Max Verstappen topped the times ahead of Valtteri Bottas in Friday’s opening free practice at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.&nbsp; The Dutchman clocked a best lap in 1min 37.378sec in his Red Bull to outpace the Finn, in his Mercedes, by 0.034 seconds, while seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was fifth on his return from his Covid-19-inflicted absence.
Esteban Ocon was third for Renault, 1.1 seconds off the pace, ahead of Alex Albon in the second Red Bull, Hamilton and the two Racing Points of Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez, fresh from his maiden win in last weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix.
Daniil Kvyat was eighth ahead of Alpha Tauri team-mate Pierre Gasly and Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo.
The session ran in perfect weather conditions with a blue sky, warm sunshine and an air temperature of 25 degrees. The track was 39 degrees and the teams were set to use the softest range of tyres available from Pirelli on the smooth Yas Marina circuit.
Hamilton’s return for Mercedes, preceded by his arrival at the paddock in an eye-catching ‘zebra’ suit, meant George Russell returned to Williams, but it was Mick Schumacher’s appearance in FP1 for Haas that attracted attention too along with Robert Kubica’s possible swansong run for Alfa Romeo.
On a weekend of farewells, Vettel’s departure from Ferrari topped the list after his self-declared ‘failure’ with the Italians, having aimed to claim another title with them in his six-year stay.
His friend and rival Hamilton was quick to join the early fray for some ‘welcome back’ laps, but brake problems soon had him called back to the pits as Bottas went took the early initiative.
Ricciardo was also halted, after only 23 minutes, when he came to a halt on the back straight. His stranded Renault was rescued under Virtual Safety Car (VSC) conditions before Verstappen went quickest only for Bottas to respond with a determined lap.
After repairs, Hamilton returned to action and shared a waved greeting with team-mate Bottas on the straight as he worked with the ‘hard’ compound tyres.
Verstappen rose again to top the times ahead of Bottas, but in a session run in daylight sunshine, it was of little use as an indicator of what lies ahead in the twilight zone, when qualifying and the race take place.

The Dutchman clocked a best lap in 1min 37.378sec in his Red Bull

Max Verstappen topped the times ahead of Valtteri Bottas in Friday’s opening free practice at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Verstappen tops opening Abu Dhabi GP practice, Hamilton fifth

Paolo Rossi, who fired Italy to victory in the 1982 World Cup after almost missing the tournament through a match-fixing scandal, has died aged 64, prompting an outpouring of grief and tributes.
Rossi's wife Federica Cappelletti announced the death in an Instagram post featuring a photo of the couple, accompanied by the comment "Forever," followed by a heart.
-There will never be anyone like you, unique, special, after you the absolute nothing...,- she added on Facebook.
The cause of Rossi's death was not revealed but Italian media reported he had been suffering from "an uncurable disease".
Tributes flooded in for 'Pablito', who was banned for three years for his part in the betting scandal, but returned to win the World Cup in Spain and the Ballon d'Or the same year.
Rossi scored 20 goals in 48 appearances for Italy, and more than 100 Serie A goals with Italian clubs including Juventus, Milan and Verona. In the 1982 World Cup he was top scorer with six goals.
Goalkeeper Dino Zoff, who captained the 1982 winning side, described Rossi as an "extraordinary footballer, excellent teammate and friend".
He said Rossi's ban -- later reduced to two years -- did not bother him, as "we knew who Paolo Rossi was, what a serious person he was and what an extraordinary footballer we had with us". 
-He was irreplaceable in that group. And the relationship with him was great. We were a team of friends, a great group- Zoff said.
Juventus said on the club's website: -Pablito' has passed away: for the entire nation, he was the man of an unforgettable Mundial, and for us, he was so much more.-
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte paid tribute to an "unforgettable champion", saying that his goals that summer "gave a dream to an entire generation".
His death comes just two weeks after Argentina football legend and former Napoli star Diego Maradona died aged 60.

