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A32 sports
Diaranson 28 october 2020

FIFA president Infantino tests positive for COVID-19

(AP) — FIFA president People who have come into White House last month to
Gianni Infantino has test- contact with the 50-year-old mark normalized relations
ed positive for COVID-19. Swiss lawyer in recent days for Israel with the United
have been informed "to take Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The governing body of world the necessary steps," FIFA
soccer said Tuesday that In- said. Infantino's infection comes
fantino has mild symptoms as Switzerland reports a spike
and "has immediately placed Infantino has traveled lit- in COVID-19 cases. Swit-
himself in self-isolation and tle during the coronavirus zerland has reported 127,000
will remain in quarantine at pandemic, but he attended cases this year, with more
least for 10 days." a signing ceremony at the than 23,000 since last Friday.

Female football star sues for schools to offer girls' teams

(AP) — Sam Gordon's boys and some are even ha- jured has reached a fever
staggering football skills rassed. One player who tes- pitch. She said the league has
made her famous at age 9. tified said she was forced to made minor adjustments to
But they didn't make her change in the boys' locker prioritize safety such as re-
fully welcome on the field. room at away games and moving punt returns, kick-
often faced discriminatory offs and kick returns from
As the only girl in a tackle treatment by her male coach the game to limit plays that
football league in Utah, she and teammates. can often result in injuries.
heard parents from opposing
teams urge their kids to "beat But plenty of girls want to Jen Welter became the first
the girl." play, Gordon said, pointing to woman in an NFL mentoring
an all-female league she start- program for coaches when
"I had a target on my back, ed with her father six years she joined the Arizona Cardi-
and it was in the shape of a ago that's drawn hundreds of nals' training camp coaching
ponytail," said Gordon, now girls from the Salt Lake City staff in 2015. This year, there
17. "It was awesome to prove area. are eight female assistant ent?"
to them that I'm more than coaches in the league, includ- Even if Gordon wins her law-
just a girl in pads. I'm actually The districts and state ath- ing the San Francisco 49ers' Some other opportunities for suit, she may not get a chance
a football player." letic officials are pushing Katie Sowers who became girls who want to play foot- to play for her school under
back in court, though. They the first woman to coach in a ball are starting to open up. the Friday night lights. She's
Viral videos viewed by mil- argue a girls football program Super Bowl last year. The National Association of a high school senior now, so
lions of her playing cata- would be unsustainable and Intercollegiate Athletics and she'd get one spring season at
pulted Gordon to a place in require new infrastructure Football is considered the NFL announced in May best.
the country's most popular they shouldn't be responsible "America's game," but it is that women's flag football
sport, including the ESPN for. one of few sports that doesn't will become a nationally rec- But even if she doesn't get to
awards and Super Bowl com- have gender parity at any lev- ognized college varsity sport play with her school's jersey,
mercials. But very few other Closing arguments are set for el, from the peewees to the by 2021. That opportunity she said, the lawsuit would
women have gotten a toehold this week. The school dis- pros, in terms of opportunity could be life changing for still be worth it for the girls
in football. tricts and state athletics as- or compensation, Welter said. young girls and their path to- who come after her.
sociation either declined or ward receiving a college edu-
To help change that, Gordon didn't respond to requests for "For a girl to play on a boys cation, Welter said. "For them to get the oppor-
went to court. comment. team, she is the exception," tunity to go and play and to
She sued her school district Welter said. "Yet when you "That changes everything," ... destigmatize girls play-
and two others for refus- Gordon's push to expand see a women's tackle team she said. "Because now that ing contact sports and being
ing to create a girls' football access to the sport to more or a girls' tackle team they're we've seen life trajectory tough and rowdy," she said.
program under Title IX, say- women comes as concerns all in it together. We encour- changing opportunities in "It's more than just football,
ing many girls like her don't about youth and professional age that in all sports so why football, that means it's a vi- and I would be proud to be a
feel comfortable playing with football players getting in- would football be so differ- able dream and goal." part of that."

NASCAR's Cup playoff at misty Texas put on hold another day

(AP) — The NASCAR a misty day with tempera- Only 52 of the 334 laps were Bowyer and seven-time Cup a week earlier at Kansas.
Cup Series playoff race at tures in the low 40s Fahren- completed Sunday before champion Jimmie Johnson,
Texas was pushed back yet heit (single digits Celsius), mist and drizzle forced the were running 1-2 when the Martin Truex Jr. was in fifth
another day without driv- NASCAR postponed it and race to stop. There was a de- race was halted Sunday. place, having already recov-
ers completing any more decided to try again Tuesday. lay of more than four hours The cars kept running for ered from being forced to
laps Monday. Similar weather conditions before the race was post- eight laps after the weather start at the back of the field
were in the forecast for Tues- poned a day. caution first came out, with because of an illegal spoiler.
Eight hours after the race day and into Wednesday. jet dryers circling the track He was just ahead of fellow
was scheduled to resume on Except the only laps complet- at the same time. The cars playoff contender Chase El-
ed Monday on the 1 1/2-mile sat uncovered on pit road for liott.
track were by the Air Titan about half an hour before the
and jet dryer trucks. The race tarps came out and the driv- Kevin Harvick, who has won
cars remained parked in the ers and crews headed for the last three fall races in
garage, never rolling to pit cover. Texas and is a nine-time win-
road. ner this season, brushed the
Erik Jones was running third, wall while leading on Lap 29.
Two drivers retiring from ahead of Joey Logano, the With damage to his car's right
full-time NASCAR compe- only driver locked into a spot side, he was 36th and one lap
tition after this season, Clint in the final four after winning down when the race stopped.