Reuters Sports News Summary

USOPC Chief Executive Sarah Hirshland, speaking at the virtual Team USA media summit, drove home a message that Olympic boycotts essentially harm athletes and do very little to impact problems in host countries. Olympics-Team USA to have plenty of mental health support in Beijing The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said on Monday it will have a number of mental health resources in place at the 2022 Beijing Olympics to help protect the well-being of its entire delegation.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-England get Wembley stadium ban over Euro 2020 final chaos

England have been ordered to play their next two home games in UEFA competition without supporters present after disturbances during their Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley in July, European soccer's governing body said in a statement on Monday. The ban on fans attending the second game has been suspended for a probationary period of two years, while the English FA has been fined 100,000 euros ($116,000), UEFA added.

Olympics-USOPC says government, not athletes, should lead Beijing debate

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) on Monday refused to be drawn into the row about China's human rights record that has sparked protests in the run-up to next year's Beijing Winter Games. USOPC Chief Executive Sarah Hirshland, speaking at the virtual Team USA media summit, drove home a message that Olympic boycotts essentially harm athletes and do very little to impact problems in host countries.

Olympics-Team USA to have plenty of mental health support in Beijing

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said on Monday it will have a number of mental health resources in place at the 2022 Beijing Olympics to help protect the well-being of its entire delegation. Mental health has long been a taboo subject within sport but U.S. gymnast Simone Biles brought the topic to the forefront at the Tokyo Olympics, leading others to become more comfortable speaking about their struggles as elite athletes.

NHL-League suspends Evander Kane for 21 games for COVID-19 violations

The National Hockey League (NHL) on Monday suspended the San Jose Sharks' Evander Kane for 21 regular-season games without pay for violating its COVID-19 protocols. The Canadian forward will be ineligible to play before Nov. 30, effectively keeping him off the ice for more than a quarter of the regular season.

Motor racing-IndyCar's O'Ward living the dream ahead of McLaren F1 test

Pato O'Ward jokes that he would be a billionaire if he had banked a penny every time he was asked about his Formula One prospects and the 22-year-old Mexican IndyCar driver can expect no let up now. The rising star of the U.S.-based open-wheel series, third overall with two wins for the Arrow McLaren SP team and a fourth place at the Indianapolis 500, will test with McLaren's F1 team in Abu Dhabi in December.

NBA-Knicks extend reign as NBA's most valuable team - Forbes

The New York Knicks are the NBA's most valuable team for a seventh consecutive year, according to the annual list published by Forbes on Monday. The Knicks, who have just one playoff series victory since 2000 and last won an NBA title in 1973, are worth $5.8 billion, up 16% from a year ago, according to Forbes https://www.forbes.com.

Soccer-Neymar ruled out of PSG's Champions League clash with Leipzig

Brazilian forward Neymar will miss Paris St Germain's Champions League group game against RB Leipzig after picking up an injury on international duty, manager Mauricio Pochettino said on Monday. The 29-year-old was among a number of players not involved in PSG's 2-1 Ligue 1 win over Angers on Friday due to their involvement in World Cup qualifying games.

Tennis-Djokovic unsure over Australian Open involvement, won't reveal vaccine status

World number one Novak Djokovic once again declined to reveal whether he has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and said he was unsure if he would defend his title at next year's Australian Open. The state of Victoria, where the Grand Slam event takes place in Melbourne, has introduced a vaccine mandate for professional athletes, although authorities have not yet clarified what the requirement will be for those coming from abroad.

Olympics-Small minority of U.S. Olympians oppose COVID-19 vaccine mandate, say officials

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said on Monday its decision to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for those competing at next year's Beijing Olympics has been met with some resistance. In a bid to create a safe environment and restore some level of consistency in planning, the USOPC announced last month that Team USA athletes hoping to compete in the Beijing Olympics will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Husband in court over killing of Kenyan athlete Tirop

A Kenyan court on Monday allowed police to hold the husband of long distance runner Agnes Tirop for 20 days over her killing, the KTN News channel reported. Tirop's husband, Ibrahim Rotich, was arraigned on suspicion of her murder during his first appearance before the court in the Rift Valley town of Iten, close to the home they shared.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)