Rossi won the hearts of Italian fans when his goals propelled Enzo Bearzot's Azzurri -- who started the tournament with three uninspiring draws -- to a third world title.
But he almost missed the whole tournament.
In 1980, he was caught up in match-fixing scandal known as "Totonero" -- a play on the Italian for football pools -- that also led to top teams including AC Milan and Lazio being relegated.
Rossi was banned for three years, missing out on the 1980 European Championship on home soil, where Italy finished fourth.
After protesting his innocence he was cleared to play after two years and was rehired by Juventus, going on to earn his spot in the World Cup squad.
A slight winger who converted to centre-forward, Rossi had an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time.
He exploded onto the stage of the 1982 tournament with a hat-trick in the 3-2 defeat of Brazil.
In the semi-finals he scored both goals as Italy beat Poland 2-0, and he hit the opening goal in the 3-1 win over West Germany in the final.
He was voted European Footballer of the Year in 1982.
Along with Christian Vieri and Roberto Baggio, he holds the Italian record for nine goals scored in the World Cup.

Born in Prato in Tuscany, Rossi made his professional debut at Juventus in 1973, but his initial two-year spell at the Turin club was blighted by knee injuries.
His first successes were with Vicenza, helping the club into the top flight. However, following relegation he left for a loan spell at Perugia, where scandal struck.
After his suspension Rossi returned to Juventus, and the 1983-1984 season was his most successful at club level.
He formed a formidable trio with Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek and accumulated trophies -- two Serie A titles, the Italian Cup, Cup of Cups, and European Supercup. 
-Paolo was a friend, a golden boy: benevolent, humble and intelligent- Platini said in a statement to AFP. 
-He will be forever remembered by the (Juventus) team and everyone with a black and white heart.-
In 1985, Juventus won the European Cup amid the tragedy of the Heysel Stadium final against Liverpool, where 39 fans were killed. It was to be Rossi's last match with the 'Bianconeri'.
He went to rivals AC Milan for an unsuccessful season which was overshadowed by injury, as was his final season at Hellas Verona. 
In 1987, aged 31, Rossi decided to turn the page after nearly 400 league games and 154 goals, and 48 caps and 20 goals for Italy.
After his career as a footballer, Rossi worked as a TV pundit. 
Rossi is survived by his wife and three children.

Rossi's wife Federica Cappelletti announced the death in an Instagram post

Rossi made his professional debut at Juventus in 1973.

Italy's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi dead at 64

The World Indoor Athletics Championships scheduled to take place in the Chinese city of Nanjing next year have been postponed until March 2023, World Athletics announced on Thursday.
The event had already been moved from this year to March 19-21, 2021, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
-While we have been liaising with the organising committee and the Chinese Athletics Association to evaluate the staging over the past few weeks, given the current global situation, there is still significant uncertainty about the state of the Covid-19 pandemic in the early part of 2021- track and field's governing body said in a statement.
The Nanjing event will now take place a year after the 2022 world championships in Belgrade.

The Nanjing event will now take place a year after the 2022 world championships in Belgrade

