ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021 SPORTS 15 Australian Olympians to be given COVID-19 vaccine priority Tokyo Olympics, IOC push ahead during state of emergency TOKYO, April 28, (AP): Local orga- nizers and the International Olympic Committee pushed ahead Wednes- day with plans to open the postponed Tokyo Olympics in just under three months, unveiling the latest set of rule books to show how the games can be held during a pandemic. The timing of the second edition of the “Playbooks” is not ideal. The version for Olympic athletes is out Wednesday, with similar guides for other participants out on Friday. Tokyo, Osaka and several others areas came under a third state of emer- gency this week, and the death toll in Japan from COVID-19 has passed 10,000. The numbers are good by global standards, but poor compared with other places in Asia such as Tai- wan, Vietnam, Thailand or South Ko- rea. The state of emergency has closed department stores, theme parks, and bars and restaurants serving alcohol. It also has forced baseball games to be played in empty stadiums after hav- ing allowed fans for much of the pan- demic. Polls consistently show 70-80% in Japan think the Olympics should not be held. Only 1% of the Japanese population has been vaccinated and that number will still be small when the Olympics open on July 23. So far, officials say Japanese athletes have not been vac- cinated. This contrasts with many of the 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic ath- letes entering Japan who - encouraged by the IOC - will have shots. As will thousands of judges, officials, spon- sors, media and broadcasters. OLYMPICS This version of the Playbooks will offer more details than the first edition in February, but much of the specific Pittsburgh Penguins’ Teddy Blueger (53) and Zach Aston-Reese (12) reach for the loose puck in front of Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask during an NHL hockey game, on April 27, in planning will remain in flux until the Pittsburgh. (AP) final update comes out in June. Though vaccines are now available, the strategy for the Olympics is geared to global health and human security.” around holding the games in a “bub- The cost of the Olympics is officially ble” as if there were no vaccines. $15.4 billion although several govern- Organizers are not expected to an- ment audits suggest it is much larger. All Bruins ‘keep’ Pens in check, nounce until June if fans will be allowed but $6.7 billion is public money. into venues - and if so, how many. Fans The IOC depends on selling broad- from abroad have already been banned. cast rights for 73% of its income, and The decision on venue capacity was the postponement has stalled pay- promised to come to this month by orga- ments. Broadcast income amounted to nizing committee President Seiko Hashi- about $4 billion in the latest four-year moto, but has been pushed back. tighten race in East Division Olympic cycle, at least half from the Taro Kono, the minister in charge U.S. network NBC. of vaccination, suggested earlier this IOC President Thomas Bach is ex- month that empty venues seemed pected to be in Hiroshima on May 17 Panthers rally past Predators 7-4, clinch playoff spot likely. Ticket sales were to account for to greet the torch relay, although he $800 million in revenue. said last week his plans were still ten- Organizers are expected to announce tative. PITTSBURGH, April 28, daily testing for athletes, up from once Bach’s arrival would come just days every four days in the early edition. They (AP): Tuukka Rask turned after the latest state of emergency ends Kuwait SC snatch Kuwait volleyball Cup are also expected to drop a 14-day quar- on May 11. Opposition lawmakers in aside 25 shots and the antine, allowing athletes to train upon ar- Japan’s national legislature have sug- Boston Bruins edged the KUWAIT CITY, April 28, (3-0). Five clubs have won this Cup, rival. Athletes will be required to stay in gested Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (KUNA): The Kuwait SC Kuwait SC controlled the match Al-Qadsia SC tops the list of the Olympic Village on Tokyo Bay, and scheduled the state of emergency to ac- Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 to venues and training areas. tighten the playoff race in crowned as the champion of from the beginning, as they ended KVA winners with 17 Cups, Ku- Japan’s Kyodo news agency, citing commodate Bach. the Kuwait Volleyball Associa- the 1st set with the score of (25- wait SC with 15, Kazma SC with unnamed sources, said athletes and staff The torch relay, which began on the hyper-competitive East tion (KVA) Cup after defeating 18), the 2nd with (25-22) and