By Agence France-Presse

Mixed martial arts star Khabib Nurmagomedov said Wednesday he would not take part in a UFC card scheduled for April 18, saying he was not prepared to travel amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Lightweight champion Nurmagomedov was due to have headlined the UFC 249 event in a bout against Tony Ferguson but said in a post on Instagram he was not willing to leave Russia for the fight.

“I understand everything and I’m definitely upset more than you to cancel the fight, probably like all others, I had many plans after the fight, but I can’t control it all,” Nurmagomedov wrote.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has already postponed three events after officials were unable to find venues to stage bouts amid restrictions put in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UFC had still not disclosed a venue for the Khabib-Ferguson fight, but president Dana White has spoken of his determination to organise the card.

Reports have said the fights were expected to go ahead without fans.

White said in an interview last week he wanted the fight to go ahead to try and restore “some normalcy” to US sport, which has been locked down since the coronavirus pandemic erupted.

“I’m gonna try to pull off Tony vs. Khabib on April 18 and try to get some normalcy back into this country,” White said.

“I have four or five locations right now. We’re getting this deal done.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Reigning world and Olympic all-around gymnastics champion Simone Biles says coping with the mental strain of waiting another year for the Tokyo Olympics will take a heavy toll by 2021.

Biles, who turned 23 last month, told the Today show on US Olympic telecaster NBC that she expects coaches will have her in top condition, but getting her mind in top shape in July a year later than planned will be difficult.

“Physically I have no doubt that my coaches will get me back in shape,” Biles said. “But mentally going another year, I think that’s what’s going to take a toll on me and all of us, most of the athletes.

“So we have to stay in shape mentally as much as physically, and that will play a big factor moving forward, listening to your body and your mind.”

Biles told the Wall Street Journal she was planning to retire after the Tokyo Olympics this year and is playing next year’s Games “by ear.”

Biles won all-around, vault, floor and team gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and owns five all-around world titles among her 19 world titles since 2013.

After taking off 18 months following Rio, Biles returned to top form with a goal of success in July in a sport that has dominated much of her time since she first tried it at age six.

Then came the deadly coronavirus pandemic and the decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics for one year, a delay she learned about on her phone in the locker room during training.

“I didn’t really know what to feel,” Biles said. “I just kind of sat there. I cried. But ultimately it was the right decision.”

“We need to make sure that everyone in the US and around the world is healthy and safe. It was hard, but it’s OK.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and the shutdown of the sporting calendar because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are going to hit international sports federations hard financially.

Many sports that are part of the Games depend heavily on the payouts every four years from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“The situation is tense and very gloomy. An assessment will be made, but clearly some posts are under threat,” said an official of a major international federation.

The 28 international federations (IF) of the sports that were due to be present at the Tokyo Olympics, would have received substantial sums from the IOC.

However, the postponement of the Games until 2021 could lead to a freeze of their payment.

“We have a lot of IF with substantial reserves, but others work on a different business model, they have income from major events which are suspended, which can be a problem for the cashflow if they don’t have enough reserves,” said Andrew Ryan, director general of the Association of International Olympic Summer Sports Federations (ASOIF), which is responsible for distributing this money.

The five additions to the Tokyo Games programme – karate, surfing, skateboarding, climbing and baseball/softball – are not eligible.

The Olympic payout totalled $520 million after the Rio Games, four years ago.

“The Olympic money could be less than for Rio 2016,” Ryan warned before adding: “My advice is to budget the same as in Rio”.

The federations receive money on a sliding scale determined by their audience and size.

The three largest (athletics, swimming and gymnastics) can expect approximately $40 million.

For the second tier, made up of cycling, basketball, volleyball, football and tennis, the sum is $25 million.

For group three, which contains eight sports, including boxing, rowing, judo and table tennis, it is $17 million.

The nine sports in the next level (including sailing, canoing and fencing) receive $12 million.

For the three in the last category (rugby, golf, modern pentathlon) the payout is $7 million.

