Sports News Roundup: NFL- Fans required to wear masks at all games, league says; Mickey Mouse, the Jetsons find home at Golf Museum and more

Tokyo 2020 preparing to deliver Games with COVID-19: CEO Muto Tokyo Olympics organisers are preparing to host the Games next year even if the global coronavirus pandemic hasn't eased substantially, organising committee chief executive Toshiro Muto told Reuters on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Pandemic hit women's sport much more than men's - UK parliamentary report

The new coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women's elite sport and exacerbated inequality with knock-on effects for the future, a British parliamentary committee report said on Thursday. The Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee (DCMS) report on the impact of COVID-19 called on the government to outline how it intended to support already under-funded women's sport post-crisis.

NFL- Fans required to wear masks at all games, league says

Any fans attending games during the upcoming National Football League (NFL) season must wear face masks, the league confirmed on Wednesday. "For those wondering, yes, it is league-wide: fans at NFL games this season will be required to wear face coverings," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a tweet.

Report: Dodgers, Betts nearing long-term deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers and outfielder Mookie Betts are "deep into negotiations" on a long-term deal, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Wednesday. Passan said the deal includes 2020 and would keep Betts in a Dodgers uniform for 13 years at more than $380 million.

Mickey Mouse, the Jetsons find home at Golf Museum

Mickey Mouse, the Jetsons, Tom and Jerry and dozens of other colorful characters are now taking up permanent residence at the USGA Golf Museum after an Indiana couple donated more than 560 golf-themed comic books to the archive. The collection, the most significant of its kind in the world, contains comics dating to the 1930s that depict Dennis the Menace, Beetle Bailey, and others playing golf.

Nationals have 'butterflies' ahead of spectator-free opener

The Washington Nationals had plenty of time to celebrate their World Series title and now are eager to get back to work as the 2020 Major League Baseball season postponed by the COVID-19 outbreak gets set to begin. Washington, after a four-month delay, will kick off their 60-game regular season on Thursday with a clash of ace pitchers as the host Nationals send Max Scherzer to the mound while the New York Yankees counter with Gerrit Cole.

Daly header powers Dash past Thorns

The Houston Dash beat the Portland Thorns 1-0 on Wednesday to advance to the final of the NWSL Challenge Cup in Utah thanks to a late header by Rachel Daly. A Houston corner in the 68th minute ricocheted off the crossbar and Daly pounced, diving to head the ball off the shoulder of Thorns keeper Britt Eckerstrom and into the net.

Antonio Brown demands NFL resolve 'investigations' so he can talk to teams

Antonio Brown's latest retirement lasted all of two days. After tweeting, among other things, "mission complete" when referencing his career on Monday, the four-time All-Pro on Wednesday posted a message to Instagram, calling on the NFL to resolve investigations and provide him clarity "on this situation" so he can talk to teams.

Tokyo 2020 preparing to deliver Games with COVID-19: CEO Muto

Tokyo Olympics organizers are preparing to host the Games next year even if the global coronavirus pandemic hasn't eased substantially, organizing committee chief executive Toshiro Muto told Reuters on Tuesday. The Tokyo Olympics had been scheduled to start on Friday but were put back to 2021 because of the pandemic.

WTA chief hopes Palermo Open will provide blueprint for 2020

WTA chief Steve Simon cannot wait for the Tour to get back up and running in Sicily next month and hopes the Palermo Open will provide a blueprint for tournament operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The women's claycourt tournament, which gets underway in the Sicilian capital on Aug. 3, will be the first across both the WTA or ATP tours since they were suspended in early March because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Report: Vikings finalizing extension for Zimmer

The Minnesota Vikings are finalizing a multi-year extension with head coach Mike Zimmer, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Wednesday. Zimmer, 64, has compiled a 57-38-1 record with three playoff appearances in six seasons at the helm of the Vikings (2014-19).

(With inputs from agencies.)