Sports news feed: Senior IOC official uncertain Olympics will take place

A senior member of the International Olympic Committee has said he “can’t be certain” the Tokyo Games will take place in six months. The city has been placed under a state of emergency due to rising Coronavirus cases.

IOC member "not certain" Tokyo Games will take place Public Olympic torch display called off American sports stars express dismay at storming of Capitol LeBron James speaks out on Jacob Blake verdict

January 8 Tokyo goes into lockdown ahead of Olympics

Canadian Dick Pound, the longest-serving member of the International Olympic Committee, has downplayed the likelihood of the Tokyo Olympics going ahead.

“I can't be certain because the ongoing elephant in the room would be the surges in the virus,” Pound told the BBC.

On Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency for greater Tokyo following a surge in cases.

The Olympics Games are set be held between July 4 and August 8.

Pound recently called for athletes competing in the Olympics and Paralympics to be given preferential vaccinations in order to ensure the Games could go ahead.

January 7 Public display of Olympic torch canceled

Japan has canceled a public display of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic torches as new virus cases jump in the country and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga orders a state of emergency for Tokyo and the surrounding areas until next month.

Tokyo reported 2,447 new cases on Thursday. The rapid spread of the virus in Japan is imperiling plans for the postponed Tokyo Olympics, which are to open on July 23. The Paralympics begin on Aug. 24.

The Olympics were postponed nine months ago because of the pandemic. A poll last month by Japanese broadcaster NHK showed 63% of 1,200 Japanese surveyed think the Games should be postponed again - or canceled.

American sports stars speak out against storming of Capitol

Several American sports stars have expressed their dismay after the U. S. Capitol was stormed on Wednesday. Prominent figures in the NBA were quick to point out the differences to the Black Lives Matter protests.

Click here to read the full story

"Can you imagine what would have happened if that was all black people storming the Ca

pitol today?" said Philadephia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers before the game against the Washington Wizards. “The symbolism of storming the Capitol without force done to them, if you're a Black American, it definitely touches you in a different way. This is not a Black thing. This is an American thing.''

UFC's Stipe Miocic warns YouTube stars

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has issued a very firm warning to Youtube stars Jake and Logan Paul. In recent years, the two brothers have turned to the sport of boxing and both have gone pro.

"I mean, they say social media is a motherf--ker," Miocic told The Pat McAfee Show. "They’re doing it right, it’s helping boxing, but also it’s helping everything because they’re calling UFC fighters out, too. Or the Bellator guys. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. I wish them all the best. I understand why they’re doing it, it’s all about the money. But at the same time, don’t bite off more than you can chew."

January 6 LeBron James reacts to Jacob Blake verdict

LeBron James called a prosecutor's decision not to file charges against a white police officer who shot a Black man in Wisconsin this summer a "blow to the heart and to the gut." Jacob Blake was left paralyzed after being shot in the back on Aug. 23 by Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey. "I'm smart enough to know that even though we are playing a game of basketball that there's so much more going on in the world,'' James said Tuesday after his Los Angeles Lakers beat the Memphis Grizzlies. "So much more that's even more important than us playing a game."

"To hear what happened in Kenosha today was a blow to the heart and to the gut, not only to that community, but to us and to every Black person that has been a part of this process, seeing these outcomes for so long.''

Rugby match called off due to COVID

Northampton Saints' Premiership Rugby meeting with Leicester Tigers on Saturday has been called off after the Saints returned positive COVID-19 tests, the league said on Wednesday.

"The health and safety of players, management, staff and match officials is our priority," said a Premiership Rugby spokesman. "We wish those who have tested positive at Saints a speedy and safe recovery."

Roma director in serious car crash

AS Roma director Morgan De Sanctis is in intensive care following a car accident in the Italian capital on Tuesday night. The 43-year-old former Italy goalkeeper was rushed to hospital after a serious incident on Rome's busy Via Cristoforo Colombo, Italian media reports said.

De Sanctis underwent an operation on an abdominal haemorrhage, where his spleen was removed. He is understood to now be conscious and in a stable condition following surgery.

January 5 Record high positive COVID tests in Premier League

The Premier League insist that the show must go on, despite 40 positive coronavirus tests of players and staff in the last two rounds of testing, conducted over the last week.

