SPORT SPORT | 05 SPORT | 06 Thiem,T Zverev No place for Hales to headline and Plunkett in exhibition England's 55-man matches training group SATURDAY 30 MAY 2020 La Liga action set to return on June 11 AFP – MADRID in a new format: the travel, the organ- isation, everything," said Tebas. The Spanish league season will The German BundesLiga has resume after a three-month corona- already played three rounds fol- virus lockdown on June 11 with the lowing its restart earlier this month, Seville derby, and the 2020-2021 while the English Premier League The important season will start on September 12, and Italy's Serie A are also set to thing will be to the Spanish Sports Council confirmed return in mid-June. know the end yesterday. But the top-flight seasons in date of the 2019- The council released a statement France, Belgium and the Netherlands 20 season. The saying that the Spanish Football Fed- have all been ended. next one will start eration (RFEF) and La Liga had Barcelona led Real Madrid by two on September agreed the format for the 11 points at the top of the table when remaining rounds in the top two La Liga was halted in March. 12. More than Spanish divisions. Tebas also said that television 130 people are It said the season should be com- viewers would be able to choose currently working pleted by July 19, "depending on the whether to watch matches, which will so that everything evolution of the pandemic." all be played behind closed doors, can be done in Competition will kick off on with virtual sound effects added, an a new format: Thursday, June 11 when Betis play option that has caused debate among Sevilla. The rest of the league return fans since the BundesLiga resumed. the travel, the to action on the weekend of June 13 He said that he was taking part organisation, and 14. in a demonstration of the technology everything: La Earlier yesterday, Javier Tebas, on Friday evening and that Javier Liga President the league president told Marca: "The Guillen, the director of the Tour of Javier Tebas important thing will be to know the Spain, and Carmelo Ezpeleta, the end date of the 2019-20 season. The boss of Dorna Sports, promoter of next one will start on September 12." the MotoGP championship had also The Spanish government last been invited. Barcelona's Argentinian star Lionel week gave La Liga the green light to "We want to offer an alternative Messi (left) and team-mater Gerard resume from the week beginning for the fans - silence, or the virtual- Pique in action during a training June 8. isation of the stands. The tests I have session ahead of the resumption of "More than 130 people are currently seen are interesting, but there will the La Liga season. working so that everything can be done be both options," said Tebas. MotoGP Federer tops Forbes list races in of highest-paid athletes Britain, AFP – NEW YORK on $88.2m, $60m of that from endorse- Australia ments. NBA star Stephen Curry of the Roger Federer topped the 2020 Forbes Golden State Warriors was sixth on magazine list of highest-paid global $74.4m with former team-mate Kevin called off athletes announced yesterday, leading the Durant next on $63.9m. lineup for the first time with pre-tax Tiger Woods, the reigning Masters AP – MELBOURNE earnings of $106.3m. champion and a 15-time major winner, The Swiss tennis legend, a men’s was eighth on the list and tops among The MotoGP races in Britain and record 20-time Grand Slam singles golfers at $62.3m, all but $2.3mfrom Australia are the latest to be champion, becomes the first player from sponsor deals. canceled on the international his sport atop the annual list since its Woods topped the Forbes list a record motorcycle racing circuit 1990 debut, rising from fifth in 2019. 12 times before an infidelity scandal because of the coronavirus TCR Europe Series: Federer’s haul over the past 12 months helped end his run. pandemic. included $100m from appearances fees Two NFL quarterbacks rounded out Organisers yesterday said and endorsement deals plus $6.3 million the top 10 with Kirk Cousins ninth at COVID-19 pandemic “and in prize money. His previous best showing $60.5m and Carson Wentz 10th on $59.1m. resulting calendar changes have Al Khelaifi impresses was second in 2013. The top 100 featured athletes from 21 obliged the cancellation of both “His brand is pristine, which is why nations and 10 sports. events.” those that can afford to align with him Two women, tennis stars Naomi The British Grand Prix had in Hungaroring round clamor to do so,” University of Southern Osaka of Japan and Serena Williams