Reuters Sports Schedule at 0600 GMT on Friday, Feb 19
Reuters sports schedule at 0600 GMT on Friday: FIFA FIFA faces day of reckoning as threats mount ZURICH - The FIFA spotlight will fall on next week's presidential election but the real key to the future of soccer's beleaguered governing body is embedded in a document with the unglamorous title 'Draft statutes -- Congress 2016'. (SOCCER-FIFA/REFORMS (PREVIEW), moving at 0700 GMT/2 AM ET, by Brian Homewood, 912 words) + See also: (SOCCER-FIFA/REFORMS-LIST (FACTBOX), moving at 0700 GMT/2 AM ET, 469 words) (SOCCER-FIFA/ELECTION-CHAMPAGNE (FACTBOX, PIX), moving at 0700 GMT/2 AM ET, 503 words) (SOCCER-FIFA/ELECTION-INFANTINO (FACTBOX, PIX), moving at 0700 GMT/2 AM ET, 539 words) (SOCCER-FIFA/ELECTION-ALI (FACTBOX, PIX), moving at 0700 GMT/2 AM ET, 429 words) (SOCCER-FIFA/ELECTION-SALMAN (FACTBOX, PIX), moving at 0700 GMT/2 AM ET, 452 words) (SOCCER-FIFA/ELECTION-SEXWALE (FACTBOX, PIX), moving at 0700 GMT/2 AM ET, 450 words) Blatter says won't back a candidate in FIFA election PARIS - Sepp Blatter said he will not support any of the five candidates standing to succeed him as FIFA president, though all but one of them had spoken to him about their bids. (SOCCER-FIFA/ELECTION-BLATTER moved, 350 words) SOCCER FA Cup We will monitor all the managerial news conferences ahead of this weekend's English FA Cup fifth round matches. (SOCCER-ENGLAND/CUP, expect throughout) Serie A Bologna v Juventus (1945) MILAN - Serie A leaders and title-holders Juventus will chalk up their 16th league win in a row if they triumph at Bologna. (SOCCER-ITALY/ (PIX), expect by 2100 GMT/4 PM ET, 300 words) Europa League More Man Utd woe, Valencia red hot in Europa League LONDON - Manchester United's hopes of salvaging their season in the Europa League suffered a stinging setback when they lost 2-1 at Danish side Midtjylland in the first leg of their last-32 clash on Thursday. (SOCCER-EUROPA/ (WRAPUP, PIX) moved, by Toby Davis, 400 words) ATHLETICS IAAF wants to ban us, Kenyan official says NAIVASHA, Kenya - A top Kenyan athletics official said he feared the sport's governing body was preparing to ban his country, with the Summer Olympics looming, to send a message about doping and corruption. (ATHLETICS-CORRUPTION/COE, moved, by Antony Gitonga, 587 words) Senegal police question Diack's son over IAAF scandal DAKAR - Authorities in Senegal questioned the son of the ex-head of the international athletics federation (IAAF), a police source said, one month after Interpol issued an international warrant for his arrest for alleged corruption and money laundering. (ATHLETICS-CORRUPTION/DIACK moved, 300 words) GOLF PGA Tour: Northern Trust Open, California (to 21) Spieth stumbles to 79, Villegas leads PACIFIC PALISADES, California - Colombia's Camilo Villegas rebounded from missed cuts in his last four PGA Tour starts to seize a three-shot lead at the Northern Trust Open on Thursday, while world number one Jordan Spieth made a terrible start. (GOLF-PGA/ (PIX), moved, by Mark Lamport-Stokes, 400 words) Allure of Brazil and Olympic gold drives Villegas PACIFIC PALISADES, California - Unusually for a globe-trotting Colombian golfer Camilo Villegas has never been to Brazil, giving him an even greater incentive to be there in August and represent his country at the Olympic Games. (GOLF-PGA/VILLEGAS (INTERVIEW, PIX), moved, by Mark Lamport-Stokes, 622 words) CRICKET South Africa v England, 1st Twenty20 Teams begin World Twenty20 countdown CAPE TOWN - With the World Twenty20 in India starting next month, South Africa and England begin their preparations with a match at Newlands, the first of two games in the series. (CRICKET-SAFRICA/ (PIX), expect by 2000 GMT/3 PM ET, by Nick Said, 300 words) New Zealand v Australia, 2nd test, Christchurch New Zealand's enthusiasm got the better of them - McCullum CHRISTCHURCH - New Zealand's cricket team have run a gamut of emotions this week after they slumped to a heavy first test loss to Australia then won three awards at their country's premier sports awards on Thursday. (CRICKET-NEWZEALAND/, moved, by Greg Stutchbury, 400 words) Australia's Pattinson in for Siddle in second test CHRISTCHURCH - James Pattinson has been recalled to Australia's starting side for the second test against New Zealand on Saturday, replacing his injured Victorian team mate Peter Siddle. (CRICKET-NEWZEALAND/AUSTRALIA, moved, by Greg Stutchbury, 400 words) RUGBY New Rebels captain Stirzaker eyes Genia's number nine shirt MELBOURNE - Nic Stirzaker shut out Wallabies scrumhalf Luke Burgess from a starting spot at the Melbourne Rebels and now shapes as a strong contender to nab Will Genia's number nine shirt (RUGBY UNION-AUSTRALIA/STIRZAKER (INTERVIEW), expect by 0700 GMT/2 AM ET, by Ian Ransom, 600 words) NBA Cavs pad East lead with win over Bulls LeBron James had 25 points, nine rebounds and nine assists and the Cavaliers capped an eventful trade deadline day with a 106-95 victory against the short-handed Chicago Bulls. (NBA-CAVALIERS/, moved, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) Red-hot Spurs put winning streak on the line The San Antonio Spurs bid to close in on the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors when the second-placed Western Conference team puts a six-game winning streak on the line versus the host Los Angeles Clippers. (NBA-CLIPPERS/, expect by 0630 GMT/1:30 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) NHL Blues extend winning run, beat Kings Left winger Jaden Schwartz scored 1:39 into overtime to lift the St. Louis Blues to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. (NHL-HIGHLIGHTS/, moved, by The Sports Xchange, 800 words) NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (moved, 500 words) (Asia desk editor: Peter Rutherford)