Nanjing will now host the 2023 IAAF World Indoor Championships

2021 World Indoor Athletics Championships postponed two years

Czech referee Pavel Kralovec, who officiates in the Champions League, has been implied in a local match-fixing scandal, Czech media said Wednesday.
The case involves former Czech Football Association (FACR) deputy head Roman Berbr, who has been in custody over suspected match-fixing since October.
Citing police wiretaps, the DNES broadsheet said Berbr had called Kralovec ahead of July's Czech Cup final, in which Sparta Prague beat Slovan Liberec 2-1 to reach the Europa League group stage.
-Very simply, I need just one political thing, OK? You will understand. Josef Krula stopped by on Monday- Berbr said, according to the wiretap.
Krula is Sparta's sports manager and a former referee.
Kralovec, who answered that he did understand, came under fire after the game as he had notably refused to send off Sparta midfielder Martin Frydek for stepping on an opponent, despite calls from the video referee.
On Tuesday night, the 43-year-old Kralovec managed the Champions League game pitting Chelsea against Krasnodar.
Sparta, who have lost a chance to advance from the Europa League Group H also comprising AC Milan, Lille and Celtic Glasgow, have denied any wrongdoing and said they want "thorough investigation" of the case.
Berbr was one of 19 people detained by police in October as part of an organised group in the match-fixing case, four of whom have ended up in custody.
He stepped down from his position as a result.
A 66-year-old former referee, Berbr held his post since 2013 and according to local media has been pulling the strings in Czech football for years.
Media have made allegations over Berbr in relation to corruption cases and bullying at the FACR, but he has never been charged.
His wife Dagmar Damkova, the first female referee in the Czech Republic, stepped down from a post on the UEFA referees committee following the charges.

The case involves former Czech Football Association (FACR) deputy head Roman Berbr

Champions League referee implicated in match-fixing case

Lewis Hamilton is in a race against time as he battles to recover from Covid-19 and return to action for Mercedes at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, according to team chief Toto Wolff.
The Austrian boss told reporters after Sunday's dramatic Sakhir Grand Prix, in which the seven-time champion's substitute George Russell excelled, that Hamilton's condition was improving every day.
But, he added, he had to complete a full recovery and return a negative coronavirus test result by Thursday – and, if not, super-sub Russell, on loan from Williams, would take his seat again.
-If Lewis recovers - and he is getting better every day - and he is being considered Covid-free and negative then he will be fine- said Wolff. -I think we need to see how well Lewis recovers.-
-That's the most important - that he's well - and he says he's a bit better so he's made a big step.
-If the test is negative, it's his car and then, I am sure, he will drive a brilliant race. But, if the test in Abu Dhabi is positive, then George is in the car.-
Wolff rejected suggestions that the prodigious Russell's dazzling display for Mercedes –- he looked certain to win the race until a pit-stop bungle and a puncture ended his challenge -– was a useful factor in negotiating a new contract with Hamilton.
-No, they are two different things- he countered. -Lewis has been with the team for eight years. We have had great success in the past.
--He is a team member and I have said it already - none of the events will interfere or change any of our negotiations. That wouldn't be fair against him and it wouldn't be fair against us.
--It could have gone the other way around and been a race weekend where George wouldn't have been on the pace. Our negotiations go much beyond that.-
Hamilton will be out of contract at the end of this season. Talks, postponed due to his illness, are expected to resume later this month.

Toto Wolff: I think we need to see how well Lewis recovers

Hamilton will be out of contract at the end of this season. Talks, postponed due to his illness, are expected to resume later this month.

Hamilton in race against time to prove fitness for season finale

Manchester United will travel to RB Leipzig for Tuesday's Champions League match confident they can reach the knockout stages but knowing they have made life unnecessarily hard for themselves.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team looked certain to ease out of the group phase after an impressive win at Paris Saint-Germain followed by a 5-0 hammering of RB Leipzig at home.
But a shock defeat away to Istanbul Basaksehir threw Group H wide open and last week's home reverse against PSG leaves the French champions, United and Leipzig locked together on nine points.
United need just a draw at the home of the German team, who are third in the Bundesliga. That would take them through on the basis of a superior head-to-head record.
The three-time European champions can take heart from their striking away form this season, with the exception of their ill-fated trip to Turkey.
They have won all five of their Premier League away games, taking their total of consecutive league wins on the road to a club-record nine.
But United, desperate to re-establish themselves among the European elite, have also made a habit of getting themselves into difficulty -- they have trailed in every away game in the top-flight this season.
Saturday's match at West Ham was no different. Solskjaer's men were 1-0 down at half-time and could have been further behind before a stirring second-half comeback.
Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford all scored in a 3-1 win at the London Stadium that took the team, at least temporarily, into the top four of the Premier League.

-The boys now have the belief and the confidence that we can turn things around- said Solskjaer. -You don't panic.- 
-Yeah, we were under pressure before half-time, and half-time came at a good time for us. We had to clear our heads and go again. We've done it too often now to be a coincidence, those comebacks.
--It's in these boys and in this badge. Of course you are very happy with the away form and how we're performing.-
United have enviable firepower in their ranks and can be devastating on the break but the feeling remains that they are rarely in total control of their destiny.
The Norwegian boss has a decision to make in midfield, with Fred absent after a red card in the defeat to PSG.
Bruno Fernandes is the key man creatively, as he showed again at West Ham, creating eight chances after coming on at half-time.
Does Solskjaer stick with Pogba, who has been a peripheral player this season? Does he throw in Nemanja Matic alongside Scott McTominay to give greater defensive ballast? Or can he find room for all three?
There are also potential issues up front, with both Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani withdrawn during the West Ham victory with niggles.
Leipzig, last season's Champions League semi-finalists, will likely need to win to progress from Group H, because PSG are expected to beat Basaksehir. That could play into United's hands, giving them space to exploit.
But they cannot afford to produce a display as limp and disjointed as they did in the first half against West Ham.
McTominay said it was important to put last month's hammering of Leipzig out of their minds.
-The result at home is completely out of the equation now- the Scotland midfielder told MUTV.
-We forget about that. It's a game where we have to go and win. It's a game where you can't just go there and play for a point. You have to go and approach it like you want to win that football match and that's definitely what we're going to do.-

United need just a draw at the home of the German team, who are third in the Bundesliga

Manchester United came from behind to beat West Ham 3-1 in the Premier League

Comeback kings Man Utd brace for Leipzig Champions League decider

About 18 percent of tickets sold in Japan for next year's coronavirus-postponed Olympics will be refunded, Tokyo 2020 organisers said Thursday, with over 3.6 million seats still reserved domestically for the Games.
A three-week refund window for domestic tickets closed November 30, and organisers said about 810,000 of the 4.45 million tickets sold in Japan would be refunded and resold at a later date.
A refund application window for Paralympics tickets bought in Japan will run from December 1-21. People who purchased tickets elsewhere in the world have been told to seek refunds from local retailers.
The Games were postponed in March in the first peacetime delay of an Olympics, and are now scheduled to start on July 23, 2021.
Organisers this week laid out a raft of safety measures they said would make it possible to hold the Games, even if the pandemic has not been brought under control.
While International Olympic Committee boss Thomas Bach has said he is "very confident" spectators will be allowed at next year's event, he has also warned full stadiums may not be possible as the pandemic rages on.
A decision on the number of spectators allowed is not expected until next spring.
Organisers have promised more reimbursements if events are cancelled, or fewer seats are available because of coronavirus safety measures.

Over 3.6 million seats still reserved domestically for the Games

The Games were postponed in March  and are now scheduled to start on July 23, 2021.

18 percent of Olympic tickets sold in Japan to be refunded

Max Verstappen has returned a negative test for Covid-19 ahead of this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix amid concerns that he had been a 'close contact' of Lewis Hamilton last weekend.
The newly-crowned seven-time champion Hamilton returned a positive test result on Monday following his victory at last Sunday’s dramatic Bahrain Grand Prix, where he shared the podium and post-race media commitments with Verstappen.
The Dutchman was tested on Wednesday and his result was negative, according to Dutch news reports.
Verstappen also revealed on his website that he had contacted his family during the stoppage last Sunday following Romain Grosjean’s fireball crash and miraculous escape.
-The Grosjean crash was fierce- he said. -I face-timed with my father and sister and had a chat and sent some messages.-
-When the red flag was waved and we were still on our way to the pit lane, we saw the flames.-
-That was the worst moment. At the time, I didn’t know what had happened or whether he was out of the car yet.
--Once we got to the pit lane, we had seen on the screen that Grosjean had jumped out of the car. Then you know that it is fortunately relatively okay.
--Crashes do happen, which is of course not nice. This was a huge hit that you hope never happens.-
Verstappen will be bidding to take advantage of Hamilton's absence this weekend to claim victory and press home his bid to take the runners-up place in the drivers’ championship ahead of the Briton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Briton George Russell has been released by Williams to replace Hamilton this weekend while Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi makes his debut as Grosjean's substitute in the Haas team.

