Of the funds, about $650 million will go to cover operating expenses associated with postponing the games from summer 2020 to summer 2021, which the IOC announced in March, with the remaining $150 million going to individual international sport federations (IFs) and national organizing committees (NOCs) to help cover cash-flow shortages.

“This crisis has had a very severe financial effect on the world, on society and on governments, and so of course, also on the Olympic Games,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a conference call Thursday following a remote meeting of the IOC executive board.

The $800 million figure represents only the IOC’s contribution and does not include the expected losses for the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee and the Japanese government. A previous budget estimate pegged the overall cost to the Tokyo 2020 committee, Japan and the city of Tokyo of hosting the Olympics at $12.6 billion.

During Thursday’s call, Bach declined to estimate the overall additional cost associated with postponing the Tokyo Games, saying, “We are assessing . . . the respective impact caused by the postponement.” Bach also said the IOC would be looking for ways to “reduce the cost while maintaining the spirit of the games and quality of the sports competition.”

“We want this Olympics to be a frugal games,” Bach said.

It was unclear what formula or process the IOC would use to distribute the $150 million to IFs and NOCs, or how much could be obtained, for example, by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and its affiliated national governing bodies.

With some American NGBs suffering massive revenue losses, USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland last month said the organization hoped to complete an “expense reduction plan” by the end of May. Hirshland also took a 20-percent pay cut, while other members of her executive staff took cuts of 10 percent and other employees were offered voluntary buyouts.

“What we know today is that we can expect both a significant delay in our revenue and a decline in that amount,” the USOPC told NGBs in a memo last month.

Since the postponement of the Tokyo Games in March – the first peacetime postponement of an Olympics in history – speculation has persisted that the July-August 2021 dates also could be in jeopardy, as the world’s scientific community races to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus, which has killed nearly 300,000 worldwide.

Asked Thursday whether staging the Olympics in summer 2021 is dependent upon a vaccine being available, and whether there could be limitations on spectators either way, Bach declined to give direct answers.

“We are now working . . . to have these games in a safe environment for all participants,” he said. “We are one year and two months from the opening of these postponed Olympic Games. We should not fuel any speculation on any future development.”

The 37-page document, which was sent to players on May 12, previews a comprehensive testing and screening plan that will await players in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 8. Tour staff has worked extensively over the last two months to prepare the plan, which was crafted alongside leading medical experts from Harvard Medical School, with input from the U.S. Federal Coronavirus Task Force and fellow professional sports leagues, as well as other specialists and laboratory experts.

“We’re excited about how the PGA TOUR can play a role here in the world’s return, if you will, to enjoying things we love and doing so in a responsible manner,” said Tyler Dennis, PGA Tour Senior Vice President & Chief of Operations.

“We have spent a lot of time being very thoughtful, diligent and trying to be transparent with all of our constituent groups and thinking through what we’re calling our return-to-golf plan.”

As detailed and cautious as the plan may be, Dennis reiterated that the Tour will not play if it cannot do so in a safe and healthy environment. And just as importantly, the measures implemented will not take away from testing and medical resources in the communities the Tour plays in, he said.

The plan will continue to evolve as necessary.

“It’s really a layered approach that we’ve taken, and the heart of it is social distancing,” he said. “It’s something we’re all quite accustomed to in our personal lives now. We know that we can go throughout our day and week at a tournament site in a socially distant manner. That’s really critical to the overall health and safety plan.”

Those social-distancing measures will be best showcased during competition, where post-round handshakes and high-fives have been banned. Players and caddies will also distance themselves more than usual, with, for example, players accessing their own golf bags instead of the caddie.

“We have taken the time to think really through a day in the competitive life of a player and caddie and how we need to make some small adjustments in places to ensure that we can be as comprehensive as possible with our health and safety,” Dennis said.

Layered on top of those social-distancing procedures will be the complete testing and screening plan, as well as a significant enhancement in disinfectant and hygiene practices. An average of 400 people are expected to be tested each week.

Players, caddies and other officials will take part in a required pre-travel testing program and then undergo a trio of screening methods upon arrival at a tournament stop. This will include answering questions, submitting to a thermal temperature reading and a nasal swab test, which diagnoses COVID-19. Throughout the week, anyone who comes on site must go through a questionnaire and thermal screening before entering the property, according to Andy Levinson, PGA Tour Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer.

In the event of an elevated temperature of more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit during the daily thermal screen, the Tour will initiate a protocol that could include a COVID-19 test.

The Tour aims to have test results back within 24 to 48 hours, though it has identified local laboratories that are not burdened with community testing to help decrease turnaround time. While awaiting test results, players are allowed to practice and play as long as they practice social distancing and do not use on-site facilities.