of been scheduled for Aug. 28-30 California sports business professor David the United States, made the list, the most at the Silverstone Circuit and the THE PENINSULA – DOHA in the standings. It was the young Carter told the magazine. females on it since 2016. Osaka ranked Australian Grand Prix was set driver’s fourth victory out of the six The ongoing coronavirus pandemic 29th overall on $37.4m ($34m in endorse- to be staged at Phillip Island Three-time Qatar Touring Car Cham- races held so far. that shut down sports worldwide caused ments), four spots ahead of Williams with from October 23-25. pionship winner Abdullah Al Khelaifi In Race 2, Al Khelaifi showed the first decline since 2016 in the total $36m ($32m in endorsements). “I want to thank the stoic impressed among top drivers in the more courage and went on to income of the world’s 100 top-paid ath- Federer, 38, boasts the biggest spon- British fans for their patience European circuit during the fifth and improve his position by three more letes, a 9% dip from last year to $3.6bn. sorship lineup among active athletes with and support,” Silverstone man- sixth rounds of the Touring Car spots with a much faster time Another plunge is expected next year from Moet & Chandon and Barilla among those aging director Stuart Pringle Racing (TCR) Europe SIM Racing (24:38.550), the shutdown. paying from $3-30m to link him with their said in a statement. (Simulated racing) Series. Meanwhile, pole sitter Nagy was Portuguese football star Cristiano brands. “We must now look forward Al Khelaifi, competing in a virtual involved in an accident early in Race Ronaldo was second on the list at $105m, Federer, who spent a record 310 to 2021 when Silverstone will Seat Leon Cupra, representing the 2 saw and that pushed him back as $60m in salary and $45m from endorse- weeks as world number one, reached 18 once again host the fastest and Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Feder- he finished in the 19th place. ments, with Argentine football hero Lionel of 19 Grand Slam finals from most historic MotoGP race on ation (QMMF) at the digitised Hun- His team-mate Mat’o Homola fin- Messi third on $104 million, $32m of that 2005-2010. the calendar and work hard to garoring circuit, finished 12th in Race ished first in Race 2 but a 10-second from sponsorship deals. Only Woods has joined Federer in make it a truly exceptional 1 before advancing to 9th position in penalty saw him missing a podium Messi and Ronaldo, who have traded making $100m in sponsor deals in a single event.” the second race of the day. spot. the top spot three of the past four years, year. Carmelo Ezpeleta, chief The Qatari champion started off Homola was demoted to fourth saw their combined incomes dip $28m Federer’s newest deal is with Swiss executive of Dorna Sports, from the 18th spot in the starting grid after the penalty which involved from last year due to salary cuts when running shoe On, where he is an investor, which has the commercial and after finishing +01.807 off the fastest Bence Boldizs and the latter was European clubs halted play in March. but several sponsors have been with him TV rights for MotoGP, said the qualifier Daniel Nagy. awarded victory. Brazilian footballer Neymar was for more than a decade, including Rolex, British and Australian races Al Khelaifi managed The virtual series is a competition fourth overall on $95.5m, $25m from Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz and Wilson. couldn’t be rescheduled because to advance by six posi- reserved for real drivers who have endorsements, while NBA star LeBron A split with Nike in 2018 there was “no way through the tions after com- signed up for this season’s TCR JamesJames of the Los Angeles Lakers was fifthfifth openedopened Federer to Jap-Jap- logisticallog and operational issues pleting the 13-lap race Europe Series. aneseanese apparel brandbrand resultingres from the pandemic in 24:53.338. The drivers will now move onto Uniqlo’sUniqlo’s 10-ye10-yearar andan rearranged calendar.” Series leader Nagy the next stage of the series to be run dedealal worth MotoGP is aiming to start of Hungary, clinched on virtual Circuit Paul Ricard track $300m.$300m. thet series in Spain in July. the victory in the first at Le Castellet on June 10. The last The first two MotoGP race of the day and three rounds will be held eventse of the year in Qatar managed to on June 24 (Zolder), anda Thailand were canceled extend his July 8 (Monza) and on March 2 because of travel solid July 22 restrictions.res At the time, there lead (Barcelona).