that is all ahead had on tomorrow. that is all ahead had on the bbc news. hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm gavin ramjaun. on the programme tonight: italian football continues to struggle with coronavirus. the outbreak could mean spectators are kept away for the next month. there's also continuing uncertainty around this summer's olympic games in tokyo, we'll have the latest from the president of the ioc. also tonight... "i'll fight anyone". we speak to british heavyweight dillian whyte, who's still waiting for a crack at a world title. and we catch up with sam ward, the british hockey player who's not given up on his olympic dream, despite a horrific injury. i cut me from here, only dirtier, as i got four points and 31 screws inside my face. they did an

incredibly voice and i have been recovering ever since. hello and welcome to sportsday. coronavirus remains the big issue in world sport at the moment, no more so than in italy. it's the european country that's been worst hit by the outbreak and after several postponements today the italian sports minister has said it's likely that all serie a games will be played behind closed doors for the next month, as italy tries to contain the virus. inter milan have already had a couple of matches postponed, but their president says public health comes first. you can only judge you can onlyjudge a season well at the end of it. during the season, there is always difficulties. great

moments, up and downs. that is why export making people is interesting and that is why sport is fascinating. i am and that is why sport is fascinating. iam not and that is why sport is fascinating. i am not worried about closing doors or whatsoever to affecting the performance of the team. but i am more worried about is to actually put public health and public safety first. so, a big impact on the domestic league in italy, what about the champions league? napoli and juventus are both still involved, and the italian football journalist nicky bandini says clubs are already exploring alternative options. even this morning you had negotiations to play the second leg in the south of italy, which parties seem to be open to but, right now, we are still waiting on a government

decree that could potentially prohibit mass gatherings across italy. in the last two weeks we saw mass gathering bands in north italy, in specific regions where traces of coronavirus has been detected. the words of the sports minister to the left open the possibility that there might be something much broader going next to try and take every step against the spread of the virus. if that happens, it is very ha rd to virus. if that happens, it is very hard to see how we can play this game with fans present. it would have to behind closed doors. the biggest concern at the moment though remains the this summer's olympics, such a worry of course because of tokyo's proximity to china. well, the international olympic committee have been meeting in switzerland, and they remain adament that it's business as usual. our sports editor dan roan is in lausanne and there was a defiant tone from the ioc president thomas bach today? there was. it is a significant day, not just the second

there was. it is a significant day, notjust the second day of there was. it is a significant day, not just the second day of this executive board meeting but the first time that we have really had a proper opportunity to question the ioc president, the most powerful man in sport, as to whether or not he has a contingency plan, a plan b, and how late any kind of decision could be reached. that is what i asked him earlier when he held a press c0 nfe re nce . asked him earlier when he held a press conference. i will not add fuel to the flames of speculation by giving something here and there and viewing more speculations. our statement from yesterday is very clear, we are fully committed and we continue to work with the task force and the same is true for the organising committee.

this is a reinforcement of his statement actually made yesterday when he said that business was the same as usual and games would happen as planned. he owes athletes to keep training and surprisingly he admitted today that the word postponement are council had not even cropped up in the discussions that he had had with the rest of the executive board or the japanese local organising committee. they held talks with them earlier on via stellar conference and the message coming out of tokyo was similar. it does feel like a damage limitation. —— a skype call. afterjapan‘s sports minister admitted yesterday that could be a delay. it you can see why people are talking in this way, the tokyo marathon on at the weekend was stripped back to just elite runners. also a really

important test elite runners. also a really im porta nt test event elite runners. also a really important test event for tokyo next month had been cancelled. baseball matches are being played behind closed doors. the training programme for volunteers has also been put back. there was some good news today, the authorities saying that the torch relay which is due to recent japan in a the torch relay which is due to recentjapan in a couple the torch relay which is due to recent japan in a couple of weeks' time is going ahead as planned. it is being scaled back in terms of spectators and it will be interesting to see how the japanese authorities handle that event, but the reality is that as it stands the ioc insist that the experts and the world health organization ijapanese government are saying that we continue to plan as we intended. the reality is that that may change. there is a lot at stake and it is clear that the ioc do not want to be the ones to make a rash decision at this point. billions of pounds, 15,000 athletes involved over the

course of the olympics, four the half—million ticket sales announced, million spent on broadcasting deals and sponsorships and advertising, you can see why they do not want to lea p you can see why they do not want to leap into making hasty decisions. we've also had an update on the england prop they have rejected the italian team settle m e nt they have rejected the italian team settlement that seven out of the ten f1 team say they have a strong objection to the confidential deal. an independent investigation found ina an independent investigation found in a culture of fear existed at british canoeing over the receipt of medals. the allegations first came to light back in 2017. the governing body have apologised. the england captain says he will be fit for euro 2020 the summer. he has been out

