Coronavirus: Athletes and teams make the right moves

ATHLETICS: In the age of confinement, Elisha Nochomovitz figured out a way to run a marathon anyway - back and forth on his balcony. That's right. He ran 42.2 kms straight, never leaving his 7m balcony. He saw it as a physical and mental challenge, but he also shared the images online as a way "to extend my support to the entire medical personnel who are doing an exceptional job," he told The Associated Press from his apartment in Balma, a suburb of the southern French city of Toulouse. Like athletes who ran around their Wuhan apartments or cyclists who found ways to train in their locked-down Abu Dhabi hotel rooms, Nochomovitz wanted to show others that it's possible to stay fit as virus containment measures tighten around the world. He also wanted to lighten the mood. "It was about launching a bit of a crazy challenge and bringing a bit of humor, to de-dramatize the confinement situation,'' he said. He didn't exactly make record time. It took him six hours and 48 minutes.

CRICKET: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels it would be very difficult for M.S. Dhoni to find a place in the India squad for the T20 World Cup slated to be played in October-November in Australia. “I would definitely like to see Dhoni in India’s World Cup squad but it’s highly unlikely that it is going to happen,” Gavaskar told a regional newspaper. “The team has moved on. Dhoni is not someone to make big announcements so I reckon he would silently retire from the game.”

OLYMPICS: The US track federation added its name to a growing chorus of calls to postpone the Tokyo Games because of the coronavirus. In a letter to the CEO of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, USA Track and Field CEO Max Siegel urged the federation to advocate for the postponement of the Games, which are to start July 24. USATF joins USA Swimming, which sent a similar letter to the USOPC on Thursday. The USOPC leadership has been in agreement with the IOC, that it's too soon to make any decisions regarding postponing the games.

FOOTBALL: The president of Mexico's Liga MX football league has tested positive for coronavirus. Bonilla said in a statement: "I don't have serious symptoms." He says he'll remain in isolation. Mexican first division football matches were suspended this week until further notice to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

FOOTBALL: Manchester United and Manchester City are the latest Premier League clubs to spring into action to help their communities during the coronavirus pandemic, joining forces to donate 100,000 pounds ($117,000) to support local food banks. Responding to an initiative already run by fans of both clubs, City and United will donate 50,000 pounds each to the Trussell Trust, a support network of more than 1,200 food banks. "We are proud of the role our supporters play in helping local food banks and recognise the increased strain likely to be placed on these charities by the impact of coronavirus," a joint club statement said on Saturday. "At a time of challenge for our community, we are pleased to come together with our fans to help vulnerable members of society in a City United."

F1: Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says he has been self-isolating for more than a week after meeting people who later tested positive for the coronavirus. Hamilton was at a charity event in London on March 4 also attended by actor Idris Elba and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the wife of the Canadian prime minister. Both were later found to have the virus. In a message on social media, Hamilton says he’s shown “zero symptoms” but has been isolating himself from other people.

CRICKET: Former Scotland cricketer Majid Haq, who is of Pakistani descent, has announced that he has tested positive for novel coronavirus and is currently undergoing treatment. Haq, an off-spinner who played 54 ODIs and 24 T20Is for Scotland between 2006 and 2015, on Friday said he was being treated at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, outside Glasgow. "Looking forward to potentially getting back home today after testing positive with coronavirus. Staff at the RAH in Paisley have been good to me and thank you to everyone who has sent me messages of support. Insha Allah the panther will be back to full health soon," he tweeted.

FOOTBALL: Melbourne City beat defending champions Sydney FC 1-0 in a hard-fought W-League final to win a fourth title in five years as the Australian women's 2019-20 season reached a conclusion on Saturday despite the coronavirus pandemic. The title-decider, which attracted more than 6,000 fans in the last two seasons, was played out in front of a handful of family and friends at Melbourne's Rectangular Stadium because of government restrictions on gatherings of more than 500 people.

GOLF: Anna Nordqvist drained a birdie putt on second playoff hole, pumped her fist and gave a slight wave to half-dozen people clapping near the green. The tournament title in hand, the two-time major champion turned to playing partner Lisa Pettersson and hesitated. The customary post-round hug was out of the question, so the Swedish players touched elbows and walked off the green with a laugh. The major golf tours may have shut down during the coronavirus outbreak, but a handful of mini tours are playing through. ``I'm sure there's a lot of people questioning why we're playing, but everyone is playing golf anyway,'' Nordqvist said after winning a Cactus Tour event at Moon Valley Country Club on Friday. ``Everyone got their own cart or they're walking, you keep your distance and the golf course is a great place to be right now.''

CRICKET: Australian spin legend is doing his bit to assist in the fight against coronavirus. Warne has instructed his alcohol-production company to start manufacturing 70 per cent alcohol hand sanitisers to be sold at cost in health care facilities in Australia. Warne’s brand ‘Seven Zero Eight’ — signifying the 708 Test wickets he claimed in his playing career — has decided to reduce alcohol production and instead focus on producing hand sanitisers while heeding an appeal from Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. “As of March 17, 2020 SevenZeroEight distillery will solely produce hand sanitiser. This is a challenging time for Australians and we all need to do what we can to help our health care system to combat this disease and save lives,” Warne’s Instagram post said.