Weekly digest (April 20-26): From Federer's merger appeal to Eredivisie's premature termination

From Roger Federer's call for the ATP-WTA merger to the premature termination of Eredivisie's 2019/20 season, here are the top headlines from the week gone by.

Swiss great Federer, who has won a record 20 men's grand slam singles titles, said a merger "probably should have happened a long time ago, but maybe now is really the time".

Here's a wrap-up of sports news and updates from across the world. From the 2019/20 season of Eredivisie premature termination to Roger Federer's ATP-WTA merger appeal, here are the top headlines from the week gone by.

CRICKET

Corporates all over the world have been feeling the pinch because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Sports federations are no exceptions — with live sport coming to a standstill, broadcast revenue has been severely hit. While Cricket Australia is in financial trouble, the BCCI — the richest cricket body in the world — is unlikely to be affected in the near future, even if it is forced to cancel the IPL’s 2020 edition. (REPORT)

The usage of artificial substances to polish the cricket ball, which effectively means ball tampering, could be considered for legalisation when the game resumes after the COVID-19 pandemic that has made bowlers wary of applying saliva on the red cherry. (REPORT)

Venkatesh Prasad shines the ball as he prepares to bowl during the 1996 World Cup match against Kenya at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. (THE HINDU ARCHIVES)

 

The Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday discussed possibilities of rescheduling the Future Tours Programme (FTP) in order to fit in as much of the lost series due to COVID-19 outbreak as possible till 2023. (REPORT)

New Zealand legend Glenn Turner is concerned about the impact of T20 cricket on the “more worthwhile forms” of the game and feels that the coronavirus-forced break is a good time to “reassess” the future of the sport. The 72-year-old Turner believes that cricket administrators have “gone down a path of capitalism.” (REPORT)

Glenn Turner, former New Zealand cricket captain, snapped during a practice session at Chepauk Stadium in Madras, India, in the Cricket World Cup 1996. (10/03/1996) PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES/N.BALAJI

 

The prospect of a five-Test series between Australia and India is gaining traction as cricket authorities contemplate ways of making up for lost time when the peak of the coronavirus pandemic has passed. (REPORT)

Pakistan’s Sana Mir on Saturday announced her decision to retire from international cricket, bringing curtains on a 15-year-long successful career. (REPORT)

Sporting bodies and leagues across the globe might have felt the impact of COVID-19 but Cricket South Africa has not yet reached a position of financial vulnerability due to the pandemic, CSA CEO Jacques Faul claimed. While Faul maintained that CSA is still safe, he admitted that the future looks uncertain. (REPORT)

FOOTBALL

I-League winning manager Kibu Vicuna was this week appointed as Kerala Blasters manager after the ISL club parted ways with Eelco Schattorie, who was in charge of the club for just one season. (REPORT)

FOR SPORTSTAR: KALYANI, WEST BENGAL, 10/03/2020: Mohun Bagan team members with Coach, Kibu Vicuna celebrating after been crowned, Hero I-League Championships, beating Aizawl FC, during I League Football match, at Kalyani on March 10, 2020. Stricker, Papa Babacar Diawara scorred the solitary goal. Photo by: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

 

The Dutch FA called off the 2019-20 Eredivisie season due to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic, with no champion, promotion or relegation. (REPORT)

Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2020-21 season. (REPORT)

Premier League club Aston Villa’s players and coaches agreed to a 25 per cent wage deferral due to the coronavirus pandemic. (REPORT)

The gates of Aston Villa football club's stadium, Villa Park are pictured in the spring sunshine in Birmingham, central England on April 19, 2020, during the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. - Premier League clubs remain committed to finishing the top-flight season but did not set a June 30 deadline to complete the fixture list at a meeting on Friday. With the English top flight on ice since mid-March due to the coronavirus, it had been reported that as many as nine clubs were keen to complete the campaign by the end of June. But it is understood that the 20 clubs did not discuss wrapping up the remaining 92 Premier League fixtures by then when they met on a conference call with league chiefs. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

 

Arsenal will be allowed to return to train at the London Colney base starting on Monday, a club spokesman said, while maintaining the British government’s guidelines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. (REPORT)

TENNIS

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Billie Jean King called for merger of the governing bodies of men's and women's tennis. (READ)

Spain's Rafael Nadal and Switzerland's Roger Federer, right, pose a men's singles semifinal match on day eleven of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Friday, July 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

