Digest

SNOWBOARDING

Australia in mourning for drowned Pullin

Alex Pullin

Former snowboard world champion Alex Pullin, who died on Wednesday at the age of 32, will be missed as much for his personality as for his sporting prowess, Australian Olympic Committee vice-president Ian Chesterman said on Thursday.

Pullin, the son of ski-hire shop owners who was known from a young age as "Chumpy", drowned while spear-fishing off the coast of Queensland, plunging Australia's winter sports community into mourning.

"He leaves behind an incredible mark, and he will be sadly missed not just in Australia but indeed overseas," Chesterman, who has led Australia's team at six Winter Olympics, told reporters in Launceston.

"His impact has been huge globally because not only of his performances but also his personality and I know that there's a sense of great loss among that community overseas as well as here."

GOLF

Virus concerns behind Ryder postponement

The PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe and the PGA Tour jointly announced on Wednesday that the next editions of both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup have been rescheduled until 2022.

The 43rd Ryder Cup, scheduled for Sept 25-27, at Whistling Straits of Wisconsin, has been rescheduled for Sept 24-26, 2021. The Presidents Cup, initially slated for 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina, will now be played in 2022 due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

"It became clear that as of today, our medical experts and the public authorities in Wisconsin could not give us certainty that conducting an event responsibly with thousands of spectators in September would be possible. Given that uncertainty, we knew rescheduling was the right call," PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said. "As disappointing as this is, our mandate to do all we can to safeguard public health is what matters most."

BASKETBALL

Nets reach deal with 40-year-old Crawford

Jamal Crawford

The Brooklyn Nets agreed to a deal with 40-year-old guard Jamal Crawford, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Wednesday.

It would be the ninth team and the 20th NBA season for Crawford, a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year who last played with the Phoenix Suns during the 2018-19 campaign.

The Nets are currently preparing for the league's 22-team restart at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida.

Crawford has averaged 14.6 points in 1,326 career games. He ranks eighth all-time with 2,220 made 3-pointers. He began his career with the Chicago Bulls (2000-04) and also has played for the New York Knicks (2004-08), Golden State Warriors (2008-09), Atlanta Hawks (2009-11), Portland Trail Blazers (2011-12), Los Angeles Clippers (2012-17), Minnesota Timberwolves (2017-18) and Suns.

Kawhi's departure for Disney delayed

A source with knowledge of the situation says that Kawhi Leonard did not accompany the Los Angeles Clippers on their flight to Central Florida on Wednesday night for the restart of the NBA season.

Leonard's absence was excused and he is expected to join the team at the Disney complex near Orlando sometime in the next few days, said the source who spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not publicly disclose the matter.

Yahoo! Sports first reported that Leonard was not on the flight to the Orlando area.

SOCCER

De Rossi dreaming of Boca coaching job

Daniele De Rossi

Italy World Cup winner Daniele De Rossi has expressed a desire to return to his former club Boca Juniors as their head coach. De Rossi parted ways with the Argentinian side in January, ending a professional career spanning two decades.

Injuries restricted the 36-year-old to just seven appearances with Boca, whom he joined in July after 18 seasons with Roma.

"I have in mind the idea of returning as the coach of Boca," he told Argentinian newspaper La Nacion. "I could be last on the list, but that's my idea. If things had gone well, I would have already... started my coaching career at the club."

De Rossi said his decision to leave Boca was based on family reasons. But his brief spell at La Bombonera left him craving more and he now has a goal to guide the club to glory in the Copa Libertadores, South America's premier club competition.

MOTOR SPORTS

NASCAR New York race switched to Daytona

NASCAR in August will move its road-course race from Watkins Glen in upstate New York because of state health restrictions, and the event will shift instead to the road course at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

The move means the Cup Series will make its debut on Daytona's road course. The race on Aug 16 was a necessary move from Watkins Glen because NASCAR cannot meet New York's quarantine requirements for out-of-state visitors.

"This is an unprecedented time in the history of our nation and Watkins Glen International," racetrack president Michael Printup said. "The dynamic situation we are all confronting is impacting our daily lives and activities in unimaginable ways."

Xinhua - Agencies