a lifeline for the national league but it is notjust football in desperate need of a bailout. the lawn tennis association defends its strategy despite british players slumping to a seven year low at the french open. and testing times for johnny bairstow as england hand out their central contracts. good evening, sport and politics don't usually mix particualrly well, but the future of thousands of professional amateur and grassroots clubs may well rely on the funding package that is being put together by the government.

we know that the national league, that takes in the top three non—league divisions will be able to start this weekend, emergency grants will be provided to make up the shortfall from gate receipts with specatators still locked out. here's the sports minister speaking in the commons today. we all want fans wrecking stadiums as soon as possible, if we get fans back there will be a less need for financial support from the government. that make sense for government and for export. we are working at speed alongside the treasury but for governing bodies and clubs across the country to understand the support they need as a result of the decision to postpone the 1st of october return. the following scheme and other measures loa ns following scheme and other measures loans and other aspects, some clubs able to take advantage of that. —— the furlough scheme. i say please all clu bs ta ke full the furlough scheme. i say please all clubs take full advantage of the full suite that is out there and of course we are developing an additional package now. let's get more on this from the chairman of

the chartered institute for the management of sport and physical activity. marc woodsjoins me now, thank you forjoining us. words we wa nt to thank you forjoining us. words we want to hear from the government and the assurances. all will again. but there are thousands of other organisations in dire need of a bailout come there? absolutely. it isa bailout come there? absolutely. it is a critical time for all physical activities. just in leisure, there is, 579,000 people employed. it generates £85.5 billion of the economy. and if we don't get some support, very quickly, we could see half of those people lose theirjobs like christmas. so a critical moment in time. one of the non-league arguments from those clubs is how important they are to the community but my word communities when you look atjim's and other

organisations, communities are built around those as well. and the health of those communities. absolutely. these fertility sit at the heart of every community. and of course you think about them at the place he would go and have a public swim or you rent the core are a pitch and play your support. but also be places where individuals go for rehabilitation, people who had strokes or people who had heart attacks or cancer, they go very to seek a qualified positional to help them back on the road to recovery. in the community and leisure sector will save the nhs on average each year9.5 will save the nhs on average each year 9.5 billion pounds, so we are asking for some money but we are not asking for some money but we are not asking for some money but we are not asking for a bailout. it is important to say this is not a bailout. this is an investment in the nations health for the next generation of people. if we let these facilities closed down in

these facilities closed down in these qualified people lose their roles, it will be very hard to pick a back up again. and we have been focusing on non—league football getting going this week. they have kind of in come from fans has been locked out. best their income from fans. a long term the damage below that will affect those clubs in the long term as well if we haven't got a healthy population. of course. it will affect young people taking up sport, it will affect the health and well—being of everybody. we talk about fighting covid—i9 with physical activity. it is important physically but also critically important for your mental well—being and we ‘ that important for your mental well—being and we - that coming out of and we know that coming out of covid—i9 we hope to do that will be super important too. and everybody loves life support and enjoys watching sports, but we have to make sure that we don't pull the bottom of the spearmint out. thank you. -- bottom of this pyramid out.

the lawn tennis association has dismissed heather watson's stinging assessment of the british game. when she was knocked out of the french open yesterday, that meant that for the first time in seven years, at any grand slam, there would be no british player in the second round. after her defeat she bemoaned a lack of talent coming through. i think personally that more players need to get help rather than just helping you your selected, i don't know how many there are, but handful of players. and ifeel like know how many there are, but handful of players. and i feel like there needs to be a pull of support and that way you are not spoiled and not given everything at a young age and you can work for an learning the grind of the hard work of the tour and what it takes. this was the response from the lta ceo scott lloyd today.

the lta very much at odds with watson. a little earlier i spoke to british player naomi broady. i totally get both sides to it but i agree with heather in the sense that if we can get more people involved in the sport in the country and not just only on telly i will but if people don't only think you can play if if you are from an upper—class background, i think that would help the sport. if we have a look at some of the historical rankings now from the british men and british women's. it kinda backs up what heather watson said as she said, it is a small pool of the similar names in the men's game in the women's game. who are always there. yes. when we

haven't got many players playing, maybe we'll get that many through to the top 100 and it seems to be this allusive number in tennis to make into the top 100 which i was lucky enough to do so in 2016. it is only the same as the french for example, french open this year they had 18 men in the main draw come only four left now by the second round. it is not only the british that aren't getting all their players to into the second week of the grand slam. getting all their players to into the second week of the grand slamlj guess the worry is looking at the ages of the players, it seems to be slightly better on the women's side you look at the british woman in way they are ranked in the top 200. they seem to be a lot younger. yes. tennis in general the age for the top 100 is getting older. that is something also we can do better in the country, support our players as they get older. it is not necessarily if you have made by 21 you will never make it. that is not the case any more. the vast majority of players in the top 100, the average age is now 27. we need to be supporting our players way past that

because if we are breaking in an average age of 27, support the players and enable them to do that. let's bring you up to speed with some of the french open headlines today. serena williams was due to play in the second round today but has withdrawn from the tournament with an achilles problem. she's unlikely to play again this year. 12 time champion rafa nadal is through to the third round. he eased past the american mackenzie macdoinal in staright sets and will play kei nishikori or stefano travaglia next. dominic team extended his winning strea k to dominic team extended his winning streak to nine matches at the two time finalist works its way past qualified check stock. —— jack sock make. johnny bairstow has missed out on an test contract for the next year but he remains on the limited overs list of retained players. ollie pope, zak crawley and dom sibley have been given test deals. five players have been given contracts for both red and white ball cricket. here's the england managing director on bairstow‘s omission

