Bucks’ arena to distribute 2.5M masks

 

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
—
The Milwaukee Bucks arena will serve as a distribution site for 2+ million non-surgical face masks.
The Bucks opened Fiserv Forum to speed up the delivery of masks to the community. The distribution is part of MaskUpMKE, a local initiative.
Healthy individuals are invited to sign up for a volunteer shift and pick up a box of face-covering kits at the Fiserv Forum’s loading dock, starting Saturday. Kits contain instructions and materials to quickly make 700 face masks. Volunteers then can return the boxes to Fiserv Forum.
Volunteers will answer questions to ensure they’re not exhibiting coronavirus symptoms.
After a 72-hour quarantine period, the face coverings will be distributed under the guidance of the Medical College of Wisconsin. Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity also will assist in the distribution of the masks to those most at risk of contacting the coronavirus.
Rebel Converting, which manufactures hospital-grade disinfectant wipes, is making and donating the masks.
—
The U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Girls’ Junior have been canceled. That makes six USGA championships that have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Junior Amateur was to be played July 20-25 at Hazeltine National outside Minneapolis. The U.S. Girls’ Junior was scheduled for July 13-18 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The USGA says it wouldn’t be able to hold qualifying for its two premier junior championships because of health guidelines. State associations were to hold 100 qualifying events in 41 states between May and July.
”Given that juniors in most parts of the country are not physically attending school at this time, we did not feel comfortable asking them to compete in qualifying events,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships.
Meanwhile, qualifying for six other amateur events — including the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur — have been delayed until May 18.
—
Triathlon’s world series grand final in Edmonton in August has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision was inevitable after Alberta’s chief medical officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, extended the provincial ban on all gatherings of more than 15 people through summer.
Edmonton’s triathlon, scheduled for Aug. 17-23, was the grand final to a seven-race world series, of which the previous six have all been postponed.
World Triathlon said it was trying to organize new dates for some of those races.
—
The rest of the Dutch soccer league has been canceled and leading team Ajax won’t be declared the champion.
The Eredivisie is the first top-tier European league to end its season prematurely because of the coronavirus crisis. Belgium could ratify an end to its season on Monday.
Ajax was level on points with second-placed AZ Alkmaar but ahead on goal difference when the league was suspended last month. The Dutch soccer federation, known as the KNVB, says Ajax is considered to be on top of the final standings but won’t be awarded a 35th national title.
The KNVB adds it will allocate Champions League and Europa League spots by the current standings.
Among the clubs to lose out is Utrecht, which was sixth, three points behind fifth-placed Willem II, which occupies the last Europa League spot. However, Utrecht had played one game less and had superior goal difference.
There will be no promotion or relegation.
—
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo expects there to be a 2020 major league season.
Baseball has been on hold since last month because of the coronavirus pandemic, right along with most sports and other aspects of everyday life.
Rizzo said on a conference call Friday: ”I’m optimistic, as is the commissioner, that we’ll have baseball in 2020. I’m upbeat about that. The most important thing is to do it in the right way and the safest manner we can. But I believe that we will have baseball.”
The GM said the owners of the World Series champions have committed to giving Nationals employees full salary and benefits through the end of May.
—
The president of the French soccer federation wants the season to restart with the two domestic cup finals followed by remaining league games.
France is on lockdown until May 11 because of the coronavirus outbreak. The league is scheduled to restart on June 17 if the government allows it.
French soccer federation president Noel Le Graet says he hopes ”to resume the season and try to go to the end.”
His new proposal is that the French Cup final be played either on June 13 or 20 with the League Cup final three days later and then the 10 league games.
Le Graet says ”this proposal wasn’t challenged.”
—
The International Olympic Committee is allocating more than $25 million to cover extra athlete and team costs related to the one-year postponement of the Tokyo Games.
The IOC says an extra $15 million will go to a program helping 1,600 athletes from 185 less well-funded countries prepare for the games in 2021.
More than $10 million is available for national Olympic bodies to cover additional operational costs such as travel and accommodation for officials.
The money is being awarded through the Olympic Solidarity program. The program aims to help all 206 national Olympic teams and the refugee team send athletes to the games.
—
FIFA says advance payments of $500,000 are being sent to member associations to cover running costs during the coronavirus pandemic.
Each of the 211 member associations is entitled to $6 million from FIFA spread over the four-year World Cup cycle.
FIFA says the next installment due in July will now be paid in the coming days along with other payments due from last year.
FIFA is easing some criteria required before being paid but the money is still subject to audit checks.
The FIFA president Gianni Infantino says the soccer body has a duty ”to be there and support the ones that are facing acute needs.”
FIFA previously said it will make substantial sums from its $2.7 billion reserves available in an emergency fund.
—
The German Cup soccer final has been postponed indefinitely and will likely take place without fans.
The German soccer federation says the final will no longer be played on May 23 in Berlin as planned but it’s still sticking to a June 30 deadline to finish the season.
Federation president Fritz Keller says ”it is extremely unfortunate that in all likelihood this special game will have to take place in a stadium without spectators.”
There are also no dates for the postponed semifinals. They were originally scheduled to be played earlier this week with champion Bayern Munich hosting Eintracht Frankfurt and fourth-division club Saarbrucken welcoming Bayer Leverkusen.
—
France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris says resuming soccer leagues should not come at the expense of people’s health amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Talks are ongoing in leagues around the world as to when the season can restart. South Korea’s K-League will kick off on May 8 in empty stadiums. The Bundesliga in Germany is discussing playing again on May 9.
Lloris says ”there’s so much at stake financially for clubs … But above all of that there is health.”
Lloris plays for Tottenham in the Premier League. The team has nine matches remaining this season.
Lloris says in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper that ”if we have to finish the league without fans then we will.”
But the World Cup champion adds that ”soccer remains totally secondary given the current situation.”
—
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports