Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. NFL Draft to occur in 'fully virtual format,' with team personnel kept apart

The upcoming NFL draft will take place in a "fully virtual format," the league confirmed in a letter to teams on Monday, with personnel advised to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. The draft, scheduled to begin April 23, will take place "with club personnel in separate location and able to communicate with one another and draft headquarters by phone or internet," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the letter obtained by Reuters. UFC close to securing private island for fights: White

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has said the mixed martial arts promotion is close to securing a "private island" to stage bouts for international fighters during the COVID-19 pandemic. The flu-like virus has infected 1.27 million people globally and caused over 70,000 deaths and brought the sports world to a standstill, but the UFC plans to stick to its schedule albeit without fans in attendance. No decision on resuming play before May, says NBA Commissioner Silver

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on Monday there will be no decision on ending the league's coronavirus shutdown until May at the earliest. Silver, speaking on the NBA's Twitter account as part of the league's new NBATogether initiative, said, "in a perfect world" the league would finish the regular season in some form and move onto the playoffs but that it was too early to make projections. World Championships provisionally scheduled for Sept-Oct in South Korea

The Table Tennis World Championships, which was postponed due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, has been provisionally scheduled to be held in South Korea between Sept. 27 and Oct. 4, the sport's governing body said on Tuesday. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) had decided earlier this year that the event, which was originally scheduled to be held in March in the southern city of Busan, would be shifted to June following the COVID-19 outbreak. Report: NFL delays offseason phase 1

Teams are being advised the first phase of the offseason program, which includes rookie minicamps after the NFL draft, will be delayed by at least one week, NFL Network reported. Team facilities remain closed for all non-essential -- primarily healthcare -- employees. Coaches, general managers and scouts are meeting via video conference and will conduct their entire draft not from the typical team facility "war room" but remote locations that follow national social distancing guidelines prohibiting more than 10 people from being assembled. Doping: Testing gap due to coronavirus a 'gift' to cheats: race walker Bosworth

Reduced drug testing during the COVID-19 pandemic is like a "gift" for those unscrupulous athletes who will go to any lengths to win and make money, British race walker Tom Bosworth has told The Times newspaper. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said last month that the pandemic had created challenges for drug testers with countries closing borders, cancelling flights and enforcing quarantines, and with the shutdown of the sporting calendar. Wimbledon champion Halep is pain-free from foot injury

Wimbledon champion Simona Halep is recovering well from a foot injury she suffered in February and is able to run without pain, the former world number one has said. The Romanian won in Dubai but the injury forced her to pull out of Indian Wells, which was later cancelled as the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted countries to lock down borders and restrict travel. Players to swap rackets for game controllers as Madrid Open goes online

The world's top tennis players will swap rackets for game controllers this month after organisers of the cancelled Madrid Open said they will stage a virtual competition to raise funds for struggling professionals amid the coronavirus shutdown. The tennis season was halted in early March due to the pandemic, leaving players in the lower tiers, who solely depend on tournament winnings, without any chance to earn a living. Sport: On this day: Born April 8, 1912: Sonja Henie, Norwegian figure skater

Oslo's shock April snowfall of 1912 is remembered as one of the city's more memorable events of the last century, but it pales in comparison to the emergence of Sonja Henie, the precocious figure-skater who went on to become a hugely successful Hollywood movie star and performer, in its wake. Henie's combination of grace, style and hard-headed business acumen saw her build a glittering sporting legacy before embarking on a career as a performer that saw her earn millions from movies and live performances, with each acting as a marketing vehicle for the other. Hall of Fame Tigers outfielder Al Kaline dies aged 85

Baseball Hall of Famer Al Kaline, one of the most beloved and distinguished players of his era who spent his entire 22-year Major League Baseball career with the Detroit Tigers, died on Monday, aged 85, the team said. Known affectionately as "Mr. Tiger," Kaline was one of the most consistent players and retired not long after he became only the 12th player to reach MLB's elite 3,000-hit club.