Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Kenya orders closure of training camps and clubs over coronavirus worries

Kenya's athletics authority on Wednesday ordered the closure of training camps and clubs due to the coronavirus outbreak, a move that threatens the ability of the country's athletes to prepare for the Olympic Games which are scheduled to begin in July. Athletics Kenya's announcement follows last week's edict to bar athletes from traveling to international events.

FIFA to decide on new Club World Cup schedule at a later date

FIFA has agreed that the Euro 2020 and Copa America soccer tournaments, which were due to take place in June and July this year, will be held 12 months later due to the coronavirus pandemic and have been included in its international calendar. It also said in a statement that it will decide on rescheduling its own Club World Cup, which had originally been scheduled for that period, at a later date.

European riders grind to a halt with season suspended

The coronavirus pandemic has left a lot of professional riders unable to hit the road to compete or train with the biggest race in the world, the Tour de France, due to start in just over three months. All cycling races up to the end of April have already been canceled and riders in France and Spain, where many are based, have been explicitly told they cannot train outside.

Factbox: Sports events around the world hit by coronavirus pandemic

Major sports events around the world that have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic: OLYMPICS

Olympics: Ticket holders anxiously await word on Games

Holders of coveted tickets for the Tokyo Olympics are anxiously awaiting word on whether the Games will go ahead as planned, with a media report that briefs might not be refundable in case of a cancellation stirring fears they may be left out of pocket. Tickets have been snapped up in Japan, with over three million sold during the first domestic lottery last May. Hot demand for later sales also left many potential buyers disappointed.

Dissent grows as IOC battles to keep Tokyo Games on track

The International Olympic Committee is facing its strongest headwinds in decades as it briefed national committees on Wednesday on the state of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic, with voices of dissent growing louder. The IOC has remained committed to staging the Tokyo Games as planned from July 24-Aug. 9, saying on Tuesday after a meeting with international sports federations that measures against the virus were delivering results.

Players cry foul after shock French Open move

Tennis players around the world have hit out at the lack of communication from the game's governing bodies in the wake of the French Open's shock switch to September from May because of the coronavirus pandemic. The French Tennis Federation (FFT) on Tuesday said the claycourt Grand Slam at Roland Garros would now take place from Sept. 20-Oct. 4, dates that clash with several other events.

Plane leaves Japan to collect Olympic flame, no 2020 delegates aboard

A plane sporting Tokyo 2020 livery departed Haneda International Airport on Wednesday bound for Athens to collect the Olympic flame, but there was no delegation from organizers onboard due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Tokyo 2020 said it chose not to send the high-level delegation, which was originally set to include organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori and Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto, to Greece due to the coronavirus.

Japan says not preparing for postponement of Olympic Games

Japan is not making any preparations to postpone the 2020 Olympics, the government's top spokesman said on Wednesday, stressing Tokyo's resolve to host the event as scheduled despite the global spread of coronavirus. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government would continue with preparations to hold the July 24-Aug. 9 Games as scheduled, working closely with organizations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Champion quarterback Brady to sign with Tampa Bay Buccaneers: reports

Six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady will sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday. Brady, 42, has been the face of the New England Patriots for two decades, but he said on Tuesday he was leaving the franchise. The announcement of his departure came a day before he became a free agent.