In the event of a positive test, the person must isolate for a minimum of 10 days after the first positive test with no subsequent symptoms or two negative test results at least 24 hours apart. The Tour and tournaments will both provide support throughout any potential isolation period.

That limited access begins first with spectators, who are not allowed at any of the Tour’s first four events once play resumes. Pro-ams have also been barred in the near term.

Fans’ attendance at any tournament beyond the initial four tournaments has not been determined. Beyond that, players’ families will not be permitted on site, and golfers will have scaled-back support staff limited only to an instructor, coach or interpreter. Clubhouse access will also be limited only to those who are cleared through testing.

Media will be limited, and one-on-one interviews will also be disallowed. All media sessions will take place in a socially-distance-conscious flash area.

Personal protection equipment such as face masks will be available, and sanitary items such as disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer will be available throughout each property where the Tour plays.

“We’ve really taken the approach of looking at every single person who’s on site, walking a day in their shoes, trying to recognize those touch points and understanding ways that we can mitigate that,” Levinson said.

The Tour’s controlled “bubble” will be extended beyond the golf course, too. Players are encouraged to stay at one designated host hotel, and the Tour will provide charter flights between PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry Tour events, to a maximum of 170 players and caddies. Courtesy cars will be decided by each event but using rideshare services is not allowed.

“We’re going to ask [players] to act as if they are now and how they have been for the past couple of months, which is a safer-at-home philosophy,” Levinson said.

“That means not going into crowded areas, not going to restaurants necessarily but doing take-out instead, and we’re going to work with the local hotels to ensure that they have proper health and safety plans.”

“It’s important for us to mitigate the risk wherever we can, and we also have an obligation to the communities in which we’re playing, an obligation to the people who are going to be watching us in our broadcast, and that is to set a good example, and we believe we can do that with the plan we’ve set forth,” he added.

Bose will help judge and mentor 16 contestants in a high-stakes game of business competitions and physical challenges in what Sityodtong describes as “the toughest version of The Apprentice yet.”

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “It is my honor to announce that Ankiti Bose, co-Founder and CEO of Zilingo, has been confirmed as one of the 12 guest CEOs on The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition. Ankiti is a truly inspiring young woman who was able to convert her dream into reality. Her business acumen is absolutely incredible and I have no doubt she will be a huge inspiration for our 16 contestants. I am excited to have Ankiti on the show.”

In 2015, at the age of 23, Bose founded Zilingo. Under her leadership, Zilingo has raised over US$300,000,000 and created one of the largest B2B commerce businesses in Asia. Bose started her career as a Management Consultant with McKinsey & Company before joining Sequoia Capital. Leveraging her cumulative experience from each part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, she is passionate about mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs.

Ankiti Bose, co-Founder and CEO of Zilingo, stated: “I am thrilled to join Chatri on the show. It will be one of the most exhilarating experiences for the contestants and we look forward to discovering some of the brightest minds among them.”

The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition will invite sixteen (16) contestants handpicked from around the world to compete in a high-stakes game of business and physical challenges. The winner will receive a US$250,000 job offer to work directly under Sityodtong for a year as his protege in Singapore.

For more information on The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition, please visit: http://onefc.com/the-apprentice/

AIA, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group, today launched a new content series  (filming was conducted prior to the Covid-19 pandemic) in partnership with its Global Ambassador David Beckham and partner Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (“Spurs” or “the Club”).

This series marks the first time AIA has brought its two global partners together. A teaser image released this week shows the pair at Spurs’ world-renowned stadium.

The initiative is underpinned by AIA’s purpose-led brand promise of helping people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. It sees David Beckham visit Spurs’ training ground and stadium where he met with Head Coach Jose Mourinho, first team players, coaches and nutritionists. David Beckham and members of the Spurs team discuss the simple health and lifestyle choices everyone can make to improve their health, whether a professional player or not.

Stuart A. Spencer, AIA Group Chief Marketing Officer, said: “We’re excited to be collaborating with two of our most important long-term partners, David Beckham and the team at Spurs, to launch this series at a time when so many people are looking for practical ways to improve their health. AIA is committed to creating a movement across the Asia-Pacific region to enable Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. The ability of David Beckham and Spurs to attract and influence the right audience is key to the sustained success of this movement. This series speaks to the importance of taking even small actions to improve our health and wellness, whether relating to getting sufficient sleep, spending time with family and friends, eating well or getting enough exercise.”