For the largest associations, such as football’s FIFA which has a $1.5 billion nest egg, or basketball body FIBA which has CHF 44.4 million (42 million euros) in reserves, IOC aid represents a small proportion of their income.

For others, it is vital.

“Some IF probably don’t have the cashflow to survive one year,” said Ryan.

For most federations, the postponement of the Olympic Games has a domino effect, forcing them to reschedule their own money-earning competitions.

“The revenues from these events will eventually come in,” said Ryan. “But this impacts the cashflow.”

World Athletics has already postponed the 2021 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon to 2022.

The International Swimming Federation (FINA) will have to do the same for its World Championships scheduled for next summer in Fukuoka, Japan, when they would probably clash with the Tokyo Games.

“One edition of the World Championships means for us $10 million in revenues,” said one sports federation official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“If this income is postponed, totally or partially, for a year, we will face major problems, especially if the IOC money, originally expected in September, is not paid out.”

The Singapore-based International Table Tennis Federation has already taken steps, with “the Executive Committee agreeing to reduce their expenses and senior staff offering to take a salary reduction,” said marketing director Matt Pound, but, he added,”further cuts will take place if needed.”

‘Significant loss of revenue’

The ITTF has suspended all its competitions until June and that is costly.

Kim Andersen, the Danish president of London-based World Sailing, said commercial revenues are not immune.

“The IOC will eventually pay out its aid, but what weighs most heavily is the uncertainty about whether our competitions will be held and whether our sponsors will be maintained,” he said.

The IOC is not prepared to go into details of what it plans.

“It is not possible at this stage to assess the overall impact” of the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, an official told AFP. “It depends on a number of variables that are currently being studied.”

According to an official of one federation: “the IOC will discuss on a case-by-case basis, sport by sport”.

Another option is for the federations to ask for a share of the public aid set up to deal with the coronavirus crisis, in Switzerland, where 22 ASOIF members are based and also in the United Kingdom, home of World Sailing.

“Can sports federations benefit from federal aid? The answer is yes, in principle,” Philippe Leuba, State Councillor of the canton of Vaud, in charge of the economy and sport, told AFP.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers have completed 14-day home isolations without any players showing symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), the NBA clubs said on Wednesday.

The clubs intend to continue to follow safety guidelines set by health and government officials regarding social distance and sheltering in place.

Nets general manager Sean Marks, the first New Zealand-born player in the NBA, said the four Nets players who had tested positive for the virus, reportedly including superstar forward Kevin Durant, now show no symptoms of of COVID-19.

The entire travel group for the Nets has completed isolation after learning March 17 that a player was showing coronavirus symptoms.

Durant has not played a game for the Nets due to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in last June’s NBA Finals while with Golden State.

Kyrie Irving played only 20 games for Brooklyn before calling it quits for the season due to a shoulder injury.

But with the NBA season shut down and playoffs potentially pushed back into August, they might both be recovered enough to play in post-season games if they are played.

“I don’t think it’s fair to those athletes nor the performance team to put a timeline on it,” Marks said. “I think everyone is dealing with bigger, far more pressing things.”

All team practice facilities have been closed due to the outbreak.

“Just by getting time off, yes, does that make your body heal and so forth? But there were several of our players that need the facilities, need game reps, need to be playing,” Marks said.

“You could take the other side of this and say that this hiatus has set their rehabilitation back and it has slowed them.”

Marks and other Nets personnel are only seeing players from a distance.

“They know their bodies better than anyone else, so at the right time and when they are 100% and they are up for it, I’m sure they will be making those decisions.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Roger Federer and Serena Williams were among the tennis stars left devastated on Wednesday as Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The cancellation of the oldest Grand Slam tournament at London’s All England Club leaves the season in disarray, with no tennis set to be played until mid-July.

“Devastated,” tweeted eight-time champion Federer, while Serena, who has won the tournament seven times, said she was shocked by the momentous decision.

Wimbledon was due to run for two weeks from June 29, with Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep set to defend their singles titles.

But tournament chiefs bowed to the inevitable on Wednesday, saying in a statement that they had made the decision with “great regret.”