The Dutchman was tested on Wednesday

Max Verstappen tested negative for coronavirus

Verstappen negative after contact with Covid-case Hamilton

The Australian Open tennis Grand Slam will start three weeks late on February 8, reports said on Wednesday, with players cleared to train during quarantine following lengthy negotiations with state authorities.
According to Australian media, the start date was announced to players by tournament director Craig Tiley. If confirmed, it will join the three other major tournaments in being disrupted by the coronavirus.
Tennis Australia has been in protracted talks with Victoria state authorities in Melbourne, which only emerged from a months-long lockdown in October following a second wave of cases.
-It's taken a while, but the great news is it looks like we are going to be able to hold the AO (Australian Open) on 8 February- Tiley was quoted as telling players in a leaked letter.
-Players will have to quarantine for two weeks from 15 January, but the Victorian government has agreed to special conditions for AO participants — agreeing that they need to be able to prepare for a Grand Slam.-
Under the plan, players who test negative for the virus will be able to train while in isolation, Tiley wrote.
Tennis Australia did not confirm the reports on Wednesday, and said plans were still awaiting approval from the state government.
A February 8th start date would allow for a week of warm-up tournaments after quarantine, but would likely mean scrapping the flagship ATP Cup men's team event due to a lack of time.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews earlier said he remained committed to holding the Australian Open, but that safety was paramount.
-Unlike every other tennis tournament that the men's and women's tours will play this year, only the Australian Open is a tennis tournament in a city where it can likely be assumed that those players will bring the virus here- he told reporters.
-Just think about that for a moment – every other Grand Slam (is happening in a place where) cases are running wild.-
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal last month said it was an unprecedented situation and urged patience from players.
-That is difficult for everyone- he said at the ATP Finals in London. -We need to be flexible to understand the situation and to find a way to play as many tournaments as possible next year.-
This year, the US Open was held behind closed doors and the French Open was delayed and took place in front of limited crowds, while Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II.

Players who test negative for the virus will be able to train while in isolation

Australian Open Grand Slam will start on February 8th

Australian Open tennis Grand Slam delayed to February 8th

Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, will drive in Formula One for the first time with Haas next season, the team announced on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old will get a taste of what is in store when he takes part in free practice ahead of the 2020 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 11 before taking part in testing a few days later.
-Haas F1 Team has signed Germany's Mick Schumacher as part of its all-new driver lineup for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship and beyond in a multi-year agreement- Haas said in a statement.
Schumacher junior, long tipped for a Formula One spot, will partner Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, also 21, in the Haas lineup.Mick Schumacher currently heads the Formula Two drivers' standings with one race to go in Bahrain this weekend.
His father was seriously injured in a skiing accident in December 2013 and has not been seen in public since.
His wife Corinna, the mother of Mick, issued a rare statement on the Formula One legend's 50th birthday in January 2019, saying the family were doing "everything humanly possible" to help her husband.
British driver Lewis Hamilton this year won his seventh Formula One world title to equal Michael Schumacher's all-time record.

Schumacher's son joins Haas for first F1 drive next season

It’s not exactly that they enjoyed great trust and it’s not that they had high expectations of them. The national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by the selector Vedran Bosnić, qualified for the two rounds before the end of the Eurobasket qualifiers. It would be said never before and never easier, because they deprived us of unnecessary stress at the last minute.