See ‘David Beckham & Spurs: Purpose and Performance’ film – https://youtu.be/2QUA25XrgkA

The episodes include a focus on the importance of getting sufficient sleep, building on AIA’s successful #OneMoreHour programme, which raises awareness of the physical and mental benefits of sleep. In one episode, David Beckham meets South Korea’s Son Heung-Min and Brazil’s Lucas Moura, both of whom credit stable sleep patterns as one of the major factors in boosting their performance in training and on the pitch.

Alongside Spurs in-house experts, they discuss how the Club supports them in in establishing good routines, getting enough quality sleep and offer tips everyone can use in their daily lives.  The Spurs team emphasize how the combination of all these individual actions can really help to increase both mental and physical fitness. At a time when we are all focussed on our health, doing what we can to help us be stronger, fitter and boost our immunity has never been more important.

AIA Global Ambassador, David Beckham, said: “As new club owner with Inter Miami CF I want to help our team be the best they can be. I am grateful to AIA for giving me the opportunity to learn about Spurs’ pioneering approach to player health and wellness and to get insight from a manager as experienced and successful as Jose was a real privilege. There is a lot of science and new thinking in the game since I was a player but it’s clear that simple things like a solid routine and great sleep are still really important. I am proud to partner with AIA and to see first-hand their commitment to supporting people to live healthier lives.”

Spurs Head Coach, Jose Mourinho, said:  “It was a pleasure to welcome a true football legend like David back to the Club earlier this season and to learn about his affinity to Tottenham Hotspur through his family ties and training at the Club in 2011. We also spent time discussing the virtues of team preparation and ensuring the players are in peak condition both physically and mentally. Leading a healthy lifestyle has never been more important than at the current time and we are proud of AIA’s great work to promote wellbeing through our partnership with them.”

In another episode, Spurs players Harry Winks and Japhet Tanganga join David Beckham to talk about the importance of maintaining discipline when making lifestyle choices, not just from getting enough sleep, but also eating well to give them an extra edge throughout their careers. The combination of all these small steps, combine to make a tangible difference to our health and wellbeing.

Both David Beckham and Spurs are playing a key role in making AIA synonymous with Healthier, Longer, Better Lives, through leveraging the power of football to reach millions across the Asia-Pacific region.

AIA has partnered with Spurs since 2013 and is the Club’s Global Principal Partner. The partnership has been used to promote the vital role that active participation in sport plays in helping people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.

The Club and AIA have seen great success in delivering their unique football development programme, engaging local communities and helping develop the football skills and overall physical fitness to over 55,000 people in 15 of AIA’s 18 markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information visit: [insert web link/local AIA market page]

AIA appointed David Beckham as our Global Ambassador in 2017. As an internationally famous sporting icon, and a dedicated family man, David is playing a leading role helping AIA to promote achievable steps people can take to improve their health and wellness.  AIA launched the #WhatsYourWhy campaign with David, in which members of the public were asked to share their motivation for living a healthier life. Millions of people across Asia viewed and took part in the campaign. David makes frequent visits to AIA markets to help drive the Healthier, Longer, Better Lives movement, where he engages with large numbers of AIA customers, agents, partners and employees

Top fighters PK Saenchaimuaythaigym, Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai and Petchboonchu FA Group descended on Phai Ngern Temple in Bang Kho Laem district, where they handed food, household goods and financial aid to people from around 800 local households. The fighters train at the neighbourhoods PK Saenchai Muaythai Gym, a joint organiser of the May 10 ONE Care initiative, which was led by ONE Championship Thailand president Jitinat Asdamongkol.

“The ONE Championship is happy to help society in whatever way we can. We are also trying to repair the bad image earned by boxing during the crisis,” said Jitinat, referring to a March boxing event at Lumpini stadium that spawned a cluster of infections.

PK Saenchai Muay Thai gym representatives “Sor Ann” Amphon and “Khun Game” Thoedsak were on hand at the drive, proudly doing their part to help local residents.

“Along with Phai Ngern Temple, PK Saenchai Muay Thai gym is at the heart of this community,” said Thoedsak.

“Locals come to meet and talk with boxers during training sessions. They follow the boxers they love, and some send their children to study boxing in the camp.

“If the camp finds out the community is in trouble, we are always ready to reach out to help them.”

Wiratchai, a Thai mixed martial arts pioneer and ONE Championship featherweight star, was happy to take part in the initiative – especially in a place that’s so close to his heart.

“This is my home community. I was ordained as a monk for the first time at this temple,” he revealed.

Officials at the event also handed out masks and sanitiser to local residents, while temperature-checking stations were operating to limit any potential spread of infection.

After declaring the initiative a success, One Championship said it was just the opening round in its fight to get locals – as well as mixed martial arts – back to full strength after the virus crisis.

