19 Sports Tuesday, April 7, 2020 Three sports habits that could change after coronavirus Spit, sweat and shaking on it PARIS: As the coronavirus brings the international overjoyed. “I think having the towel whenever you need sports calendar to a grinding halt, AFP Sport looks at it, it’s very helpful. It’s one thing less that you have to three long-standing habits which could change forever think about,” said Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas when he once competition resumes. was playing at the NextGen Finals in Milan. “I think it’s the job of the ball kids to provide towels and balls for SALIVA TO TAKE SHINE the players.” OFF SWING BOWLING — It’s been a tried and trusted friend to fast bowlers LET’S NOT SHAKE ON IT throughout the history of cricket. But the days of ap- — Pre-match handshakes were abandoned in top plying saliva to one side of the ball to encourage swing football leagues just before the sports shutdown. Pre- could be over in the aftermath of COVID-19. “As a mier League leaders Liverpool also banned the used bowler I think it would be pretty of mascots while Southampton tough going if we couldn’t shine warned against players signing the ball in a Test match,” said autographs and stopped them Australia quick Pat Cummins. “If posing for selfies. it’s at that stage and we’re that No more Away from football, the NBA worried about the spread, I’m urged players to opt for the fist not sure we’d be playing sport.” high-fiving bump rather than the long- standing high-five. “I ain’t high- TOWELS IN TENNIS - NO fiving nobody for the rest of my TOUCHING life after this,” NBA superstar — Tennis players throwing LeBron James told the “Road towels, dripping with sweat and blood and probably a Trippin’ Podcast”. tear or two, at ball boys and girls, has often left fans “No more high-fiving. After this corona shit? Wait sympathising for the youngsters. Moves by officials to ‘til you see me and my teammates’ handshakes after tackle the issue took on greater urgency in March this shit.” stars were also told not to take when the coronavirus was taking a global grip. Behind items such as balls or teams shirts to autograph. closed doors in Miki, ball boys and girls on duty at the US women’s football star Megan Rapinoe says Davis Cup tie between Japan and Ecuador wore edicts to ban handshakes or even high-fives may be gloves. Baskets, meanwhile, were made available for counter-productive anyway. “We’re going to be players to deposit their towels. sweating all over each other all game, so it sort of de- Back in 2018, the ATP introduced towel racks at feats the purpose of not doing a handshake,” she told some events on a trial basis, but not everyone was the New York Times in March. —AFP NBA advise players to avoid high-five.

from the coronavirus himself but was in good spirits “Everyone try your best to stay at home and keep Dybala too and proved too good for the Real winger at the con- yourself entertained.” sole on Sunday. Other top players such as Luke Shaw, Dominic “I think it’s a quick retirement back out of FIFA for Calvert-Lewin, Jordan Pickford and Ruben Loftus- good for Bale in me to be honest ... all it takes is one moment and my Cheek were also part of the event, which was broad- Wickens feels like defence wasn’t good enough,” Bale, who is the co- cast live on Twitch and raised around 17,000 pounds owner of esports organisation Ellevens Esports, said. ($20,791) through online donations. he’s almost back after video game clash With the coronavirus pandemic bringing soccer Dybala, who won the game with a quick-fire brace across the globe to a standstill, the world of esports from the Karim Benzema avatar and another goal LONDON: Paulo Dybala left Gareth Bale out of his has helped keep players and fans entertained. from the virtual Eden Hazard, said the rematch would 8th in virtual race Real Madrid starting line-up but had no trouble beat- “It’s just about people staying home and finding be in video game version of another sport close to ing the Welshman’s Manchester City side in a FIFA things to do... obviously everybody is going to find it Bale’s heart. LONDON: Robert Wickens’ first virtual In- 20 video game as part of a Combat Corona fundraiser difficult at different points (to self isolate) but if we “It will be on the golf course,” said the Argentine, dyCar race seemed almost like the real for UNICEF at the weekend. can stay in and keep everyone safe, it’ll save lives,” who admitted he had never played the sport in the thing. “My eyes were burning,” the Cana- Juventus striker Dybala only recently recovered Bale added. real world. — Reuters dian told NBCSN after getting behind the wheel for the first time since a near fatal crash two years ago. “It was a ride,” Wickens said of working his way through the turns of the virtual Bar- NBA 2K Players ber Motorsports Park in Alabama while sit- ting in his basement as he finished eighth behind Australian winner Scott McLaughlin Tournament finally after an embarrassing moment in qualifying. “I was so mad at myself,” Wickens said. delivers thriller “I spun out in the last corner, which I had never done in the entire time on the sim(ulator). WASHINGTON: After an opening night Friday “So I started last and so we made the in which the closest games were decided by 16 bold strategy of trying to make it on one points, the NBA 2K Players Tournament pro- stop under yellow. I felt there was a better vided a much more competitive day Sunday, as chance of me not spinning out by saving eight players concluded Round 1 play. fuel. We just made it with 0.02 gallons left The best game of the day — and the first at the finish. So good team work.” round — was between No. 4 seed Donovan While other drivers treated the iRacing Mitchell of the Utah Jazz and No. 13 seed Rui IndyCar Challenge as a diversion and a bit Hachimura of the Washington Wizards. of fun, for Wickens it was serious business After three teams won with the Milwaukee that he hoped would take him closer to his Bucks on Friday, Hachimura went with the West- stated goal of getting back in the cockpit of ern Conference-leading and an IndyCar. LeBron James, while Mitchell countered with the That had seemed an impossible dream in Brooklyn Nets — whose lineup included the in- the aftermath of his horrific crash on Aug. jured Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. 