LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBA legend Kobe Bryant will be remembered today in a public farewell at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Thousands of mourners will gather to pay their respects to the former Los Angeles Laker, as well as his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and the seven others who were killed Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash. The Celebration of Life will feature music and retrospectives on Bryant’s career, along with speakers reflecting on his impact on his sport and the world. Bryant became active in film, television and writing after his career ended in 2016.
INDIANAPOLIS(AP) — The NFL’s annual gathering of top college talent is going to look a whole lot different this year. There are 16 new position-specific drills being unveiled at this year’s scouting combine and 10 old ones being eliminated. The league is moving most of the on-field drills to prime time to get more of an audience. And two teams aren’t bringing their assistant coaches this year. The Broncos and Rams will have their staffs watch the drills on television and review interviews on film as they evaluate this year’s crop of college prospects.
UNDATED (AP) — A new survey finds that the majority of elite and Olympic athletes struggle to make ends meet. Fifty-eight percent of the 491 survey respondents from across the globe say they do not consider themselves financially stable. Scores of athletes say the funding they receive from sports organizations in their countries is hardly enough to make ends meet. Majorities say multibillion-dollar organizations like the International Olympic Committee should pay them to compete at their events.
LONDON (AP) — Children up to the age of 12 will be banned from heading a soccer ball in practice sessions in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland as authorities look to address the potential long-term impact on health of head injuries. The governing bodies of the three regions made the decision months after a Scottish study found former professional players there were less likely to die of common causes such as heart disease and cancer compared with the general population but more likely to die with dementia.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport has begun a public hearing in Switzerland for cyclist André Cardoso to challenge a four-year ban for doping. Cardoso’s lawyers took the option to request a rare public hearing open to registered media and observers. Chinese swimmer Sun Yang was the first party to a CAS case that requested an open-door process under recently modified rules. A verdict in Sun’s case is pending this month. Cardoso is appealing against a ban imposed by the International Cycling Union after his positive test for the hormone EPO two weeks before the 2017 Tour de France.
For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item.