the 13, Al-Arabi Club with seven, and will have to be tested twice within 96 March 25 in Fukushima in northeast- Kazma SC in the final match 3rd with (29-27). Al-Jahra SC only one. ern Japan, has been detoured several Division. hours before leaving home. They will David Krejci gave the Bruins the also be tested upon arrival in Japan. times this month and was forced to Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the To- run in an empty city park in Osaka. It lead with his seventh goal of the when he took a feed from Charlie second win in three games. Rangers 3, Sabres 1 kyo organizing committee, said this was also rerouted in Matsuyama City season late in the second period. McAvoy, sliced through the Pittsburgh Ryan Ellis scored twice and Luke In New York, Alexis Lafreniere week that 500 nurses were being re- Ehime prefecture. Brad Marchand and Taylor Hall zone and ripped a pretty backhand by Kunin and Tanner Jeannot also scored scored the go-ahead goal in the third quested for the games. Japanese televi- It will be banned altogether this scored in the third as Boston ended Jarry to give the Bruins the lead. for the Predators. period, and the Rangers beat Buffalo. sion TBS on Tuesday, without citing a weekend on the Okinawa island of a two-game losing streak. Marchand, long an issue for the Pen- Capitals 1, Islanders O Mika Zibanejad and Brendan Smith source, said organizers had contacted Miyakojima. The small island has Jeff Carter spoiled Rask’s bid for his guins, doubled the advantage with his In Washington, Daniel Sprong also scored and Igor Shesterkin made 30 hospitals to care for athletes who only one hospital. The relay will run 52nd career shutout with his 11th of 26th goal 9:11 into the third period. scored 1:29 in for his third goal in two 36 saves as New York improved to fall ill. through other locations on Okinawa. the season – and third since joining the Hall, whose arrival at the trade dead- games, Vitek Vanecek made 18 saves 9-2-0 in its last eleven home games. The British Medical Journal earlier Meanwhile, Australian athletes and Penguins at the trade deadline – with line sparked a turnaround that thrust and Washington shut out the Islanders Ryan Strome added two assists. this month, under an editorial titled: support staff preparing for the Tokyo 2:21 left, but it wasn’t enough. Tristan the Bruins out of a midseason funk, to win their first home game with fans Devils 6, Flyers 4 “Reconsider this Summer’s Olympic Olympics will be given priority for Jarry made 28 saves for Pittsburgh, collected his fifth of the season and this season and sweep a three-game In Newark, New Jersey, Yegor and Paralympic Games,” said mass vaccines. two days after shutting out the Bruins. fourth with the Boston just over three series. Sharangovich scored the go-ahead gatherings such as the Olympics are The Australian government an- minutes later to seal it. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin goal at 12:36 of the third period and still neither “safe nor secure.” nounced after a special National Cabi- Panthers 7, Predators 4 missed a second consecutive game New Jersey snapped a 10-game win- The editorial read in part: “Hold- net meeting that Olympic participants ICE HOCKEY In Nashville, Tennessee, Jonathan with a lower-body injury. The Capitals less streak with a wild victory over ing Tokyo 2020 for domestic politi- would be vaccinated under a prior- Huberdeau had two goals and three leapfrogged Pittsburgh to move back Philadelphia. cal and economic purposes - ignoring ity group which includes health-care It was a taut, physical contest that assists, and Florida rallied for a vic- into first place in the tight East Divi- Nico Hischier, Pavel Zacha, Miles scientific and moral imperatives - is workers, Indigenous people aged over had the look and feel of a playoff game. tory over Nashville to clinch a playoff sion. Wood and Connor Carrick also scored contradictory to Japan’s commitment 55 and people older than 70. The next time the teams meet, it berth. The Islanders have fallen to third for the Devils, who saw the Flyers very well could be. Aleksander Barkov scored twice after picking up one point out of a pos- rally from third-period deficits twice to Pittsburgh and Boston are in a close and had and assist for the Panthers. sible six in three games against Wash- tie the game. race with Washington and the New Anthony Duclair, Owen Tippett and ington. Mackenzie Blackwood made 26 York Islanders for the East Division’s Frank Vatrano also scored, while Sam New York’s rookie goalie, Ilya So- saves as the Devils ended an 0-9-1 four available playoff spots, with the Bennett had three assists in Florida’s rokin made 32 saves.