll take this into account" in compiling the stimulus package, Nishimura told a television program.

Delayed Tokyo Olympics likely to open in July 2021: media

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese organizers are in the final stages of talks to set the opening date for the Tokyo Games in July next year, Japanese media said. The Tokyo event, postponed last week due to the coronavirus pandemic, will most likely have its opening ceremony in 2021 on July 23 and closing ceremony on Aug. 8, each a day earlier on the calendar than the original 2020 plan, said public broadcaster NHK on Sunday, citing unnamed sources.

Olympics: 'We'll be stronger than ever in 2021' – Naomi Osaka

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, the poster girl of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, took to social media on Saturday to show her support for the decision to postpone the Games until next year Osaka, who won the U.S. Open in 2018 and the Australian Open in 2019, was the central character in the video to launch Tokyo 2020’s official motto for the Games, launched last month.

New York Knicks owner Jim Dolan tests positive for coronavirus

The owner of NBA team New York Knicks, Jim Dolan, has tested positive for coronavirus, the Knicks said https://bit.ly/33Tqr0R in a twitter post. Dolan has been in self-isolation and is experiencing little to no symptoms and he continues to oversee business operations, Knicks added.

Athletics: Iran Olympic discus trailblazer Hadadi has coronavirus

Ehsan Hadadi, Iran's first Olympic track and field medalist, has tested positive for coronavirus, World Athletics reported on Saturday. Hadadi, the Asian discus champion who became a national hero when he won silver at the 2012 Olympics in London, has an athletics based in the U.S. but was at home in Tehran when he contracted the virus.

NBA notebook: Play likely to resume without fans

If the NBA regular season resumes, it is almost "100 percent" the games will be played without fans present, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Friday. Windhorst said the NBA very likely will mimic the plan being used in China for a potential end to the current hiatus, which began March 12.

Tennis stars rally in the fight against coronavirus

Novak Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, are donating 1 million Euros -- about $1.1 million -- to buy ventilators and other equipment for hospitals in their native Serbia to assist in the fight against the coronavirus. "The fight is not easy, numbers are not pleasant, but I am convinced that we will manage to make it out of this stronger than before," Djokovic said Friday in comments released by his foundation.

(With inputs from agencies.)