US tennis chiefs responded by saying the US Open, due to finish a week before the controversially rearranged French Open, was still due to take place as planned.

All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt said the decision to cancel Wimbledon had not been taken lightly.

“It has weighed heavily on our minds that the staging of The Championships has only been interrupted previously by world wars,” he said.

“But, following thorough and extensive consideration of all scenarios, we believe that it is a measure of this global crisis that it is ultimately the right decision to cancel this year’s Championships.”

Halep tweeted her disappointment.

“So sad to hear @Wimbledon won’t take place this year,” she said.

“Last year’s final will forever be one of the happiest days of my life! But we are going through something bigger than tennis and Wimbledon will be back! And it means I have even longer to look forward to defending my title.”

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray added: “Very sad that Wimbledon has been cancelled this year but with all that is going on in the world right now, everyone’s health is definitely the most important thing!”

The decision to cancel Wimbledon was widely expected, with the world struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19, which has claimed more than 43,000 lives and infected more than 860,000 people, according to an AFP tally.

‘I’m going to miss it’

Organizers had earlier ruled out playing the event behind closed doors while postponing it would also have created its own problems, with shorter days later in the English summer.

The ATP and WTA have also cancelled the grass-court swing in the build-up to the tournament, meaning the tennis season will not now restart until July 13 at the earliest.

The US Tennis Association said it was sticking to its August 31 to September 13 dates for the US Open in New York.

“At this time the USTA still plans to host the US Open as scheduled, and we continue to hone plans to stage the tournament,” it said in a statement.

“The USTA is carefully monitoring the rapidly changing environment surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and is preparing for all contingencies.”

American legend Billie-Jean King, a six-time Wimbledon women’s singles champion, said cancelling the tournament was the only option in the circumstances.

“I fully understand and support the decision of the committee and it is vital we keep our focus on those most impacted by this pandemic,” she said.

“I have been fortunate to go to Wimbledon every year since 1961 and I am certainly going to miss it this year.”

The cancellation could mean multiple champions Federer, Serena Williams and Venus Williams have played at the All England Club for the final time.

Federer and Serena will be nearly 40 by the time of the 2021 championships and Venus will be 41.

Serena, beaten in last year’s final by Halep, is stuck on 23 Grand Slam singles titles — agonisingly one away from equalling Margaret Court’s record.

Tennis has endured a torrid time in recent weeks with the entire European claycourt season wiped out.

The French Tennis Federation provoked widespread anger with its unilateral decision to move the French Open from its original May 24 start date to begin on September 20 – one week after the conclusion of the US Open in New York.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

For somebody who owns a record 22 titles in the Philippine Basketball Association spanning three decades, coach Tim Cone found it tough to pick his ‘Top Five’ championships moments.

There are plenty to choose from since Cone has had stints with three ballclubs — and won with all three.

Cone’s first stop was with Alaska Milk, a team he coached from 1989 to 2011, steering the franchise to 13 of its current 14 titles, including a Grand Slam  back in 1996.

Before the 2011-12 season, he transferred to B-Meg and helped the team to a championship that year. When the franchise changed its team name to San Mig Super Coffee, it made history with the league’s version of the ‘Triple Crown’ during the 2013-14 Season.

In 2015, Cone moved to Ginebra and quickly made an impact with a championship that season. At the moment, he has four titles with the popular team, the last of which was the 2019 Governors’ Cup.

While the number of titles is expected to increase, Cone has his choice ‘Top Five’ championship moments. He admits, however, picking – and even ranking one to five “is very hard to narrow down.”

Eventually he did, and these choices he shared with MB Sports:

First championship with Alaska

1991 Third Conference against Ginebra

Wins best-of-five series 3-1

“The first was, of course, memorable just because, mostly, it was the first. That was our Bong Alvarez series. It was against Ginebra, which made it doubly exciting, and “Mr. Excitement” himself had the task of guarding the prolific Wes Matthews, who had just recently left the Los Angeles Lakers. Bong, with the help of his friends… er, teammates, shut him (Matthews) down and we won the best-of-five. That was also Sean Chambers’ first championship, as well.”