- We went from game to game. All the players who came to the previous gathering were very motivated and gave something for this special moment. I have yet to think about Eurobasket and make the best decisions for our team. I think now we should all just enjoy ourselves. Sunday was a special night for our state. However, we have not played Eurobasket for several years - said rather calm Bosnić.
This team played without Jusuf Nurkić and Džanan Musa due to the NBA league ban, without Nemanja Gordić who once again betrayed national jersey, but also without several injured players. That was no obstacle for them to go out on the floor and give 100 percent odds at all times.

Bosnić and the players, the connection is obvious, but in the whole story we should not forget all those around them. Mirza Teletović, president of KSB&amp;H, Samir Avdić, director of the national team, general secretary, staff members ... they all "pushed" one thing, and it was called "placement" at the European Championship.
And as much as it is a misconception that the players got to the EP easily, it is as much a misconception that everything went smoothly organizationally, but they all fought together. What they did was a signpost for everyone. It can be done, both against the rich and against those who are stronger on paper. At certain moments, fanatical combativeness made up for everything, and then the reward arrived.

Bosnia and Herzegovina basketball players qualified for Eurobasket for the 10th time

Bosnić: Excellent leadership from the bench

Bosnić's warriors as a guidepost for everyone

Newcastle's Premier League game with Aston Villa on Friday is under threat due to an outbreak of coronavirus cases, according to British media reports.
Newcastle have closed their training ground and it is not expected to re-open until Wednesday at the earliest, The Guardian said.
Magpies manager Steve Bruce had already cancelled training on Sunday after four players and a member of the backroom staff tested positive for the virus last week.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the club learned that more players tested positive when the latest batch of results were returned on Monday.
The whole first team squad and staff have been told to self-isolate at home. 
Bruce was already without five first team players for last Friday's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
No Premier League match has been called off since football resumed following the March lockdown.
Premier League authorities have said before for a game to be postponed it would require 14 players to be affected.
However, if the team is able to field 11 players plus three substitutes the game should go ahead.
The fixture schedule is already a hectic one with many managers blaming a higher-than-usual rate of injuries on that. 
According to the Telegraph, the possibility of the players turning up solely for training on Wednesday without entering the buildings is being considered.
The city of Newcastle itself will enter the tier three restriction band on Wednesday when the latest lockdown ends -- the highest allocated by the Government.

Newcastle have closed their training ground

Newcastle game with Villa under threat due to coronavirus outbreak: reports

World champion Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, Formula One's governing body FIA announced Tuesday.
-In accordance with COVID-19 protocols and public health authority guidelines in Bahrain he (Hamilton) is now isolating- said an FIA statement.
-The procedures set out by the FIA and Formula 1 will ensure no wider impact on this weekend's event.-
Hamilton, who on Sunday won the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of back-to-back races in the Gulf state, has already secured a record-equalling seventh world championship this season.
-He woke up on Monday morning with mild symptoms and was informed at the same time that a contact prior to arrival in Bahrain had subsequently tested positive- a statement from Hamilton's Mercedes team said.
-Lewis therefore took a further test and returned a positive result. This has since been confirmed by a retest.
--Lewis is now isolating in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and public health authority guidelines in Bahrain.
--Apart from mild symptoms, he is otherwise fit and well, and the entire team sends him its very best wishes for a swift recovery.-
Mercedes added that Hamilton had been tested three times last week and returned a negative result each time as part of the sport's strict anti-virus protocols, the last of which was on Sunday afternoon at the Bahrain circuit.
Hamilton sealed his seventh title in Turkey two races ago to equal the all-time record of Michael Schumacher
.He then cruised to his 11th win this year and record-increasing 95th victory on Sunday in a race overshadowed by Romain Grosjean's horrific crash, which left the Frenchman receiving hospital treatment for burns after his car exploded in flames after ploughing into a barrier.
-It was such a shocking image to see- said Hamilton, who like all of the drivers had a near 90-minute wait for the restart after the opening-lap crash.
Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas were having to "live like hermits" earlier this season to avoid Covid-19, revealed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after the team recorded two positive cases at the Eifel Grand Prix in Germany in October.
Wolff said both drivers were confined to their rooms. "They are the most restricted of the whole group, of the whole team," he said.
-It's certainly not a great situation for them because you need almost to live like a hermit - and that is what they are doing.
--They are at home, they are not going out for dinners and they are not meeting other people. When we do de-briefs, by Zoom or Microsoft Teams, they are not sitting with their engineers in the room.-

