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sports Diamars 5 Januari 2021

Men's March Madness will be played entirely in Indiana

(AP) — The NCAA an- number of family members
nounced Monday that all of players and coaches could
67 men's basketball tour- attend games but decisions
nament games includ- about expanding attendance
ing the Final Four will be or conducting fan events will
played entirely in Indi- be announced later. The pan-
ana in a bid to keep the demic has already canceled
marquee event from be- scores of college basketball
ing called off for a second games this season, with post-
consecutive year because ponements and COVID-19
of the coronavirus pan- issues nearly a daily occur-
demic. ance.

Games will be played one at “This is going to be compli-
a time on two courts inside cated and difficult; there’s no
Lucas Oil Stadium, home question about that,” NCAA
of the NFL's Indianapolis vice president of basketball
Colts. They will also be held Dan Gavitt said.
at Bankers Life Fieldhouse,
Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Ball State, Butler, Indiana,
Farmers Coliseum, Mackey IUPUI and Purdue will serve
Arena at Purdue and Assem- as host schools and the Ho-
bly Hall in Bloomington. . rizon League will host games
played at Lucas Oil Stadium,
Championship weekend is just a short distance away
still scheduled for April 3 from NCAA headquarters. health officials to maintain a 14 and the Final Four will
and April 5 but preliminary The NCAA also plans to hold safe and healthy environment still be played April 3 and 5." Indy also has hosted mul-
round dates have not yet its Division II and Division around the tournament tiple women's Final Fours.
been determined. III tournaments in Indiana. The NCAA had said it in- The NCAA has not yet an-
CBS Sports and Turner tended to play the entire nounced plans for the wom-
“Last year, we had to rip Gavitt said most of the Divi- Sports will continue to tele- tourney in one general lo- en's tourney, though a similar
March Madness away from sion I games will be played in vise all of the games on the cale and Indianapolis would decision to host all games in
all the teams and all the fans at the Indianapolis area, though TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV be the likely place. There one locale is expected.
the very last minute," NCAA some first-round games will networks and their digital are dozens of downtown ho-
President Mark Emmert said be played at Indiana and Pur- platforms. tels and restaurants within “Since 1940, our city has been
during a video call. “We know due. Both Big Ten schools walking distance of multiple the backdrop for 97 NCAA
it was the right thing to do, are approximately an hour's “March Madness will take basketball venues with addi- men’s tournament games,
but it was a painful thing to drive from Indianapolis. place in 2021, but the envi- tional practice facilities just a putting us at No. 5 for all-
do. So we want to deliver this ronment in which we live is short drive away. time hosts,” Mayor Joe Hog-
year on the promise of March The NCAA said it intends drastically different, which sett said. “By the time the
Madness. They deserve it." to partner with a local health means the tournament will Indianapolis has served as 2021 tournament ends, Indy
Still to be determined is how provider to administer CO- have a different feel as well," the host for seven men's Fi- will be No. 1 and I have ev-
many fans will be allowed in- VID-19 testing for players, Gavitt said. “Currently, there nal Fours since 1980 in addi- ery confidence our city is up
side the venues. coaches, school administra- are no changes to the field tion to a litany of early round to the task of running these
tors and officials and will size of 68, Selection Sunday games and regional champi- games in a safe and healthy
NCAA officials said a limited continue to work with public is still scheduled for March onships. environment."

Suarez, Godin back calls in Uruguay to overturn Cavani ban

( AP ) - Luis Suarez and the world,” read a statement ter scoring twice in United’s according to my culture and ers' union, instead repeating
Diego Godin are among by the Uruguayan Football 3-2 victory at Southampton way of life.” the reasons why Cavani was
the Uruguay soccer play- Players’ Association, which in October in the Premier Among the players to react punished.
ers backing calls for the was shared by Suarez and League. following the announce- The FA said the written rea-
English Football Associa- Godin on Monday. The FA said the comment ment of Cavani's ban was sons for the sanction im-
tion to reverse its decision was “insulting, abusive, im- United's Argentine defender, posed by the independent
to ban Edinson Cavani for Suarez, a striker for Atlético proper and brought the game Marcos Rojo, who replied to regulatory commission will
using a Spanish term for Madrid, added a fist bump into disrepute” and also was his teammate on Instagram: be published in due course.
Black people which the emoji when he posted Go- an “aggravated breach” be- “Those who know you know Suarez was banned by the
Manchester United strik- din's tweet. cause it “included reference, the kind of person you are !!!” English FA for eight matches
er said was intended as an whether express or implied, The Uruguayan Football As- in 2011 — when he was a
affectionate greeting. The players’ union statement to color and/or race and/or sociation (AUF) also said it Liverpool player — after be-
urged the English FA to re- ethnic origin.” supported Cavani, calling ing found guilty of racially
Godin posted a statement view its disciplinary process- him “a person of unattack- abusing Manchester United
from the Uruguayan players’ es “to take into account the Cavani, who has already able morals and ethics." defender Patrice Evra. He
union that said the English plurality of people’s ways of served one match of the ban, “The analysis of the event was said to have used “insult-
FA, not Cavani, has com- life and cultures,” and over- apologized soon after send- that ended in a disciplinary ing words” in Spanish, which
mitted a “discriminatory and turn the sanction on Cavani ing the message and didn’t process and in an imposed included a reference to Evra’s
racist act” because the three- that it says has tarnished his contest the charge “out of re- sanction has deserved unani- color, in an on-field spat dur-
game suspension punishes reputation. spect for, and solidarity with, mous rebuke from those that ing a Premier League match
“our whole culture, our way the FA and the fight against apply the most basic criteria at Anfield.
of life.” Cavani was also fined 100,000 racism in football,” United of cultural contextualization
pounds ($136,500) and or- said. and meaning of the expres- The statement released by
“Unfortunately, through its dered to complete face-to- sions said in Spanish lan- Godin, a defender for Ca-
sanction, the English Foot- face education after admit- He did say, however, that his guage,” the AUF said. gliari in Italy, was not signed
ball Association expresses ab- ting to breaching the FA’s “heart is at peace” over his The English FA didn't re- by individual players and did
solute ignorance and disdain rules in the message he sent message in which he “ex- spond directly to the accusa- not include contact informa-
for a multicultural vision of to a friend on Instagram af- pressed myself with affection tions of the Uruguayan play- tion. It was dated Jan. 3.