That figure is more than double the previous record of 18 positive cases recorded last week and comes as England enters another nationwide lockdown to halt rapidly rising infection rates.

Protests against Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia

Supporters of women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul, who campaigned for the right for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, have demanded a boycott of the Dakar Rally while she remains in prison.

The motorsport event is currently underway in Saudi Arabia, though the country has been criticised by many for "sportswashing" its reputation while maintaining a restrictive brand of conservatism.

"Women’s rights activists have endured years in prison, psychological and physical torture, and sexual abuse for campaigning for the right to drive. Many remain in prison to this day,” said Lucy Rae, spokeswoman for Grant Liberty, a human rights advocacy body. "It is utterly grotesque that at the same time Saudi authorities will host a motor sport event – including women drivers – while the heroes that won their right to drive languish in jail."

Saudi Arabia, who claim Hathloul is jailed for undermining the royal family rather than her campaign to allow women to drive, became the host of the event last year as part of a project designed to open itself to the world through sport.

Australian Grand Prix under threat

Australian Grand Prix organisers and officials are discussing the schedule for the race with Formula One bosses, a government spokesman said on Tuesday, amid speculation the season-opener will be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The country's strict travel restrictions are among the logistical problems for the seaosn opener, slated for March 21.

Sumo champion out of big tournament

Record-breaking sumo champion Hakuho has tested positive for COVID-19 just days before the New Year tournament, the Japan Sumo Association said.

The JSA said Hakuho was tested after noticing a loss of smell, and that other members of the Miyagino stable who are thought to have come into contact with him would be tested immediately.

A JSA spokesperson said his participation in the tournament, was as yet undecided, but the competition was set to go ahead as scheduled.

January 4 Svensson returns to Mainz

Former Mainz player Bo Svensson has taken over the role of head coach at his old club, who have now completed a backroom facelift that has also seen Christian Heidel and Martin Schmidt return in new roles. The Dane joins from Austrian side FC Liefering, with Mainz in the Bundesliga’s bottom two.

"Bo brings all the qualities we’d wish for in our head coach role," said Christian Heidel, Head of Strategy, Sport and Communication. "He learned the role in our youth academy and was familiar with the work of Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchelas an active professional. He knows how our football should feel."

Australian Open facing legal challenge

The Australian Open is facing another disruption, with the owners of 36 penthouse apartments in the hotel set to house hundreds of tennis players threatening to launch a legal challenge.

Residents at the Westin Melbourne claim they were not properly consultedon international players quarantining at the Westin, accusing the hotel's management of "ambushing" them with the plan. As a result, they're reportedly considering a last-minute injunction to the Supreme Court over the health risk it poses.

International players will be required to spend 14 days in quarantine and will undergo COVID-19 tests at least five times during their stay, buthave been granted leave for one daily block of five hours to practice.The tournament, which begins on February 8, is the first of four Grand Slams in the tennis season.

'You’ll Never Walk Alone' singer Gerry Marsden dies

Gerry And The Pacemakers star Gerry Marsdenhas passed away aged 78.Born in the Toxteth area of Liverpool, Marsden is best known for covering the Rogers and Hammerstein song You'll Never Walk Alone - a song adopted by Liverpool FC as their official motto and anthem.

Marsden was made an MBE in 2003 for services to charity after supporting victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Sir Kenny Dalglish, who managed Liverpool at the time, tweeted that he was "saddened" by the news, highlighting that You'll Never Walk Alone is an "integral part of Liverpool Football Club, and never more so than now."

Masters Snooker 2021 moved due to COVID-19 regulations

This year's Masters event will no longer be held at Alexandra Palace, as originally planned as the London venue is not suitable under the UK's coronavirus rules. As a result, The Masters which begin on Sunday January 10 and run until January 17, have moved.

"WST had planned to host the event at Alexandra Palace

in London, its home since 2011.

But given the current Covid-19 restrictions, the decision has been taken to stage the Masters in a 'bubble' environment, behind closed doors, at Arena MK in Milton Keynes,"said a statement released by the World Snooker Tour.

Japan has canceled a public display of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic torches