He woke up on Monday morning with mild symptoms

F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton positive for Covid-19

The women's Rugby World Cup will expand from 12 teams to 16 from 2025 amid efforts to further spread the sport, World Rugby announced Monday.
The expansion comes as the sport's governing body continues its strategic planning for the development of the women's game.
-Women's rugby is the single greatest opportunity to grow the sport globally- said World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont.
-In 2017 we set out an ambitious eight-year plan to accelerate the development of women in rugby, with a core pillar focussing on high-performance competition and an ambition to improve and expand the number of teams competing in pinnacle events.
--We have seen in recent years that more teams are making a statement at international level and unions are continuing to develop their women’s high-performance programmes.-
Beaumont said the announcement was a "milestone moment", arguing that expansion of the World Cup opened up "additional aspirational and inspirational playing pathway opportunities for unions at the highest level of the game and creates added incentive for unions worldwide to continue to invest and grow in their women’s programmes".

The most recent women's World Cup was held in Ireland in 2017. Five-time champions New Zealand are scheduled to host the next tournament in 2021.

After two unsanctioned competitions in 1991 and 1994, the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) backed the women's World Cup from 1998 and its five subsequent editions.

Since its inception, only 21 countries have participated in the women's World Cup.

Women's Rugby World Cup to be expanded to 16 teams in 2025

Mike Tyson's return to boxing at age 54 ended in a draw with 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday in an eight-round exhibition battle of former heavyweight champions.
Fifteen years after retiring with a 2005 loss to journeyman Kevin McBride, Tyson made his comeback at Staples Center in Los Angeles without spectators in a pay-per-view matchup that mixed curiosity and nostalgia.
California State Athletic Commission officials required two-minute rounds instead of the usual three-minute rounds, mandated larger than normal 12-ounce gloves, said neither fighter could seek a knockout and declared there could be no official winner in safety moves for the over-50 fighters.
-Sometimes that two minutes felt like three minutes- Tyson said. -I'm glad I got this under my belt and I'm looking forward to doing it again.-
An "unofficial" panel of former World Boxing Council champions at ringside scored the bout a draw, an outcome that Tyson applauded despite appearing to dominate.
-I'm good with that- Tyson said, admitting he thought he had won the fight. -Yeah, but I'm good with a draw. The crowd was happy with that.-
Jones, who looked tired and grabbed Tyson much of the fight, was unhappy at a draw.
-I ain't never happy with a draw. I don't do draw- Jones said, admitting that Tyson hurt him throughout the bout, particularly with body blows.
-If he hits you with his head, punches, body shots, it don't matter, everything hurts. Body shots definitely took a toll. Body shots are what makes you exhausted.-
Tyson, who entered 50-6 with 44 knockouts, lost 100 pounds and began training again, his desire to get back in shape becoming a hunger to strap on the gloves once more.
Jones, who entered 66-9 with 47 knockouts, had not fought since a February 2018 cruiserweight victory. He hoped a solid effort against Tyson might set up a fight with 45-year-old Brazilian mixed martial arts star Anderson Silva.