Grand Slam with Alaska

1996 Governors’ Cup against Ginebra

Wins best-of-seven series 4-1

“In ‘96, again it was against Ginebra, which again added excitement. We had really reached our peak as a team (after winning the first two conferences). If I recall correctly, we had won something like 13 straight games before Ginebra beat us in Game 4 of the series by one point. We promptly won Game 5 to finish the series and win the championship along with the Grand Slam. That team was a special group led by Johnny (Abarrientos), Jojo (Lastimosa), Bong (Hawkins), Poch (Juinio), Jeff (Cariaso) and of course Sean (Chambers).”

Grand Slam with San Mig Super Coffee

2014 Governors’ Cup against Rain or Shine

Wins best-of-five series 3-2

“San Mig was a different story but no less satisfying. We had struggled through the whole conference trying to win our fourth (straight) conference (title) in a row, as well as the Grand Slam. It was like we were on our last legs, limping to the finish line. In the Finals, we played Yeng Guioa’s Rain or Shine and it went all the way to a Game 5. We pulled it out after both Paul Lee and Jeff Chan missed wide-open three-pointers to take the lead. Not sure how we did it, but we did it. It was just great character from Marc Pingris, James Yap, PJ Simon, Mark Barroca, Joe Devance, Marqus Blakely and the rest.”

B-Meg’s title campaign

2012 Commissioner’s Cup against Talk ’N Text

Wins best-of-seven series 4-3

“Denzel Bowles’ free throws. My first championship and my first year with the Purefoods franchise after leaving Alaska. There was a lot of emotion in that series from myself, and obviously, from Denzel after making those two free throws to go into overtime. No doubt, we benefitted with the foul call (against Ali Peek), but Denzel still had to step up and knock them down (free throws), and we still had to win the game in overtime, along with the championship.”

First title with Ginebra

2016 Governors’ Cup against Meralco

Wins best-of-seven series 4-3

The shot by Justin Brownlee – also, my first championship with Ginebra after leaving Purefoods. Of course, the termination of Ginebra’s 8-year title drought. It seemed that we were all feeling the immense day-to-day pressure of trying to win it for the fans. Also, that series had the “Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand” game in which the two of them brought us back from a large deficit in what ended up being the turning point of the series. That was probably my most memorable single game that I had been involved with, and then to win it with “The Shot” – I was so happy for Justin Brownlee.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Columbian star CJ Perez paces a group of talented freshmen that made it to the All-Rookie Team which will be handed once the PBA Press Corps determines a date for its annual Awards Night.

Perez, the 2019 Rookie of the Year, is joined by NorthPort’s Robert Bolick, TNT KaTropa’s Ray Parks Jr., Rain or Shine’s Javee Mocon and Alaska’s Abu Tratter in the team which was determined by sportswriters regularly covering the PBA beat.

The Lyceum star stood out as the best first-year player from the previous season, averaging a league-best 20.8 points with 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals in 33 games.

Despite failing to lead the Dyip to a playoff appearance, Perez’s excellent showing earned him a spot in the league’s Mythical First Team, the first rookie since Calvin Abueva did it with Alaska in the 2012-13 season.

Other players who made the First Team in their inaugural pro season were Toyota’s Arnie Tuadles (1979), Great Taste’s Ricardo Brown (1983) and Allan Caidic (1987), Formula Shell’s Benjie Paras (1989), Ginebra’s Marlou Aquino (1996), San Miguel Beer’s Danny Seigle and Tanduay’s Sonny Alvarado in 1999, Talk ’N Text’s Jimmy Alapag (2003) and Sta. Lucia’s Kelly Williams (2006-07).

Bolick produced 13.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.9 assists in 32 games with NorthPort. After bucking a slow start, the former San Beda standout helped the Batang Pier register a 9-2 record in the Commissioner’s Cup eliminations before his season was cut short the following conference due to an ACL tear.

Parks played just two conferences, first for Blackwater before being shipped to TNT in November. He tallied 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 32 games for both teams.