19 almost two years ago when his car be- With his Lakers up two and 4.9 seconds to came airborne, catapulted into the catch- play, Hachimura went to the line with Danny fencing and disintegrated across the track. Green and a chance to put the game away. In- Along with a thoracic spinal fracture and stead, Green made the first but a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed, missed the second, giving Mitchell’s Nets one Wickens also suffered tibia and fibular shot at sending the game to overtime. But fractures to both legs, fractures in both Spencer Dinwiddie’s 3-pointer at the buzzer McLaren boss Zak Brown hands, a fractured right forearm, a frac- was off target, and Hachimura escaped with a tured elbow, four fractured ribs and a pul- 74-71 win. monary contusion. His courageous efforts to walk, dance at He will next play Phoenix’s , that standpoint. his wedding and get back into a race car who topped 12th-seeded Michael Porter Jr. of “So I think F1 is in a very fragile state at the Formula One in have been documented with regular posts the 85-75 in the tournament’s moment.” on social media as the 31-year-old Cana- 5-12 matchup. Booker used the Bucks while Earlier, Bernie Ecclestone says this season’s For- dian made remarkable progress, regaining Porter was on the Lakers. ‘fragile state’ mula One championship should be cancelled because some feeling in his legs and standing on his The other two games were more like Friday it appears unlikely that enough races can be com- own. night’s blowouts, starting with the day’s first pleted for it to be valid due to the coronavirus crisis. He raced on Saturday in a field that fea- game. Eighth-seeded Montrezl Harrell, playing The opening eight rounds of the 2020 season have LONDON: McLaren boss Zak Brown said Sunday tured drivers from around the world as as his own , blew past No. been either cancelled or postponed, with doubts over that the coronavirus pandemic has plunged Formula motor racing sought ways to entertain fans 9 seed of the Indiana Pacers One into “a very fragile state”, warning that as many a number of the other 14 races as the pandemic con- 73-51. Sabonis was also playing as his own team. tinues to overshadow the sporting calendar. while the sport is shuttered during the as four teams could even be driven out of business. coronavirus pandemic. In the day’s final game, No. 6 seed Andre The 2020 world championship has been unable to A minimum of eight races are required for the Drummond of the Cleveland Cavaliers blew out championship to be valid, but former F1 chief execu- McLaughlin, who said he was a long- start with eight races of a scheduled 22 already either time virtual driver, noticed the clock at 10 No. 11 seed and current free agent DeMarcus scrapped or postponed. “This is potentially devastat- tive Ecclestone believes that will not be possible. Cousins 101-49. Like the Mitchell-Hachimura “We should stop the championship this year and minutes to 6 in the morning as he chatted ing to teams, and if (it is devastating) to enough teams about his win from Brisbane, Australia. game, the Lakers got the better of the Nets in then it’s very threatening to F1 as a whole,” Brown start again next year, hopefully, because I can’t see “I started iRacing 10 years ago and it that one. told the BBC on the eve of a meeting planned to dis- it’s going to be possible to get the right amount of was one of the best things I did,” said The quarterfinals are scheduled for Tuesday cuss cost-cutting in the sport. races in that count for a championship,” the 89-year- McLaughlin. “For an aspiring race car driver night on ESPN2, and the semifinals and final will Brown insisted that all the teams have agreed to old told BBC Radio. coming up through the ranks, I think to able air April 11 on ESPN. The champion will get lower the 2021 budget cap to $150m (138.7 million “There’s got to be eight from memory, and I can’t to drive and keep sharp between races it’s $100,000 to donate to the coronavirus-relief euros) down from $175 million. However, he said the see them getting that in. It’s a difficult situation.” fantastic. charity of his choice. ceiling needs to be reduced further to counter the fi- Lewis Hamilton was this year aiming to match “I think it is worth the investment in your All games are available live on the NBA or nancial fall-out from the virus-hit season. Michael Schumacher’s record of seven drivers’ titles, future. When you get on the track in real NBA 2K Twitter, Twitch, YouTube and Facebook “Could I see — through what is going on right though there have been suggestions a truncated sea- like you just feel that little bit of ready. It’s channels. now in the world if we don’t tackle this situation head son would diminish the achievement. been an awesome tool for me and it’s great on very aggressively — two teams disappearing? But Ecclestone, set to become a father for the fun.” Quarterfinal matchups Yeah,” said Brown. “In fact, I could see four teams fourth time, said: “I don’t think it will make a lot of dif- The Australian held off Team Penske —No. 16 Derrick Jones Jr. vs. No. 8 Montrezl Harrell disappearing if this isn’t handled the right way. ference to Lewis. He would win whatever the race mate Will Power for the victory. Scott —No. 5 Devin Booker vs. No. 13 Rui Hachimura “And then, given how long it takes to ramp up an number, whether it be eight, 16 or 20. Speed finished third, followed by Alex —No. 6 vs. No. 14 Patrick Beverly F1 team, and given the economic and health crisis we “If it’s a world championship and he wins, it would Palou, Simon Pagenaud, Felix Rosenqvist —No. 2 Trae Young vs. No. 10 . are in right now, to think there would be people lined go on his record and say he has won a world cham- and Colton Herta. —Reuters — Reuters up to take over those teams like there has historically pionship. The terrible thing is he would win all eight been... I don’t think the timing could be worse from races. It wouldn’t be a super championship.” — AFP