Digest

BASKETBALL

Infected Mitchell says he doesn't feel sick

All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell says he showed no symptoms of being sick before testing positive for the coronavirus, and he continues to have no signs of illness.

Mitchell, speaking to ABC's Good Morning America in an interview broadcast on Monday, also revealed that it "took awhile for me to kind of cool off" at Rudy Gobert, his Utah Jazz teammate who was the first NBA player to have a positive test for the virus revealed. Gobert has said in recent days that he did not take the threat of the illness seriously.

"I don't have any symptoms," said Mitchell. "I could walk down the street (and) if it wasn't public knowledge that I was sick, you wouldn't know it. I think that's the scariest part about this virus. You may seem fine, be fine. And you never know who you may be talking to, who they're going home to."

Mitchell's father, Donovan Mitchell Sr, who works for baseball's New York Mets, tested negative.

The NBA, which suspended the league indefinitely last week, spent Monday continuing to process information being shared by infectious disease experts and others.

SOCCER

One-third of Valencia squad tests positive

Valencia, the first Spanish soccer club to report coronavirus infections, said on Monday that 35 percent of players and staff members have tested positive for the disease.

The club said the virus spread among the squad following last month's trip to Bergamo, "an area confirmed as 'high risk' by the Italian authorities days afterwards", for the first leg of its Champions League last-16 tie against Atalanta.

"Despite the strict measures adopted by the club" after the match, "these latest results show that the exposure inherent to such matches has caused a positive test rate of around 35 percent," Valencia said in a statement. "All cases are asymptomatic and those involved are currently isolated at home, receiving medical assessment and carrying out their scheduled training plan."

On Sunday, Valencia announced that five of its players and staff had tested positive for COVID-19.

Rugani 'doing well' following diagnosis

Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, the first Italian topflight player diagnosed with coronavirus, said on Monday he was "doing well" and hoped his case "served to sensitize everyone" to the illness.

"I'm fine, I reassure everyone. I've always been quite well, I haven't had any serious symptoms. I consider myself lucky," Rugani told Juventus TV.

The 25-year-old Italian international was diagnosed last Wednesday with the Turin club saying he was asymptomatic.

Since then a total of 11 Serie A players have being diagnosed with the illness which has killed more than 1,800 people in the Mediterranean country.

"There was a huge media explosion right away. A lot of people wrote to me and I thank them," said Rugani, who is currently self-isolating.

GOLF

Woods urges fans to 'stay safe and smart'

Tiger Woods tweeted a simple message on Monday in his first public comments on the coronavirus pandemic, which has put his Masters title defense on indefinite hold.

"There are a lot more important things in life than a golf tournament right now," Woods said in a Twitter post.

"We need to be safe, smart and do what is best for ourselves, our loved ones and our community."

Woods won his 15th major title at the Masters last April, ending an 11-year major drought after a marriage-ending scandal and career-threatening injuries.

But golf has been no exception as the sports world has ground to a virtual halt in the midst of the pandemic, and Augusta National Golf Club announced last week that the 2020 Masters would not take place April 9-12.

BOXING

Olympic qualifying event suspended

The third regional Olympic boxing qualification tournament has been suspended after three days of competition.

The 11-day London event was suspended on Monday night after a day of fan-free competition. The International Olympic Committee's Boxing Task Force also suspended the remaining two Olympic qualification tournaments, scheduled for Buenos Aires later this month and for Paris in May.

The London qualifier had participants from more than 60 countries, and organizers decided to shut it down to allow the boxers to return home amid growing worldwide travel restrictions.

The qualifying tournaments for Africa and for Asia and Oceania have already been held, with 96 boxers qualifying for Tokyo in those events. Several more boxers qualified on the third day of competition in London.

The IOC Boxing Task Force is working on a plan to award the remaining Olympic spots in May and June. In all, 286 boxers are due to compete in Tokyo. The Japanese government and IOC continue to insist the Games will open as scheduled on July 24.

The IOC appointed a task force to govern boxing for the Olympics after stripping the International Boxing Association (AIBA) of its Olympic authority last June following a series of governance problems with the scandal-plagued organization.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

49ers lock Armstead, plan deal for Buckner

The San Francisco 49ers locked up two defensive starters with long-term contracts and made plans to deal another to add a needed draft pick and salarycap room.

The defending NFC champions signed defensive lineman Arik Armstead to a five-year contract worth up to $85 million and agreed to a three-year deal with safety Jimmie Ward on Monday, while also agreeing to trade defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis.

A person familiar with the trade said the 49ers will acquire the No 13 overall pick in this year's draft from the Colts. Buckner will receive a new contract worth an average of $21 million a year, the person said on condition of anonymity because neither the trade nor the contract can become official until the start of the league year on Wednesday.

It was a dramatic series of moves for a Niners team that rode the strength of the defensive line all the way to the Super Bowl. But with Armstead needing a new contract as a potential free agent, it proved too difficult to keep both him and Buckner.

Xinhua - Agencies