NBA plans play-off showdown in Vegas

LOS ANGELES • National Basketball Association (NBA) officials are studying the possibility of staging the entire play-offs in Las Vegas but nothing is close to being settled, Sports Illustrated reported on Thursday.

The magazine also cited several league and club sources saying there was no chance of staging a typical play-off match-up involving travel between cities due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As such, teams will play in a single location and behind closed doors, with Las Vegas being the only city the league is seriously considering.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

ISL to fund swimmers through to Olympics

LONDON • The International Swimming League, which has been dubbed the sport's version of the Champions League, will fund its contracted swimmers through to next year's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics with monthly payments from September, it announced yesterday.

The league is also planning a five-week combined training and competition event from Oct 14 to Nov 17 at a location to be decided, depending on how the Covid-19 crisis unfolds.

Hungary's 2016 triple Olympic gold medallist Katinka Hosszu told Reuters the funds would provide peace of mind for many swimmers.

REUTERS

Mid-year rugby Tests unlikely

LONDON • The fate of planned mid-year rugby union internationals, including a homecoming game for World Cup winners South Africa, will be decided later this month, but the indications are they will be called off.

In the air are scheduled tours by France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in July, as well as England's trip to Japan at the same time.

Brett Gosper, the chief executive of governing body World Rugby, told French daily L'Equipe that the Tests were "unlikely" to take place.

REUTERS