Digest

OLYMPICS

Most Japanese think Games 'cannot be held'

A wide-ranging survey conducted by the Japan News Network (JNN) found that 77 percent of those questioned said that the Tokyo Olympics "cannot be held" next year, it was announced on Monday.

The Tokyo 2020 Games, originally due to start this month, have already been delayed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

As organizers plan the rearranged Games, questions remain over whether it is right to host the Olympics in Japan next year.

Organizers have previously said they will look to "simplify" the Games next year to lower costs and reduce risks related to COVID-19.

However, in the JNN poll, conducted over the weekend and that mostly centered on Japanese politics, 77 percent of respondents said they think the Olympics "cannot be held" in 2021. They did not give a reason.

Just 17 percent said they thought it "can be held" next year.

In March, the Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee made the unprecedented decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until 2021.

SOCCER

Lewandowski deserves Ballon d'Or, says Flick

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick believes Robert Lewandowski is deserving of the 2020 Ballon d'Or award after the Polish striker's latest finishing masterclass.

Lewandowski hit the net twice in Sunday's German Cup final to help newly crowned Bundesliga champion Bayern secure a 4-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin.

Liverpool's Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, who finished second in voting last year behind Lionel Messi, is the favorite to lift the Ballon d'Or this time around.

However, Flick reckons "Lewy" should also be in the conversation.

"Let's look at his numbers. He scored 34 goals in the Bundesliga and 51 goals in all competitions. In consequence, he can be the best not only in the league but even in the world," Flick told German media on Sunday. "I believe he can win the 2020 Ballon d'Or. I wish him good luck in that vote."

With Bayern still in the Champions League hunt, a repeat of the Bavarian giant's 2013 treble remains a possibility.

"The way the team played in the last few weeks was sensational; the attitude is just fantastic. What this team is achieving is extraordinary," Flick added.

CSL urged to heed players' mental health

Shijiazhuang Ever Bright chief executive Zhao Junzhe says the welfare of players must be prioritized as the Chinese Super League prepares for its delayed kickoff.

Having being postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 CSL campaign will begin behind closed doors on July 25 with two groups of teams based separately in Suzhou and Dalian.

Teams will be isolated from the outside world for over two months, and Zhao is concerned how players will cope psychologically with the closed environment.

"There needs to be some measures in place to help the players relax, and we are inquiring with the Chinese Football Association about that. Some recreational facilities will be needed in the teams' hotel," he said.

Jiangsu Suning and Team China defender Wu Xi echoed Zhao's sentiments, saying: "As we are to play the league in a closed environment, I hope the organizers will find some ways to ease the players' stress levels," he said.

BASEBALL

King Felix opts out of season over virus fears

Former Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez has opted out of the 2020 season, at least temporarily ending his bid to revive his career with the Atlanta Braves.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said on Sunday that Hernandez, 34, opted out due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was made after Hernandez participated in workouts on Friday and Saturday at Truist Park.

The withdrawal came a day after Snitker announced that four-time All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, premier reliever Will Smith and two more Atlanta players tested positive for COVID-19. Right-hander Touki Toussaint and infielder Pete Kozma also had positive tests announced on Saturday.

Tanaka makes speedy return after hit to head

New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka was back at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, a day after getting hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton.

Tanaka's quick return and relatively minor injuries are even more amazing considering the speed at which that line drive was traveling when it hit the Japanese star.

"That ball came back, I think they said 112 mph (180 kph)," Yankees lefty James Paxton told reporters on Sunday.

The official diagnosis for Tanaka is a mild concussion, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Xinhua - Agencies