All 8 Hall of Fame candidates get nod
NEW YORK • All eight finalists for enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, headed by the late Kobe Bryant, will be inducted, according to various media reports on Friday.
The other reported members of the Hall's Class of 2020 will be Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Eddie Sutton, Rudy Tomjanovich, Tamika Catchings, Kim Mulkey and Barbara Stevens.
Bryant, Duncan, Garnett and Catchings all are first-time finalists. Nominees needed to receive at least 18 votes from the 24 electors to be enshrined.
REUTERS
Va-va-vroom! Bernie a dad once more at 89
LONDON • Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone is to become a father at the age of 89 with his wife Fabiana Flosi, 44, expecting a son in July, he told The Daily Mail on Friday.
He has three adult daughters from two previous marriages.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Neymar gives $1.4m towards virus battle
RIO DE JANEIRO • Neymar has donated US$1 million (S$1.44 million) to fight the impact of the coronavirus crisis in his native Brazil, according to TV network SBT.
The Paris Saint-Germain star, the world's third-highest-paid footballer, donated part of the money to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), and the rest to a charitable fund launched by his friend Luciano Huck, a Brazilian TV presenter, the report said.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Joshua-Pulev fight also knocked out
LONDON • Anthony Joshua's world heavyweight title defence against mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev has been postponed owing to the coronavirus pandemic, promoters Matchroom Sport announced on Friday.
The British champion was due to put his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts up for grabs against the Bulgarian challenger at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on June 20.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Thai, Malaysian lifters barred from Olympics
BUDAPEST • Weightlifters from Thailand and Malaysia will miss the Tokyo Olympics after the sport's governing body, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), said yesterday it had banned their athletes after a high number of doping cases.
The IWF also imposed a US$200,000 (S$287,700) fine on the Thai federation, which had already voluntarily banned itself from all weightlifting because of its recent doping record.
Eight Thais, including two reigning Olympic champions, tested positive for banned substances at last year's world championships.
REUTERS
England cricketers batting for charity
LONDON • England's centrally contracted male cricketers will donate £500,000 (S$882,640) to their board and charities while their women's team counterparts have volunteered a three-month pay cut amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the players' association said.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has said the season will not start before May 28.
REUTERS