“This is just the first step of the project,” Jitinat said. “There are still many initiatives that ONE is currently developing with our partners in order to get the combat sports industry back on its feet again, and also expand the growth of related businesses and the national economy.”

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced today the launch of LPGA eTour Live, a match-play esports competition in an exclusive partnership with World Golf Tour (WGT) by Topgolf. Eight LPGA and Symetra Tour players will play head-to-head in a series of seven nine-hole, online matches twice a week beginning Wednesday, May 13, culminating with a championship match on Wednesday, June 3. All matches will take place at 2 p.m. EDT and will stream live on LPGA and Topgolf digital platforms.

Below is the LPGA eTour Live on WGT schedule with the following players:

Wednesday, May 13:

Match 1 – Jessica Korda vs. Nelly Korda

Friday, May 15:

Match 2 – Angel Yin vs. Lizette Salas

Wednesday, May 20:

Match 3 – Tiffany Joh vs. Jenny Shin

Friday, May 22:

Match 4 – Jane Park vs. Lucy Li

Wednesday, May 27:

Match 5 – Semifinal: winners of Matches 1 and 2

Friday, May 29:

Match 6 – Semifinal: winners of Matches 3 and 4

Wednesday, June 3:

Match 7 – Championship: winners of Matches 5 and 6

“We are excited for this partnership with WGT and Topgolf to present an entertaining and alternative golf experience for all fans alike during a time when many are starved for competition,” said Brian Carroll, the LPGA’s Senior Vice President of Global Media Distribution. “This new endeavor is a creative way to showcase our LPGA and Symetra Tour players in an innovative online format, thanks to WGT and its incredibly realistic video game technology.”

“With a heightened focus on offering innovative, virtual entertainment and bringing people together during this time, WGT is honored to partner with the LPGA to present these live eTour events. WGT’s ability to provide the best esports golfing platform combined with the LPGA’s unique series of competitions will create a powerful experience for players all over the world who can truly immerse themselves in the competition,” said Lincoln Silver, Vice President of Business Development for Topgolf Media.

The first match between Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda will feature Congressional Country Club’s Blue Course, home to the 2022 and 2027 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Players can choose from numerous famed courses in the WGT portfolio, including the Old Course at St Andrews (host of the 2007 and 2013 AIG Women’s British Open), Oakmont Country Club (1992 and 2010 U.S. Women’s Open) and Pinehurst No. 2 (2014 U.S. Women’s Open), as well as future U.S. Women’s Open venues Erin Hills (2025), the Lake Course at The Olympic Club (2021) and Pebble Beach Golf Links (2023).

The matches will stream live on the WGT Twitch, YouTube and Facebook accounts, LPGA’s Twitter, Facebook, YouTube accounts and LPGA.com, and Discovery’s GOLFTV Twitter and Facebook accounts, and will be available via VOD on Golf Channel’s YouTube and GolfChannel.com. GOLFTV’s Henni Zuel and Golf Channel’s Tom Abbott will add commentary during the Wednesday matches, with Golf Channel’s Karen Stupples commentating on Fridays.

About Topgolf Entertainment Group

Topgolf Entertainment Group is a technology-enabled global sports and entertainment community that connects people in meaningful ways through the experiences we create, the innovation we champion and the good that we do. What started as a simple idea to enhance the game of golf has grown into a movement where people from all walks of life connect at the intersection of technology and sports entertainment. Topgolf Entertainment Group’s platforms include Topgolf venues, Topgolf Media, Topgolf International, Toptracer and Topgolf Swing Suite.

About WGT by Topgolf

WGT by Topgolf, an esports experience from Topgolf Entertainment Group and part of Topgolf Media, has become the leading online golf game designed to connect people in meaningful ways through a free, realistic, virtual golf gaming experience. Acquired by Topgolf in 2016, WGT now has more than 28 million users worldwide and brings gamers, golf enthusiasts and professional golfers together from around the world to play championship courses in photorealistic quality. To download WGT, visit m.wgt.com.

About the LPGA

The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 Members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.

The LPGA demonstrates its dedication to the development of the game through The LPGA Foundation. Since 1991, this charitable organization has been committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental, humanitarian and golf community initiatives, including LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the LPGA Women’s Network and the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.

Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via www.LPGA.com. Join the social conversation at www.facebook.com/lpga, www.twitter.com/lpga and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo, and on Instagram at @lpga_tour.

The global coronavirus crisis has created a global reaction, including from the MotoGP™ paddock and all those who make our sport what it is. That includes riders, teams, sponsors, partners and everyone in between as we all pull together to try and do our part to fight Covid-19.

