Australian Football League side Brisbane Lions is "looking to sell an early-season home game next year to avoid a clash with the Commonwealth Games." The Lions "fear any game, bar a blockbuster featuring a traditionally big-drawing club such as Collingwood, during the duration of the Games when there will be no public transport available, would be an economic write-off." Selling a game could net the club A$500,000 ($377,200) (Brisbane COURIER-MAIL, 4/23).
UEFA is "considering closing the Principality Stadium roof" for the 2017 Champions League final in Cardiff as "clearly there is a security reason." UEFA Competitions Dir Giorgio Marchetti said that "talks were taking place with police." Security concerns have been raised "since explosions hit the Borussia Dortmund team bus in Germany" (BBC, 4/21).
Walt Disney World Resort is teaming with IdeaSport to host a football program for youth athletes at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida, that will be sponsored by La Liga. Through this multi-year agreement, the program presented by La Liga and Walt Disney World Resort will provide a holistic approach to football education with year-round training and development for athletes, developing them on and off the field, as well as training for coaches and officials. An open house will be hosted by La Liga and Walt Disney World from June 1-4 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Training and development is scheduled to begin in late June (La Liga).
Angola will replace the Republic of Congo as the host country of FIBA AfroBasket 2017. The decision comes following the withdrawal of the Republic of Congo, which cited logistics issues as the reason for its inability to host Africa's basketball competition. The 16-team event will run from Aug. 19-30 (FIBA).
A "record number of competitors" took part in the London Marathon. Organizers said that 40,382 people were on the 26.2-mile run, 1,242 more than last year's record high. Armed police watched over the 800,000 spectators, although the Met said that "there was no specific threat" (BBC, 4/23).