Mocon was instrumental in Rain or Shine’s semifinal appearances in the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup before finishing the season with averages of 10.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 48 games.

Tratter made the team after making an immediate impact when he was acquired by Alaska from Blackwater in a trade before the start of the Governors’ Cup. Tratter averaged 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in 32 games for the Elite and Aces.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Beijing 2022 organizers said they face “a special situation” after the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics means less than six months between the Summer and Winter Games.

The Tokyo Olympics are now scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8, 2021 after they were put back a year because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

However, with the Beijing Winter Games beginning on February 4, 2022 there is the unusual challenge of almost back-to-back Olympics.

“The new dates of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games mean we are faced with a special situation where the Summer Games and Winter Games are to be held in half-a-year,” a Beijing 2022 official told Xinhua news agency.

“We will have a detailed assessment of how the new dates of Tokyo 2020 will affect the Beijing 2022 Games.

“In the meantime, will keep close communication with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and the Olympic family to handle the situation properly and push forward our preparation in all aspects.”

China, where the coronavirus emerged in December, says that its preparations for 2022 are on schedule, despite much of the country shutting down in February in an effort to stop the spread of the disease.

Beijing will become the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games, having held the 2008 Olympics.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

NBA fans starved for action amid the shut-down forced by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will get a taste of competition in an NBA 2K Players Tournament starting on Friday.

Kevin Durant may have been sidelined all season as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon, but the Brooklyn Nets star is the top seed in the 16-man field of current NBA players taking on the virtual challenge.

The NBA, the NBA Players Association and game maker 2K announced the tournament, which will be aired in the United States on ESPN over 10 days.

“The winner will be crowned the ultimate NBA 2K20 champion and select a charity beneficiary to receive a $100,000 donation from 2K, the NBA and the NBPA in support of ongoing coronavirus relief efforts,” the league said.

Rising Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is the second seed in a field that also features Portland’s Hassan Whiteside, Utah’s Donovan Mitchell and Washington Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura of Japan.

The seedings are determined by a player’s NBA 2K rating — Durant is a 96 — and by tenure in the league.

After single-elimination first and second rounds the semi-finals and final will be best-of-three series.

As shelter-in-place orders and quarantines in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought actual sports to a standstill, the popular NASCAR stock car series showed that eSports can help fill the void for sports broadcasters and fans.

Over the past two weeks NASCAR drivers have competed in iRacing events that were aired on Fox Sports, drawing hundreds of thousands of viewers.

The NBA put its season on indefinite hold on March 11 after Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Teammate Mitchell is also among the NBA players who have tested positive, as is Durant.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

A 10-part documentary series on retired NBA legend Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty has been finished early for an April release to US and worldwide audiences, presenters announced Tuesday.

“The Last Dance” originally was expected to debut in early June alongside the start of the 2020 NBA Finals before the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has shut down sports leagues, but now will start April 19 on ESPN.

“April 19th can’t come fast enough. I CAN NOT WAIT!! Yessir!” four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James tweeted Tuesday.

James, who sparked the Los Angeles Lakers to the Western Conference lead when the season was halted, was among those who pushed for a launch while much of the United States is quarantined at home without live sports events to watch on TV.

The documentary will be available outside the United States on Netflix on five consecutive Mondays starting April 20, in each case one day later than its US premiere on ESPN.

“Michael Jordan and the ’90s Bulls weren’t just sports superstars, they were a global phenomenon,” director Jason Hehir said.

“Making ‘The Last Dance’ was an incredible opportunity to explore the extraordinary impact of one man and one team.”

The production features footage by an NBA Entertainment film crew that was given permission by Jordan, coach Phil Jackson and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf to follow the team all season during the 1997-98 campaign as the team chased a sixth title in eight seasons.

“As society navigates this time without live sports, viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape and enjoy a collective experience,” ESPN said in a statement.

“We’ve heard the calls from fans asking us to move up the release date for this series, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve been able to accelerate the production schedule to do just that.”

Source: Manila Bulletin