Coronavirus: Here's what's happening in the sports world on Friday

The latest on how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting sports around the globe:

• Olympics could be in doubt next summer hints Games CEO
• Russia prefers to focus on future of Olympic movement
• PGA Tour reportedly considering return to action
• Track and field season could start in August
• FIFA warns against re-starting soccer too early
• Soccer season to resume in Turkmenistan
• MLB players sign on for video game tournament

No certainty of Olympics going forward in 2021

As the coronavirus spreads in Japan, the chief executive of the Tokyo Games said Friday he can't guarantee the postponed Olympics will be staged next year — even with the long delay.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued an emergency declaration this week to battle the virus, putting the country under restrictions after it seemed it had avoided the spread.

"I don't think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get it under control by next July or not," Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said, speaking through an interpreter at a news conference conducted remotely. "We're certainly are not in a position to give you a clear answer."

The Olympics were postponed last month with a new opening set for July 23, 2021, followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 24.

Russia says 'turn a new page' on doping ban

International authorities should "turn a new page" and forget Russia's Olympic doping ban because of the coronavirus pandemic, the country's sports minister said Friday.

The World Anti-Doping Agency barred Russia from the Olympics for four years after ruling last year that doping data from a Moscow laboratory had been manipulated. The Court of Arbitration for Sport is to rule on whether the ban is valid, but hearings have been delayed because of the health crisis.

Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said the virus outbreak means the parties in the legal proceedings should avoid a ruling against Russia because it would fracture the Olympic movement.

"The leaders of the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the judges who will decide the ruling should understand that now we're living in completely different conditions and this crisis which has been created, including the crisis in relationships, should probably come to an end, turn a new page and understand that the main thing right now is to be together," he said.

PGA Tour could restart season without spectators

According to a memo to players obtained by GolfChannel.com, tour officials plan to meet with the players advisory council on Tuesday to discuss a season that has been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis.

The memo said that play could restart "with or without fans" in attendance, and that players would be given a minimum of 3-4 weeks of notice before getting underway.

"We understand many of you may be impacted by travel restrictions and/or the inability to practice in your area, thus we want to be able to give you as much time as possible to allow you to come back fully prepared," the memo read.

The first event on the calendar that has not yet been canceled or postponed is the Charles Schwab Challenge from May 21-24 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The memo acknowledges that start date is unlikely, however.

World Athletics president offers hope of track & field season

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe is still hoping that a belated outdoor athletics season can be staged from August to October this year, he said on Friday.

Like all sport around the world, athletics is at a standstill because of the coronavirus pandemic with little indication of when it will be able to resume.

"We know that different countries are at different stages of managing this pandemic so we are trying to give a structure to our athletes and member federations so they can begin to plan for the year ahead," Coe said in a World Athletics statement.

"If it is at all possible, we will schedule a belated outdoor season from August to October to help our athletes to figure out where they stand after the disruption of this year."

World Athletics has set aside the weekend of Aug. 9-10 as the protected window for national championships.

FIFA won't rush into re-starting season

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has warned against re-starting football too early amid the coronavirus pandemic, telling FIFA's 211 member associations on Friday that such behavior would be irresponsible.

Soccer around the world has come to a standstill with domestic leagues on hold and major tournaments such as Euro 2020 and the Copa America postponed for one year.

"Our first priority, our principle, the one we will use for our competitions and encourage everyone to follow is that health comes first," Infantino said in a statement on Friday which FIFA said was specially aimed at its members.

"I cannot stress this enough. No match, no competition, no league is worth risking a single human life. Everyone in the world should have this very clear in their mind."

Turkmenistan's soccer league to resume April 19

The Central Asian nation will become part of a small group of countries around the world where professional soccer is being played despite the virus outbreak. That includes the former Soviet nations of Belarus and Tajikistan, as well as Burundi and Nicaragua.

The eight-team Turkmenistan league was suspended on March 24. The national soccer federation says it will resume on April 19. Fans will be allowed to attend games.

Turkmenistan has not reported any cases of the coronavirus.

MLB players to compete in virtual season

Blake Snell, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette are among the baseball stars switching over to PlayStation with America's pastime on hold.

Thirty big leaguers — one from each team — have signed on to play a round-robin regular season on the MLB The Show video game with the real season on hold due to the novel coronavirus.

Snell, a Cy Young Award winner with Tampa Bay, will face Cincinnati reliever Amir Garrett in the opener Friday night. That matchup will air on Snell's Twitch feed, and other games will be streamed via Twitch and YouTube with MLB Network host Robert Flores providing commentary.

Players will complete a 29-game regular season — one three-inning contest against each team — through April. The top eight teams will qualify for the post-season, expected to mirror MLB's current format.

Canada rugby match in Montreal against French Barbarians cancelled

Canada's rugby international against the French Barbarians on July 4 in Montreal has been called off due to the COVID-10 pandemic.

Rugby Canada said Friday that the French invitational side had cancelled its summer tour of North America, which included a July 11 match against the U.S.

"It was a very difficult decision but necessary in the current context," Denis Charvet, vice-president of the French Barbarian Rugby Club, said in a statement. "We must all act so that the situation evolves positively and that we can resume our activities. And unfortunately, it goes through this cancellation."

The game at Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard, which would have been the first-ever rugby international in Montreal, was to have been the opening match of the 23rd-ranked Canadian men's quadrennial leading to the 2023 World Cup in France.

A match against No. 12 Italy in Halifax on July 11 remains on the calendar, at least at this stage.

NBA teams seeking to delay draft

Many NBA teams are urging the league to delay the 2020 draft scheduled for June 25, ESPN reported Friday.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and shelter-in-place guidelines limiting their ability to gather information on draft-eligible prospects, teams want the draft pushed back to Aug. 1 at the earliest.

"Multiple top team executives" told ESPN that a delay would give the organizations more time to complete the pre-draft process, including interviews, medical exams and in-person workouts.

The NBA halted its regular season on March 11. Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this week the league doesn't plan to make any decisions regarding the calendar until at least May 1.