Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. New England Patriots team plane transporting 1.7 million masks for coronavirus relief

A call for help from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker prompted an unorthodox mission from the New England Patriots, who sent their team jet to China this week in order to retrieve 1.7 million N95 medical masks, the NFL side said on Thursday. A private jet was needed to expedite the shipment that would have otherwise taken weeks to arrive, the team said, as hospitals in hard-hit regions of the country struggle to access desperately needed supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. NWSL Commissioner Baird targets season opener in June

Lisa Baird, commissioner of the U.S. National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), says they are targeting a return to action in late June and trying to hammer out a new schedule after the season was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The NWSL's eighth season was set to start on April 18, riding a wave of momentum following the U.S. national team's triumph at the women's World Cup and the signing of marquee broadcast deals with CBS and streaming service Twitch. 'There may be no more tennis this year', says Wimbledon chief Lewis

Tennis may not return until 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of the entire grasscourt season and most of the claycourt campaign, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) chief executive Richard Lewis said on Thursday. The outbreak has played havoc with the global sporting calendar and the Wimbledon championships were cancelled by the AELTC on Wednesday for the first time since the second World War. Basketball-Australia's NBL denies Hawks sold to NBA prospect Ball

Australia's National Basketball League (NBL) has denied the struggling Illawarra Hawks club have been sold to teenage NBA prospect LaMelo Ball after the player's manager said it was a "done deal". Ball, seen as a potential number one pick in the 2020 NBA draft, had an injury-blighted stint at the Wollongong-based Hawks last year but impressed so much in his 12 games that he won the NBL's rookie-of-the-year award for the 2019/20 season. Chelsea to help Refuge tackle domestic abuse

English soccer club Chelsea have teamed up with domestic abuse charity Refuge to help raise funds for women and children left in vulnerable situations because of the coronavirus pandemic. Some experts have warned that self-isolation directives during the coronavirus lockdown could lead to further cases of domestic abuse and make it more difficult to find support. Olympics: AOC boss Coates takes pay cut due to coronavirus

Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President John Coates said on Friday he has taken a 20% cut to his "consulting fees" due to the coronavirus crisis. Coates's fees were A$594,000 ($360,000) for 2020 but he said he would take only A$475,600. Boxing: Russian coach diagnosed with coronavirus after Olympic qualifiers

A Russian national boxing team coach has tested positive for the coronavirus after returning home from Olympic qualifiers cut short in London last month. Anton Kadushin, who works with Gleb Bakshi, the 2019 world champion in the middleweight class, wrote on his Instagram page on Thursday that he had tested positive for the virus. Report: Masters could move to November, U.S. Open could shift west

A tentative plan for a revised professional golf calendar calls for the Masters to be held in November, and the U.S. Open possibly could get moved to California, Golfweek reported Thursday. The report indicated that the release of the new schedule is on hold pending a decision about the fate of The Open Championship. The Open's organizers, the Royal & Ancient, earlier Thursday refuted a report that the event will be canceled. Live practice games a 'beam of light' for baseball-starved Korean fans

For student Kim Jin-won, watching his favourite baseball team's practice games live on YouTube is a rare slice of happiness while stuck at home during South Korea's social distancing campaign aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus. The global sporting calendar has been virtually wiped out due to the spread of the virus, and the Korea Baseball Organization has postponed the start of the season from March 28 to April 20. NASCAR industry joins race to help COVID-19 caregivers

The interruption to the 2020 NASCAR season due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been understandably disappointing and disconcerting for racers, fans, teams and the industry as a whole. But instead of completely retreating during this time of general uncertainty, NASCAR and the racing industry responded immediately to help make a life-saving difference.

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