The official charity of MotoGP™, Two Wheels for Life, recently launched a campaign alongside Dorna Sports to raise funds for their work to combat Covid-19, with the world first Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain in aid of the cause. Funds raised will go towards the delivery of test results, education and equipment to hard to reach communities across a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus and other deadly contagious diseases – all in the name of MotoGP™.

A number of MotoGP™ riders have made key contributions, including reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez and teammate Alex Marquez, as the two Repsol Honda Team riders donated equipment to the Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova in their local city of Lleida, Catalonia.

Valentino Rossi’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) VR46 Srl has come together with a number of other businesses in their area to raise and donate funds to acquire new respirators for l’Azienda Ospedaliera Marche Nord, and the number 46 himself has also carried out a number of morale boosting actions – including surprising a 102-year-old fan of his who beat the virus by getting in touch via video call, and recording a number of different video messages for those affected. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has also been an active presence in and around his hometown. The Yamaha rider purchased a significant number of Covid-19 test kits to allow care home Residencia Europalau to test all staff and residents for the virus on a regular basis, and has donated masks and protective screens to University Hospital de Girona Doctor Josep Trueta and Hospital de Santa Caterina, both in Girona.

Francesco Bagnaia’s (Pramac Racing Team) Fan Club have also been fundraising for the battle against the virus, with nearly €14,000 donated to the Agenzia Ospedaliera Città della Salute di Torino in Turin. Intact GP MotoE™ rider and Grand Prix winner Dominique Aegerter, meanwhile, made some headlines when he was locked down in Barcelona, giving a helping hand to a local care home by disinfecting the building.

Ducati Motor Holding, to which the Ducati Team belong, is organising a fundraising appeal on behalf of Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico di S.Orsola. The #raceagainstCOVID campaign is aiming to raise the funds to finance equipment, research and staff at the Policlinico di S. Orsola in Bologna, which is dedicated exclusively to the care of patients in convalescence post Covid-19. The target is €500,000, with the first donations coming from board members, followed by Ducati employees – and the sum total of the two then doubled by the company to create the foundation of the fundraising drive. It has now been rolled out to Ducatisti worldwide, with MotoGP™ riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci just two of the paddock personnel lending their support to the initiative.

The parent company of FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup bike manufacturer Energica – CRP Technology – is ensuring that some of the same expertise that has made the Energica Ego Corsa such an incredible success is now committed to fighting coronavirus. In house, the company are manufacturing several functional prototypes of emergency valves for reanimation devices, as well as link components for emergency respiratory masks for assisted ventilation, using additive manufacturing and their own patented Windform® P1 isotropic material. The valves are currently being tested in a hospital in Lombardy, Italy.

LCR Honda have one of their RC213Vs included in an art exhibition created to support hospitals in Brescia called BrixiaPROart. The BrixiaPROart initiative was created by a group of professional photographers who decided to put their own art for sale online, in order to help raise funds for equipment, machinery and medicines necessary in the fight against Covid-19. Pramac, owner of Pramac Racing Team, also provided a standby diesel GSW705V generator to Wuhan hospital to provide standby power.

Repsol has donated 400,000 masks to the Spanish healthcare system, as well as polypropylene produced at their plant in Huesca to the Spanish Foundation for Research and Development in Transportation and Energy (CIDAUT) in Valladolid, enabling the manufacture up to 5,700 visors a day for face shields. In addition, Repsol have re-adapted their laboratories at the Repsol Technology Lab to produce hand sanitiser, and loaned the Hospital de La Paz in Madrid a PCR machine capable of carrying out 500 Covid-19 tests per day.

Petronas, the official fuel supplier to the Moto2™ and Moto3™ classes, as well as title sponsor and technical partner of Petronas Yamaha SRT in MotoGP™ and Petronas Sprinta Racing in the Moto2™ and Moto3™ classes, has a number of initiatives. The Malaysian company is working towards developing a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) prototype, which helps lessen the dependency of Covid-19 patients on ventilators in Malaysia. The machines were originally developed by another Petronas partner in motorsport: Mercedes AMG F1 at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP), in collaboration with University College London. Petronas have also contributed RM20 million (around €4.3 million) towards vital medical equipment and supplies, and have launched the #WeWishYouWell campaign on social media to show solidarity with and support for those battling the virus, as well as spread that message.

Moto2™ and Moto3™ lubricant supplier and Liqui Moly Intact GP team sponsor Liqui Moly made an initial donation of €1 million of free products to emergency services, hospitals and fire brigades across Germany, including engine oils for ambulance vehicles as well as additives to maintain emergency power generators which are needed to operate medical equipment in case of emergency. Since that first donation, the company has now added another €2 million worth of products.

The Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello was another quick to respond, delivering equipment from their Medical Center to the Tuscan health authorities, including two ventilators, two intensive care monitors, four defibrillator monitors and more.

MotoGP™ communications supplier Tata Communications’ parent holding company Tata Sons have pledged INR 1,000 crore (over €122 million), and Tata Trusts have donated INR 500 crore (over €60 million) to go towards medical equipment, set up treatment facilities and health worker training.

MotoGP™ class and MotoE™ Official Tyre Supplier Michelin® is a key contributor to the fight against the pandemic, focusing on a number of vital pieces of protective equipment and medical device components including the development and manufacture of several types of mask, as well as outsourcing the production of 10,000 sterilisable polycarbonate protective visors for French hospitals. The company has also joined others from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in manufacturing a new, reusable face mask, with the aim of producing more than five million masks by the end of June. Michelin® is also offering free services from local distribution networks and free tyres to health-care professionals and logistics companies, with a number of countries having already benefitted from that initiative including China, Germany, Italy and a number of Gulf countries.

The BMW Group to which BMW M, provider of the official car of MotoGP™, belong, have used cross-divisional planning to enable a number of initiatives. The group donated 100,000 masks in the early stages of the crisis, followed up in early April as they presented the government of Bavaria with one million pairs of disposable gloves and 50,000 FFP2 respiratory masks. A further one million masks will be added soon and the BMW Group have procured the systems to produce its own, beginning in a few weeks. The company is also providing vehicles to social and healthcare facilities, and at its German and international locations is helping social and public institutions with donations of goods and materials such as disinfectants.

MotoGP™ sustainable power partner and FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup partner Enel has donated €23 million in Italy, through its non-profit organisation Enel Cuore, for a series of measures to support key organizations involved in providing health and social assistance services. Via the Lenovo Foundation, Lenovo, MotoGP™ technical partner and exclusive technology sponsor of the MotoGP™ eSport Championship, has donated technology to new hospitals treating patients, as well as researchers studying the virus, and made software and hardware available to schools to operate online. In addition, the Foundation has so far donated $6.7 million towards fighting coronavirus.

Allianz, the official insurance partner of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, have been globally active. Allianz Partners, in collaboration with Allianz Germany, has entered into a collaboration with Get.On Institute to offer digital, accessible-to-all mental health services in Germany. Allianz Spain has also become the main sponsor of the OxyGEN project by Protofy. OxyGEN is a device that automates the process of manual ventilation and is open hardware project, meaning Protofy makes the schematics available for free download to anyone who wishes to build them. In addition, Allianz Spain has contributed €2.8 million to a special €37 million life insurance fund created by insurers in Spain for healthcare workers.

In Italy, Allianz has partnered with the Sapio Group to support the establishment of an intensive care hospital in the facilities of the Fiera di Milano and the Italian arm of Allianz Partners has donated €55,000 to the project. Allianz Italy is also supporting two Milanese initiatives to assist the underprivileged in the city, as well as a related project in Trieste to help local families in need. Allianz France, in partnership with UNIM, has donated €1 million to the Institut Pasteur and the Coronavirus Task Force for Covid-19 research, and for supporting initiatives from startups to improve the daily lives of medical workers. Allianz Slovakia has allocated around €85,000 for the purchase of medical devices for hospitals, the first of which was a ventilation device donated to the University Hospital in Bratislava.

Allianz Africa has earmarked €100,000 to support the Covid-19 efforts in the African countries where it operates, aimed at buying testing kits and medical supplies, which will be delivered directly to hospitals and health institutions, and in Thailand, Allianz Ayudhya has donated 1 million Thai baht (over €28,000) to source 1,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) and 4,000 N95 masks for hospitals in the country. Close by, Allianz Indonesia is collaborating with Halodoc Indonesia to provide drive-through Covid-19 rapid tests in Jakarta.

MotoGP™’s hand tool supplier Stanley’s parent company Stanley Black & Decker has committed US$10 million in financial support to benefit communities and employees, including the purchase of three million face masks, an employee relief fund and a donation matching scheme. The official beer of MotoGP™, Singha, is owned by Boon Rawd Brewery Company Limited. They have donated 50 million baht (nearly €1.5 million) to the fight against Covid-19 in Thailand.

Official MotoGP™ and FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup logistics partner DHL are also making an important contribution as they send emergency medical equipment and supplies to healthcare workers, deliver necessary goods and use their logistical expertise to find solutions to enable companies to continue operating in these exceptional circumstances. Their UK staff have also been vibrant contributors to the #ClapForTheNHS campaign across the country. R&D and manufacturing teams at Oakley, official eyewear supplier to MotoGP™, have been working with their local medical community to develop protective shields for mass production and have donated 20,000 units of protective eyewear to be shipped across North America and Europe.