 

Former tennis champion and convicted child rapist Bob Hewitt has walked out of jail after he was granted parole. (READ)

Nicolas Jarry has been hit with a backdated 11-month ban after testing positive for two prohibited substances. (READ)

The French Open could now start on September 27 instead of September 20, preceded by a week of qualification matches. (READ)

A 2019 French Open tennis tournament official ball bounces on a cover as rain falls on day eleven of The Roland Garros 2019 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 5, 2019. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)

 

The ATP and WTA, along with the International Tennis Federation and organizers of the four Grand Slams, are creating a coronavirus relief fund to help players affected by the sport’s shutdown. (READ)

TABLE TENNIS

India’s chief national table tennis coach, Manjit Dua, feels the nation is moving in the right direction. “It is looking up and is in the stage when the world is taking note of our achievements. More and more youngsters are entering the top 100 in world rankings in different categories.” (READ)

Team India coach Brett Clarke says the country needs to have its own centralised Training Centre like the ones in Germany, Portugal and Denmark to further improve on the global level.  (READ)

CUTTACK, 19/07/2019: India’s men’s team head coach Brett Clarke is seen inside the Jawaharlal Neheru Stadium in 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship at Cuttack. Photo: Biswaranjan Rout

 

German coach Peter Engel, who coached the senior Indian national teams for the 2014 Commonwealth and Asian Games, reveals how ace paddler Sharath Kamal has shaped his backhand into a lethal weapon. (READ)

HOCKEY

The second season of the Hockey Pro League would now continue till June 2021 although when it would actually resume is still uncertain. (REPORT)

Indian men’s hockey team striker Simranjeet Singh feels the current lockdown presents the players a chance to study their previous matches and better analyse their games. (REPORT)

BHUBANESWAR, 14/12/2018: Indian Hockey player Simrajjeet Singh in the action in the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 matches at Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar. Photo: Biswaranjan Rout

 

Indian women's hockey team midfielder Namita Toppo said that the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics will help the team as it aims for its first Olympic medal at Tokyo 2021. (REPORT)

Hockey India has initiated interactive sessions for umpires and technical officials to improve their officiating knowledge and fitness levels. (REPORT)

SHOOTING

The Online Shooting Championship 2.0 on Saturday saw Sanjeev Rajput win the 10m air rifle, while Shahzar Rizvi and Amanpreet Singh took the top two spots in 10m air pistol. (READ)

What are our shooters up to during the nationwide shutdown due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic? Read the lockdown diaries of Anjum Moudgil , Abhishek Verma , Gagan Narang , and Rahi Sarnobat .

BADMINTON

Indian shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy doesn’t believe that the current lockdown or the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games will be a setback to his aspirations. (REPORT)

The Badminton World Federation should start its tournament calendar only early next year given the current COVID-19 crisis, London Olympics quarterfinalist P. Kashyap has said. (REPORT)

Former Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap has questioned his omission from the ongoing national badminton camp.

 

PV Sindhu says she was desperate to win the World Championships title last year after a string of runner-up finishes as people started calling her “silver Sindhu". (REPORT)

Players, coaches and staff of Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy have donated Rs 2.5 lakh to the Hyderabad Police towards the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. (REPORT)

BOXING

Noticing the growing concern among support staff about head injuries to boxers, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) is deliberating on bringing back the headgear for the male amateur boxers. (READ)

An Olympic berth is not on Vijender Singh’s mind anymore. The boxing ace, who clinched a bronze medal at the Beijing Games in 2008, has made it clear that at the moment, his major target is to succeed at the professional boxing circuit. (READ)

Asian Games gold-winning boxer Dingko Singh was airlifted from Imphal to the national capital for his liver cancer treatment. (READ)

ATHLETICS

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have submitted official bids to host the 21st Asian Games in 2030, the Olympic Council of Asia has announced. (REPORT)

The organisers of athletics’ Diamond League postponed meetings for June in the U.S. city of Eugene and in Paris because of the coronavirus pandemic. (REPORT)

FILE PHOTO: Athletics - Diamond League - Zurich - Letzigrund Stadium, Zurich, Switzerland - August 29, 2019 General view of awards REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

 

Middle-distance runner Jhuma Khatun has been banned for four years by the Athletics Integrity Unit of World Athletics for testing positive for Dehydrochloromethyl Testosterone, a steroid. (REPORT)