Tyson came out aggressive and fast, swinging and connecting often to the body of Jones, who was able to hit and evade at times, then hugging Tyson often when all else failed.
-You came back. I hit you with good shots and you took it- Tyson told Jones. -We have to do this again.-
A hard left to the head stung Jones in round two and he spent much of the third and fourth rounds holding and moving into clenches with Tyson.
-It's something in there taking punches from Mike- Jones said. -Once I go in there, I'm game. I'll go to the end. I know when he hits me it's going to hurt.-
Tyson landed an inside right and a hard left to the head of Jones in the fifth round, then connected to the body with a solid right and left in the sixth, Jones evading a right uppercut and tying up Tyson before he could land major combinations.
Tyson stung the midsection of Jones in round seven but was held before he could press the advantage.
In the eighth and final round, Tyson pounded a pair of left hooks to the body but Jones tied him up and they finished trading inside punches.
-I was very happy to go the eight rounds- Tyson said. -I'm more happy with going the distance.
--I was afraid I might get hurt. Why is nobody worried about my ass? I haven't done this in 15 years.-Tyson ruled the heavyweight division in overwhelming fashion in the late 1980s but struggled through the 1990s, losing his title, being convicted of rape and serving a ban after biting a chunk out of Evander Holyfield's ear.
He faded from the scene after a 2002 world title loss to Lennox Lewis and has returned now to help launch his Legends Only League for over-age star athletes.
-This is bigger than fighting for championships- Tyson declared. -I'm helping people now.-

Tyson: This is bigger than fighting for championships. I'm helping people now.

Mike Tyson made his comeback at Staples Center in Los Angeles without spectators on Sunday

Tyson comeback fight at 54 ends with draw against Jones

Max Verstappen topped the times ahead of Lewis Hamilton in Saturday morning’s third and final practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver clocked a best lap of one minute and 28 355 seconds in the closing minutes to outpace Mercedes’ newly-crowned seven-time champion by 0.263 seconds.
Valtteri Bottas, in the second ‘black arrow’, was third behind his team-mate.
Hamilton attempted to respond in the final seconds of the session, but pulled up at the end of the pit lane before joining the fray as a red light signalled it was over.
It was unclear if Hamilton had a car problem – likely to be an electronic sensor issue – or had missed his chance before the light came on, but he was clearly disappointed at failing to complete a clean sweep after topping both sessions on Friday.
Alex Albon, Red Bull’s London-born Thai driver, was an encouraging fourth after recovering from his big crash in second practice and driving in a new chassis, built up overnight by his crew.
Albon showed no evidence of problems following the blow to his confidence as he sought to hang on to his drive with the team for next year.
Carlos Sainz, the Ferrari-bound McLaren driver, was fifth ahead of Pierre Gasly of Alpha Tauri and Lando Norris, in the second McLaren.
Daniil Kvyat was eighth in the second Alpha Tauri ahead of the two Racing Point cars driven by Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez.
Both Ferrari men failed to make the top ten, Sebastian Vettel finishing 13th and Charles Leclerc 15th.
Vettel had earlier supported Hamilton in his strong criticism of Pirelli’s prototype tyres for 2021, saying he hoped that -we don’t see these tyres again.-
He explained: -They weren’t a step forward -- probably worth a shot, but I hope we don't see these tyres again. They are quite a lot worse compared to the tyres that we currently run.-

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Verstappen beats Hamilton in final Bahrain practice

Sports

Verstappen tops opening Abu Dhabi GP practice, Hamilton fifth

Italy's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi dead at 64

2021 World Indoor Athletics Championships postponed two years

Champions League referee implicated in match-fixing case

Hamilton in race against time to prove fitness for season finale

Comeback kings Man Utd brace for Leipzig Champions League decider

18 percent of Olympic tickets sold in Japan to be refunded

Verstappen negative after contact with Covid-case Hamilton

Australian Open tennis Grand Slam delayed to February 8th

Schumacher's son joins Haas for first F1 drive next season

Bosnić's warriors as a guidepost for everyone

Newcastle game with Villa under threat due to coronavirus outbreak: reports

F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton positive for Covid-19

Women's Rugby World Cup to be expanded to 16 teams in 2025

Tyson comeback fight at 54 ends with draw against Jones

Verstappen beats Hamilton in final Bahrain practice