it isa it is a not for him i am sure. johnny has played one test match in a year. —— it is a not for him. we only have so many contracts that we award. it is a tough call to make. johnny has been a very good selection for the team. but he remains a real import of what we do. he isa remains a real import of what we do. he is a white boston to recontact a player in one of our most dangerous players in that form and it has not changed. —— white sensory contract player. the nba finals get under way later tonight. lebronjames could be the key to the los angeles lakers breaking their ten year duck, but will his old team miami heat have the edge in orlando. nesta macgregor reports. this series is full of fascinating subplots. i am here for one reason one reason only, and that is to compete for a championship. aged 35, lebronjames compete for a championship. aged 35, lebron james is on compete for a championship. aged 35, lebronjames is on the verge of his fourth nba championship. lebronjames is on the verge of his fourth nba championshiplj lebronjames is on the verge of his fourth nba championship. i would be lying if i said that everything inside the bubble, the toll that it

would take undermining your body, everything else has been extremely tough. the finals went with a third different team, the los angeles lakers, would fry some cement his legacy among the greats. putting himself in a position that everywhere he goes, to be in the finals ten years out of 11, it is an unbelievable feat, not just finals ten years out of 11, it is an unbelievable feat, notjust because of having good teams. you've had to go to him in 26 35, probably at 49. it will not be an easy task the next couple again. if anybody is up for that task, the miami heat are. jimmy butler life as a direct reflection of his game on it. tough, testy, tenacious. he embodies the miami heat. a basketballjourney which started with him homeless and sleeping in his car. i think the one thing that the heat have shown

throughout this playoffs is that you can never underestimate them. overall, you look at the ability that they have two defend, they have several guys, bam, all of those guys who committed that really do a great job defensively and make you uncomfortable. coronavirus restrictions mean the disney world resort in florida is where the nba seasonis resort in florida is where the nba season is being played out. but even before the season was disrupted, los angeles was a city in morning. the death of former player kobe bryant, they say further motivation to win it off. it would be great for the lakers. it is great for basketball. jimmy butler had a great relationship with kobe from what i hear. all of the players in the league respected him. and they admired him. so the whole year now is really a kobe bryant tribute. admired him. so the whole year now is really a kobe bryant tributem the nba season where a party, then led by lebron james, the nba season where a party, then led by lebronjames, the los angeles la kers led by lebronjames, the los angeles lakers are its host. daniel,

confident and entertaining. the miami heat could be considered that knock at the door. guest met with a puzzled look. nobody expected to see them here but they plan on staying and making themselves feel right at home. should be a great finals. the first of the women's fa cup semi—finals is this evening. birmingham afgaimst everton. you can watch it on bbc four with all the build up from seven. it's being played at damson park in solihull and eilidh barbour is there for us. it isa it is a wet and drizzly old night here at sale whole. perfect cup tie weather with me somebody who knows all about lifting the fa cup. —— sally ho. laura bassett. yourformer clu b sally ho. laura bassett. yourformer club and everything going head—to—head in this one. an interesting time with two teams who we re interesting time with two teams who were expected to be here. that is right. i think tonight will be such an exciting game. it hasn't stopped the raining. the ball will move so fast. i'm expecting a bright star

from everything. they didn't start so from everything. they didn't start so well against chelsea. they will come straight out in birmingham plate extra time in the quarterfinals. whether we will see any tired legs. interesting battle between the two of them. and a place at wembley in the final up for grabs. early on in the season, first in november, straightaway you could be at wembley in the final and fighting for the fa cup. i'm sure players are itching to go and they can't wait to get there. two teams who are both building and slightly different ways. it would mean a huge amount for both of them to get there. it would. every time i dislike favours going into this game. but for the clubs, to get that silverware, to get momentum, that would be a big impact. —— every ten are the favourites going into the skull. we are building. it is confusing but keep up. every ten slight favourites but as we know, these conditions, anything can happen in the cup. join us from seven. “— happen in the cup. join us from seven. —— ever ten.

there are four more ties in the last 16 of the league cup this evening. one of them has already kicked off. newcastle united are at league 2 newport county. they are currently losing. newport cou nty they are currently losing. newport county have plenty of scouts and competitions a recent season. burnley face manchesrter city in the next 20 minutes. brighton and manchester united and everton west ham are both at 7.45 now, racism in football: our stories continues today with coby rowe. he was racially abused during an fa cup match last season between harringey borough and yeovil town. the game had to be abandoned. it is not my fault but it becomes my burden rather than theirs. i have to kinda carry that and they do probably don't think about at all. i did try my best not to think about it. so the ref had given a penalty

to your oval town, and it was kind ofa to your oval town, and it was kind of a pause in our keeper was going to the ref and complaining about something. —— yeovil. i can see from where i was standing. when i got closer i realise somebody has spat on his head and he was pointing to show the referee and i think he was trying to show him who it was or something was out—of—control. and i wa nt to something was out—of—control. and i want to get the ball out of the net and that is when somebody shouted to me black!. —— black expletive. i lost my head for a bit. i was being held back by a couple of people. we all just being held back by a couple of people. we alljust decided to leave the pitch and we felt like best thing to do. i wasjust upset more than anything. i was a really thinking about football itself. i was just kind of shocked and embarrassed. that i had to explain to my mum and my nan. it is a conversation i rather not have. splitting is