Italy to extend sports ban through all of April

Italy’s sports minister is planning to extend the ban on games and competitions in the country through all of April.

The nationwide lockdown is due to expire Friday, but Italian health experts say the need to try to contain COVID-19 will likely last weeks beyond that.

Minister Vincenzo Spadafora tells Italian daily La Repubblica that talks about restarting the Serie A soccer league May 3 are “unrealistic.”

He adds: “(On Monday) I will propose extending the ban on sports competitions at every level for all of April. And I’ll extend the measure to training — an area where we hadn’t intervened because there was still a possibility of holding the Olympics.”

At least 15 Serie A players have tested positive for COVID-19.

Italy has nearly 100,000 positive cases.

Basketball: Steve Pikiell and Rutgers took other step toward becoming a threat in the Big Ten, getting a commitment from highly regarded center Cliff Omoruyi. Rutgers (20-11) was on the verge of its first NCAA Tournament berth in 29 years when the season ended prematurely.

Boxing: The International Boxing Hall of Fame canceled its Hall of Fame weekend in June because of the coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s class, headlined by Bernard Hopkins and “Sugar” Shane Mosley, will be honored at the induction ceremony in June 2021.

Horse racing: The final deadline to nominate horses for the Triple Crown series is being extended indefinitely because of the coronavirus. It was scheduled to be Monday. The extension was agreed upon by officials at Churchill Downs, Maryland Jockey Club and New York Racing Association. The Kentucky Derby has been pushed back from May 2 to Sept. 5. Maryland and New York racing officials are continuing discussions to decide when the Preakness and Belmont stakes will be run.