injured since new year's day but is targeting a return for tottenham early next month. the west bromich albion midfielder jonathan leko has criticised the response to his accusation of racism towards leeds united's kiko casilla. the goalkeeper was banned for eight matches and fined £60,000 after being found guilty of racially abusing leko when he was at charlton earlier this season. he has released a short statement on this and that is on offer what's in it. he said he is still very angry and upset on what happened back in september was he was on loan when he was racially abused by the keeper. he says that he is very upset with how the whole process has come

about. he said for five months how the whole process has come about. he said forfive months he was upset seeing the keeper still playing and feel stressed about that but what is startling is that, during this five month periods, up until hearing what he was banned last week, he received minimal contact from the association of which she is a member and no contact whatsoever from the antiracism bodies and show racism the red card. he has had to seriously think about whether he would go through all this again if the same happened to him or whether he would advise another player who was racially abused to go through it as well. he has been so stressed that he has got to that point. we contacted those groups, we wa nted point. we contacted those groups, we wanted some response, they have not got back to us yet. he only posted this in the last hour. the fa only release be written reasons for the

eight match ban yesterday, 60 pages long, incredibly thorough. you can understand why it would take five months for them to go from the incident to finding the keeper guilty of racially abusing leko, but he has said he would think seriously about going through all this again and will give pause for thought for and will give pause for thought for a lot of these governing bodies for future cases. there are three more matches, in the fa cup 5th round tonight. holders manchester city travel to sheffield wednesday of the championship, who've won just once in their last nine games — so could this be open season for pep guardiola's men 7 the game's live on bbc one from 19:30. former city defender micah richards is excited to see whether phil foden could be the difference later on. i thought he was outstanding in the

cup final. i like them on that right position, i love it when it comes on and the inside in his left foot. i think the england squad is a little bit too soon for them. he has not played enough games yet but we can all see the quality there. he is full of confidence as he is learning from the best. the list goes on. it is exciting to see. we know that city may not be winning, but how important is it to keep this momentum up? arguably, i think we have got the derby at the weekend, but this game is potentially more important. liverpool are looking like we are going to win the league so like we are going to win the league so it is very important to stay in three competitions. the champions league, that's what city fans what know, but one game at a time. it is still on and we can only hope. you have played on a team that has been

on the end of an upset when you were beaten by wigan in the quarters for six years ago for city. what was up like a good happen again this evening? the fa cup is a magical competition and anyone can win. i do not see that happening today because manchester city are full of confidence. anything can happen, but i believe that city will be too strong tonight and it is never nice to lose in the fa cup, not in any game, but the fa cup is always special to me so it was never nice to lose on that. so — that game, city away at sheffield wednesday live from 7.30 on bbc one. the draw for the quarter finals follows that. you can watch tottenham's tie with norwich on the iplayer. and there are highlghts of leicester against birmingham a little later on. england will begin the defence of the shebelievescup in the early hours of friday. it's a tournament that comes in the run up the tokyo olympics this summer. the lionesses take on the usa in their opening game

with the world champions unbeaten in 28 matches. our sports correspondent katie gornall is in orlando for us. it is an important game for england, and they have got a lot of new players involved? it is a hugely important tournament for england. it isa important tournament for england. it is a turn at the one a year ago and give them the platform to get into the semifinals of the world cup when we we re the semifinals of the world cup when we were beaten by the eventual champions, usa. this is the first time you will face the usa since then and the odds are stacked against them. the usa team are on unimpeachable run whereas england are on a slump at the moment was only two wins. —— unbeatable. they are also here without one of the best players in the world, lucy bronze, but the manager points out

that this gives more opportunity to the younger players. the manager says it has really changed the dynamic of the team. obviously, the volume has been turned up, that is laughing and joking in terms of the fa ct laughing and joking in terms of the fact that they are altogether. they we re fact that they are altogether. they were in the under 20s two years ago in the world cup in france and that group is coming together, the spirit and the quality that they brought with them, it has been really refreshing. the senior players have been fantastic, the way they have embraced that, and when you have young players and young people around you, i think it brings that real type of positive energy. how worried are they about the spread of coronavirus? i asked the manager about this as well and he said he was not overly concerned. obviously, they have spoken about it and they said they are confident with the precautions they are taking. the

players have alcohol wipes and hand gel, the importance of good hygiene has been stressed to them by beating doctor, but we will review it if the current advice changes. —— team doctor. next, to an extraordinary story of recovery. in november, british hockey player sam ward not only feared for his career, but his eyesight too after he was hit in the face with a ball. he was left partially blind in one eye, and has struggled with anxiety, flashbacks and nightmares in the months since. but incredibly last week he made his return to domestic hockey and is now targeting selection for this summer's olympic games. nick hope has been to meet him. through november, in the qualifier against malaysia, i was in a stupid place and i headed the ball. it sheared off my eye socket, fractures around here, ithink sheared off my eye socket, fractures around here, i think there were seven fractures in total. it also

crossed my eyeball, tearing the back of my