MotoGP™ and MotoE™ prosecco supplier Prosecco DOC normally take centre stage on the podium, but they’ve also take on a key role in their home nation of Italy during the Covid-19 crisis. In aid of the Veneto region, one of those most affected by the outbreak, the consortium has made available funds to purchase an intensive care unit, and has requested a contribution from members to be allocated to the immediate purchase of equipment necessary in the fight against the virus.

MotoGP™ Sustainable Truck Supplier Scania, meanwhile, are involved in the battle against coronavirus in Sweden. Experts from their purchasing and logistics organisation are working with Karolinska University Hospital and Region Stockholm to acquire protective equipment for healthcare workers, and trailers from Scania are being converted to mobile testing stations. Dell’Orto, the exclusive ECU supplier to the Moto3™ class, joined a campaign to raise money for the intensive care unit at Monza hospital. MotoGP™ rental car supplier Hertz has provided free vehicle rentals to New York City healthcare workers from March the 25th to April 30th.

Doctors from the FIM are taking on a vital role during the pandemic, with more than twenty of them fighting on the frontline in their respective nations. MotoGP™ Medical Services supplier Quironsalud are also on the front line fighting the outbreak in Spain, and staff from the Clinica Mobile, including head of the service Michele Zasa, are likewise on the ground in Italy to lend their expertise.

The Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain was another digital spectacular, with all three classes lining up for the first time ever to fight it out at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto in Andalusia. As well as the broadcast itself, another 1000 pieces of digital content related to the event were produced, making 81 million impressions. Millions watched the event live across different platforms, and once again the total minutes of content consumed by fans added up to well over a decade of non-stop viewing! Now, it’s time to announce another awesome virtual showdown: Virtual Race 4, this time featuring two races as MotoGP™ and MotoE™ each prepare to do digital battle on Sunday the 17th of May at 15:00 (GMT +2).

The venue is Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, and the riders will be playing on the new official MotoGP™20 Videogame from videogame developer, publisher and longstanding partner Milestone once again – which is available to buy now. 11 MotoGP™ riders including reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) head the billing in the premier class, with MotoE™ seeing the likes of 2019 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) and class newcomer Dominique Aegerter (Intact GP) lining up. The MotoGP™ race will be nine laps (35% of race distance) and the MotoE™ race five laps (50% of race distance).

Once again, highlights from qualifying will be shown before the races, with those sessions set to decide the grid before the broadcast. Fans can watch on motogp.com and esport.motogp.com, on selected TV broadcasters, and across social media platforms including YouTube (via the MotoGP and MotoGP eSport channels), MotoGP eSport Twitter, Instagram, Facebook (via MotoGP and MotoGP eSport pages) and Twitch via MotoGP and MotoGP eSport.

Broadcast partners showing coverage of the event will include Sky Italy, Canal+ in France, DAZN (in Spain, Italy and DACHS), BT Sport in the UK, ServusTV in Austria and Germany, Fox Asia, Fox Australia, Viasat in Sweden, NBC in the USA, Fox Brazil and ESPN in Latin America, Motorsport TV Russia, Eurosport India, TEN, and SuperSport across Africa – taking the show global once again.

As ever, Virtual Race 4 coverage will wrap up with an Instagram live with each race winner, with the MotoGP™ victor joining MotoGP™ on Instagram at 16:30 (GMT +2) and the MotoE™ winner at 17:00. Tune in for two more stunning races on Sunday the 17th of May at 15:00, and check out the full line-ups below!

MotoGP™ line-upRepsol Honda Team: Marc Marquez, Alex MarquezDucati Team: Michele Pirro

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP: Valentino Rossi, Maverick Viñales

Team Suzuki Ecstar: Joan Mir

Petronas Yamaha SRT: Fabio Quartararo

Pramac Racing: Francesco Bagnaia

LCR Honda Idemitsu: Takaaki Nakagami

Reale Avintia Racing: Tito Rabat

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini: Lorenzo Savadori

MotoE™ line-upTrentino Gresini MotoE: Matteo FerrariAvintia Esponsorama Racing: Eric Granado

EG 0,0 Marc VDS: Mike Di Meglio

LCR E-Team: Xavier Simeon

Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse: Mattia Casadei

Intact GP: Dominique Aegerter

Tech 3 E-Racing: Lukas Tulovic

Join Contract Pons 40: Jordi Torres

Openbank Aspar Team: Alejandro Medina

ONE Championship (ONE) announced new strategic partnerships including Xiaomi, Intel, HP and Logitech. These revenue partnerships will leverage multiple ONE content stacks and platforms, including ONE Championship’s martial arts and esports businesses, as well as ONE Studios. Commitments span martial arts and esports platforms in 2020 and will also include The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “The announcement of these partnerships is a testament to our team’s exceptional work alongside global brands to solve their marketing and business needs. We believe that by harnessing the power and reach of our content stacks and platforms, brands can benefit from engaging with our millions of fans across the globe.”

