No games without vaccine?...Track and field athletes can get grants...Lakers return loan
TOKYO (AP) — The medical community in Japan is moving toward a consensus that holding next year’s Tokyo Olympics may hinge on finding a coronavirus vaccine. The president of the Japan Medical Association says "it would be difficult to hold the Olympics unless effective vaccines are developed.” He says the Olympics are possible only if the infections are under control. This means not only in Japan but globally. He did not say whether he opposes the Olympics without vaccines. Japan has reported 13,576 COVID-19 cases and 712 others from a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo earlier this year. The health ministry has reported 389 total deaths from the virus.
UNDATED (AP) — Athletes in track and field can apply for money from a $500,000 fund to help them get through the coronavirus pandemic. World Athletics and the International Athletics Foundation have launched the fund to help athletes who have lost income because competitions are suspended. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe says the fund will try “to help as many athletes as possible.” It’s unclear when or if the track season can begin. Diamond League meets and the Olympics have been postponed.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have repaid a loan of roughly $4.6 million from a coronavirus relief program after learning the program’s funds had been depleted. The Lakers applied for the loan under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, and they received it in the first round of distribution. The team returned its loan after the fund ran out of money in less than two weeks. So did several wealthier business that had applied for the funds, including Shake Shack and AutoNation. The Lakers qualified for the program because they have only about 300 employees. But the team is thought to be the NBA’s second-most valuable franchise, with Forbes estimating a value of $4.4 billion.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The San Jose Sharks have announced a plan to provide grants to 1,800 part-time workers at the team’s arena and practice facility who are unable to work because of the new coronavirus pandemic. The Sharks say that ownership, players, coaches, front office staff and corporate partners have already pledged more than $200,000 to launch the fund. They are asking fans with available resources to make donations at the team’s website.
UNDATED (AP) — Major League Baseball front offices face some unusual obstacles in preparing for this year's draft with college and high school games shelved because of the coronavirus. What the picking will look like still isn’t clear, but it may be as short as five rounds, and a cap on bonus payments to undrafted players could affect whether prospects sign. Under an agreement, MLB has the right to delay the dates of the 2020 and 2021 drafts to as late as July 20. The Detroit Tigers have the No. 1 pick this year.
