Sports | ABS-CBN News

North American sports will return, but will the fans?

Rory Carroll, Reuters
Mar 31 01:00 PM

When North American sports leagues return to action after the coronavirus crisis, questions are sure to linger over whether the fans will be willing, or have the resources, to pack stadiums as they once did, sports analysts have said.   Read more »

From 'best prepared' to postponed: Tokyo 2020's rocky road

Sara Hussein, Agence France-Presse
Mar 31 12:00 PM

Olympic officials regularly lauded Tokyo as the best prepared host city they had seen. But no one could have planned for the coronavirus pandemic that has forced an unprecedented postponement of the 2020 Games.   Read more »

Fil-Am guard Remy Martin declares for NBA Draft

ABS-CBN News
Mar 31 11:52 AM

Filipino-American guard Remy Martin of Arizona State University has declared for the NBA Rookie Draft. Read more »

Football: Messi confirms pay cut for Barca players, criticises board

Thomas ALLNUTT, Agence France-Presse
Mar 31 11:14 AM

Lionel Messi confirmed on Monday that Barcelona's players will take a 70% pay cut and make financial contributions to ensure the club's other employees are paid in full during the state of alarm in Spain. Read more »

Report: NBA planning players-only NBA 2K tourney

Field Level Media/Reuters
Mar 31 11:12 AM

The NBA has plans for a players-only NBA 2K video game tournament to be shown on ESPN, Yahoo Sports reported Monday evening. Read more »

Evolve MMA offers free online workouts

ABS-CBN News
Mar 31 11:12 AM

Evolve MMA is giving the martial arts community a boost by offering a full schedule of daily online workout sessions that everyone can avail of, free of charge. Read more »

Tennis: U.S. Open venue to host 350-bed temporary hospital amid coronavirus pandemic

Amy Tennery, Reuters
Mar 31 10:21 AM

A portion of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is set to transform into a 350-bed temporary hospital on Tuesday, the USTA said. Read more »

Enlisted volleyball stars on duty in fight against COVID-19

Mark Escarlote, ABS-CBN Sports
Mar 31 10:16 AM

Enlisted volleyball players and coaches are working behind the scenes in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19).   Read more »

Boxing: Saunders' licence suspended after domestic violence 'advice' video

Agence France-Presse
Mar 31 09:51 AM

Boxing chiefs suspended WBO super-middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders' licence on Monday after he offered men advice on how to hit their female partners during the coronavirus lockdown. Read more »

Golf: Masters hosts donate $2 million to coronavirus tests, relief

Agence France-Presse
Mar 31 09:51 AM

Augusta National Golf Club, which in most years would be preparing to host the Masters, announced on Monday it will give $2 million to help fight the coronavirus pandemic in its region. Read more »

Delayed Olympics will be a relief for sponsors in current chaos, experts say

Pirate IRWIN, Agence France-Presse
Mar 31 08:15 AM

The decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until 2021 will be welcomed by the sponsors who pay hundreds of millions to be associated with the event, British advertising veteran Martin Sorrell has told AFP. Read more »

Japan, IOC set July 23 next year for start of delayed Olympics

Jack Tarrant and Antoni Slodkowski, Reuters
Mar 30 08:09 PM | Updated Mar 31 08:29 AM

The postponed Olympic Games will now begin on July 23 next year and run until Aug. 8, the head of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee said on Monday. Read more »

New Olympic date likely 'this week': organizers

Hiroshi Hiyama, Agence France-Presse
Mar 30 05:23 PM

New dates for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will likely be revealed this week, organizers said Monday after the coronavirus forced the historic decision to postpone the Games until next year.   Read more »

PBA: Meneses leads fight against COVID-19 in Bulakan

ABS-CBN News
Mar 30 04:47 PM

PBA legend Vergel Meneses is leading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the town of Bulakan, where he is serving his first term as mayor. Read more »

UAAP: Tots Carlos celebrates first win with UP rookies

Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News
Mar 30 03:49 PM

Before the UAAP suspended all of its events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of the Philippines women's volleyball team barged into the win column of the Season 82 tournament.  Read more »

FIVB shines spotlight on Sisi Rondina's volleyball journey

ABS-CBN News
Mar 30 03:46 PM

Sisi Rondina's remarkable life story has caught the attention of FIVB, as the world's governing body for volleyball shared her journey on its website over the weekend. Read more »

PBA: Pingris, DOTA boys raise nearly P400k through Lockdown Games

ABS-CBN News
Mar 30 03:42 PM

Stars of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) have raised nearly P400,000 for frontliners through their "Lockdown Games" initiative. Read more »

Bananas, baseball and headaches - counting the cost of Tokyo's Olympic delay

Naomi Tajitsu and Sam Nussey, Reuters
Mar 30 01:52 PM

Japan's Olympic delay has upended years of careful planning by organisers and spawned costly headaches for small businesses, hotels and even pro baseball teams, compounding a $12 billion price tag. Read more »

Coronavirus may prove virtual sports game changer

Agence France-Presse
Mar 30 01:43 PM

With an unprecedented captive audience of three billion people in coronavirus lockdown virtual sports events are wooing fans after traditional live sports were shut down and public gatherings banned in many countries. Read more »

NBA: Celtics guard Smart 'corona-free', 10 days after positive test

Agence France-Presse
Mar 30 01:34 PM

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who tested positive for the new coronavirus 10 days ago, has been cleared by American health officials, he announced Sunday on Twitter.   Read more »

Isolated in foreign lands, footballers learn to deal without the game

Kieran Canning, Agence France-Presse
Mar 30 01:07 PM

Footballers' daily routines have been upended with no games to play for the foreseeable future and training sessions now conducted alone at home or via video-conferencing to maintain some semblance of team spirit.   Read more »

MPBL: Poligrates vows to prove former team wrong after signing with Rizal

ABS-CBN News
Mar 30 12:57 PM

Eloy Poligrates has a chip on his shoulder after signing with Rizal-Xentro Mall for the fourth season of the Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.   Read more »

Postponing Olympics saves athletes from mental turmoil: Coe

Agence France-Presse
Mar 30 10:32 AM

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Sunday that the decision to postpone this year's Tokyo Olympics because of the coronavirus has saved athletes from "mental turmoil". Read more »

Football: Scrap season if it can't be finished by end of June, says Kane

Agence France-Presse
Mar 30 10:32 AM

England captain Harry Kane said on Sunday the Premier League season should be cancelled if it cannot be completed by the end of June because of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more »

Football: Man City's Gundogan says Liverpool deserve title if season cancelled

Reuters
Mar 30 10:32 AM

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan says it would only be "fair" for rivals Liverpool to be awarded the English Premier League trophy if the season cannot be completed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Read more »