Latest - South Africa have confirmed two unnamed players have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their two-match test series against Sri Lanka that starts in Pretoria on Boxing Day, forcing the call-up of a trio of players as replacements.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The positive tests were announced on Friday, a day before the team is due to enter a bio-bubble on the Highveld and follows a number of cases in domestic cricket that have sparked alarm.
"The players will no longer form part of the test team and will observe the COVID-19 protocols, including isolating with immediate effect," Cricket South Africa said in a statement.
-Reuters
Keep calm and play on, officials not sweating on Sydney cluster
Cricket Australia are monitoring an outbreak of COVID-19 in Sydney but do not consider the third test against India to be under threat, interim chief executive Nick Hockley said on Friday.
Australian states and territories on Friday begun imposing border restrictions after 28 cases of the virus were detected from a cluster on Sydney's northern beaches.
The third test at Sydney Cricket Ground is scheduled to start on Jan. 7 but Hockley said it was too early to start panicking given how quickly the situation had changed in various cities around the country this year.
-Reuters
Lydia Ko jumps up leaderboard
New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has powered out of the bottom half of the field to within four shots of the lead at the CME Group Tour Championship in Florida.
Lydia Ko Photo: Sportswire
Ko, who started the day two over, finished at 5 under and tied for 11th after posting a bogey-free 65. Her 7-under round was the low score of the day and featured seven birdies, including three straight to close out her round.
"Yesterday I had enough of my game and my golf," said Ko, the 2014 champion who also holds the 18-hole scoring record at Tiberon (second-round 62 in 2016).
"I told (my caddie) and my mom, 'I'm going to get out of here,' and I just left, and I ordered like five people's worth of food ... Today I just came in saying, 'I'm going to try and play the best I can with a lot of confidence,' and I was.
"My irons and the shots going into the greens were really good, so set up a lot of birdie opportunities. I was able to make a few of them, so, yeah, much better position going into the weekend."
Jin Young Ko of South Korea, who played her way into this week's LPGA season finale with just three starts in 2020, moved to the top of the leaderboard thanks to a bogey-free 67.
She holds a one-shot lead over compatriot and defending champion Sei Young Kim (69) and first-round leader Lexi Thompson (71).
- Field Level Media
E-sports, breakdancing win 2022 Asian Games spots
E-sports and breakdancing will debut in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, as full medal sports after being approved by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the governing body said.
E-sports first appeared as an official medal sport at the Asian Indoor Games in Macau in 2007. They were also a part of the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia but medals did not count in the overall standings.
"I hope that electronic sports will add value to the Asian Gamesand I am sure it will in the future, during the Asian Games 2022 and even beyond that," said OCA Asian Games Director Haider Farman.
Breakdancing, considered one of the pillars of hip-hop culture, will also make its Asian Games bow in 2022, two years before it features in the Olympics for the first time in Paris.
The 19th edition of the Asian Games is due to take place from Sept. 10-25, 2022.
-Reuters
Ineos acquires one-third stake in Mercedes F1 team
Petrochemicals giant Ineos will acquire a one-third share of the Mercedes Formula One team with parent company Daimler AG cutting back its stake, the F1 champions announced.
Ineos, owned by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, will become an equal partner in the team together with Daimler and the F1 outfit's chief executive and team principal Toto Wolff.
As part of the transaction, Daimler will reduce its stake from 60%, while Wolff will raise his shareholding from 30%, according to the statement by the F1 champions.
The announcement clears up Wolff's future with the team with the 48-year-old Austrian staying on as the CEO and team principal for another three years, and he would subsequently have the chance to move to a different role in the organisation at a time of his choosing.
It should also nudge seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has a close rapport with Wolff, closer to agreeing a contract extension keeping him alongside Finn Valtteri Bottas, who is already confirmed for next season.
-Reuters
Football Union survey shows players wish to continue taking a knee
English football players are "overwhelmingly in support" of continuing to take a knee as an act of solidarity against racial inequality, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) said.
The players' union consulted members on whether they wanted to continue after a series of incidents where fans booed the gesture, and how best the leagues, clubs and players should express the anti-discriminatory message.
The result of the survey showed the players "support continuing this act of solidarity despite any adverse responses that may be received".
A number of Millwall, Colchester United and Cambridge United fans booed their players taking a knee before kickoff in the past two weeks.
The union said there had been a lack of leadership for the English Football League (EFL) players, who have been left in a "difficult position" following the recent negative crowd reaction at several matches.
-Reuters
