THE Tokyo Olympics could take place next SPRING — which is generating even more confusion for athletes.
The Games were postponed till 2021 this week after the Japanese organisers bizarrely planned to plough on.
Meanwhile Tyson Fury's second rematch with Deontay Wilder has been pushed back to October 3.
And Wimbledon's fate this year is expected to be revealed next week, with the tennis tournament possibly being cancelled, while MLB London is off due to the killer bug.
Follow all the latest news and updates as the sporting world deals with the threat of coronavirus…
BOXING ALERT
An Olympic qualifying event in London last week has been blasted after two members of the Turkish team tested positive for coronavirus.
The Turkish Boxing Federation says national team member Serhat Guler and trainer Seyfullah Dumlupinar tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from the UK.
The federation says the boxing team went to a training camp in Sheffield on March 3 to prepare for the competition and traveled to London on March 11.
All team members stayed at the same hotel and ate at the same cafeteria.
The IOC is running the qualifying competitions for boxing because governing body AIBA has been suspended.
WFH
Mo Salah is getting used to working out from home.
The Egyptian superstar has been hitting the gym while in his Merseyside home, while the coronavirus lockdown takes hold.
YELLOW FEVER
Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas could ride the Tour de France this summer on empty roads.
The incredible ‘behind closed doors’ suggestion has been mooted by French Minister of Youth and Sports Roxana Maracineanu to avoid mass gatherings of crowds.
The Tour is set to run between June 27 and July 19 and has been held every year without fail since the Second World War.
One proposal is to hold a shortened Tour maybe in late July or August.
Another would be to stage the event without any fans on the roadside.
GOV'T TO PAY PLAYERS
Football League clubs are reportedly looking to put players on the government’s wage assistance scheme in a bid to help them survive financially during the coronavirus crisis.
The EFL are in talks with their clubs and the PFA over a plan that would see lower-league footie aces put on a sabbatical for the rest of the lockdown.
According to The Daily Mail, clubs want funds made available as part of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme introduced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week with the government paying 80 per cent of a player’s wages – up to £2,500 a month.
Players have reportedly been warned by their clubs that they could be furloughed over the next few weeks as they are running out of cash to pay them.
WHITE AND BLACK
Marcelo Bielsa is taking a £34,000-a-week temporary cut in wages to help ensure Leeds United can still be marching on together, reports Ken Lawrence.
Patrick Bamford and Kiko Casilla will also take that huge hit after the players, staff and management agreed to salary deferral until the season kicks off again.
Elland Road owner Andrea Radrizzani this week revealed that the lockdown on his Championship leaders could spell “disaster” for the club.
The Whites will lose £2.5M by May because their last five home games won’t be played.
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