Shou Zi Chew, President of International, Xiaomi, stated: “As Xiaomi continues to grow its presence globally, we are thrilled at this opportunity to partner with ONE Championship – a world-class sports property. This major initiative will provide a valuable platform to cross-pollinate the fanbase of ONE Championship with Mi Fans around the world. Through this, we can work in tandem to grow a shared passion for Xiaomi’s amazing products and sports, further ignite dreams, inspire nations, and change the world through real-life superheroes.”

That’s how Morgan Hurd explains it, at least.

“Beam is one of those things that’s more mental than anything,” she said. “If you can do it on the floor, you can do it on the beam.”

That’s the approach she is taking as she trains for the postponed Tokyo Olympics in the living room of her Delaware home.

With First State Gymnastics, her training site since fifth grade, shuttered as a precaution during the novel coronavirus pandemic, Hurd has access to just one piece of gymnastics equipment: a modified balanced beam that skims the ground and is roughly half the regulation length of 16 feet, 5 inches. She found a creative way to use literature to help her train, but she has no living-room springboard for launching her 4-foot-9 frame over a vault. And there are no uneven bars in her house or yard for practicing her highflying giants.

No doubt, whenever her gym reopens, the uneven bars will pose the trickiest challenge.

“The hardest thing will be bars just because that feeling is irreplaceable – no matter what you do or how strong you are,” Hurd said in a recent telephone interview.

Until then, the 18-year-old, who has done gymnastics since she was 3, knows her sport and her body well enough to realize what she needs to do to stay in contention for a spot on next year’s U.S. Olympic team.

With rosters pared from five to four for the Tokyo Games, competing nations will prioritize gymnasts who are fluent on all four apparatuses. That should play into Hurd’s hands; at 16, she was the 2017 all-around world champion, and she also claimed a silver medal on beam.

At the 2018 world championships, Hurd joined Simone Biles, who had taken 2017 off from competition following her dominance at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, to lead the U.S. women to team gold. Hurd claimed silver on floor and bronze in the all-around.

Hurd said she welcomed the International Olympic Committee’s decision to postpone the Games by a year despite the monumental disruption in the training regimens of the competitors.

“I thought it was the best decision,” she said. “It wouldn’t have been fair, and it would have been dangerous to expect athletes to be in peak shape in such a short period of time.”

Assuming the Tokyo Games begin July 23, 2021, as now planned, the postponement won’t disrupt Hurd’s college plans. Home-schooled by her mother, Sherri, who adopted her at 11 months in Wuzhou, China, Hurd graduated in June and in November signed her letter-of-intent to attend Florida with fellow U.S. national team member Riley McCusker.

Hurd initially deferred enrollment until 2020, after the Olympics. But even before the Games were postponed, she pushed the start of her freshman year back further, until spring 2022, in hopes of competing at the 2021 world championships.

These days, Hurd’s self-directed training regimen consists of two workouts daily – three hours in the morning, another two hours in the afternoon – six days a week. She is in regular touch with the coach she has worked with since fifth grade, Slava Glazounov. Hurd is in charge of her conditioning routine – the stretches, core work and exercises that maintain her strength and flexibility.

Glazounov, a former Russian national team member, gives assignments to keep her aerials, turns and leaps sharp. Using a propped-up cellphone, Hurd shoots video of her practices and emails it for his critique.

“We just kind of text back and forth, and he gives me assignments and things I should be working on,” she said.

Equally important to Hurd is staying in touch with her teammates on the U.S. national team – especially close friend Sunisa Lee, who last month shared a video of a front aerial that ended with a splat in the her family’s yard.

“That was pretty funny!” Hurd said. “We talk a lot over Snapchat pretty much daily, but we don’t talk about gymnastics daily. I think we’re all kind of helping each other keep in contact, outside of the people that are inside of our houses.”

An avid reader, Hurd has used her newfound time to catch up on chores, such as cleaning her car top-to-bottom, and trying to learn Chinese online. She has had three elbow surgeries, so this is not the first stretch in which she hasn’t been able to practice full-go. But being shut out of her gym is something else entirely.

“I’m used to coming back from elbow surgery,” Hurd said. “They were quick recoveries. I was in the gym and able to do beam, and I could twist and jump on trampolines. This is very different.”