Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Boxing – Usyk at heaviest weight ahead of Joshua clash

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk weighed in at the heaviest of his career ahead of his heavyweight world title clash against IBF, WBA and WBO champion Anthony Joshua on Friday. Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion who has only had two heavyweight bouts, tipped the scales at 15st 11lbs while Joshua weighed in at 17st 2lbs.

Soccer-PSG boss Pochettino hopes Messi fit for Man City clash

Lionel Messi has been ruled out of Paris St Germain’s match against Montpellier as he has not fully recovered from a bone bruising injury, but manager Mauricio Pochettino hopes he returns for their midweek match against Manchester City. Messi suffered a knock on his left knee and an MRI scan earlier this week confirmed signs of a bone contusion. He missed PSG’s 2-1 victory at Metz on Wednesday.

Soccer – Real’s Ancelotti backs Benzema for Ballon D’or

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has backed forward Karim Benzema to win the Ballon D’Or, comparing the Frenchman to a wine that gets better with age. The award, which has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years, is as open a contest as ever as the duo age and Benzema’s form in 2021 has led to calls from the local media for him to be given the gong.

Doping-Russia’s 2012 wrestling gold medallist Makhov gets four-year ban

Russian wrestler Bilyal Makhov, who won a gold medal in the 120kg freestyle competition at the London Olympics, has been banned for four years for an anti-doping violation, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) said. The 34-year-old’s suspension was backdated to Jan. 27, 2020, it said in a statement https://www.rusada.ru/news/disqualification/distsiplinarnyy-antidopingovyy-komitet-raa-rusada-

Reports: NHL expects full capacity in 30 of 32 arenas

According to an internal document shared with NHL teams earlier this week, the league believes that 30 of its 32 teams will have full-capacity crowds during the 2021-22 season, multiple outlets reported Thursday. The two teams not expected to allow sellout crowds during the upcoming season are the Vancouver Canucks and the Montreal Canadiens.

MLB roundup: White Sox wrap up AL Central crown

Tim Anderson homered twice to help the visiting Chicago White Sox clinch the American League Central title with a 7-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday in the opener of a doubleheader. Anderson led off the game with a homer and added a three-run shot to highlight a six-run second inning for the White Sox, who won their first division title since 2008.

British royal Kate meets new queen of tennis Raducanu

British royal Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, joined Britain’s new queen of tennis Emma Raducanu on court on Friday to celebrate the newly crowned U.S. Open Champion’s achievement.

Raducanu, 18, shot to fame this month after she became Britain’s first female Grand Slam champion for 44 years.

Golf – Europe post first point but U.S. move 3-1 ahead after Ryder Cup foursomes

Holders Europe put the first point on the board as the eagerly-awaited Ryder Cup began on Friday but a partisan home crowd roared the United States into a 3-1 lead after the opening foursomes at a sun-drenched Whistling Straits. Sergio Garcia, Europe’s leading Ryder Cup points scorer, joined fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm to beat Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in a high-quality duel alongside a sparkling Lake Michigan as the first Ryder Cup since 2018 got going.

NFL – Return of American football brings joy amid COVID-19 malaise

The return of fans to NFL games this season has come as a welcome boost to a nation reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed thousands of lives and forced changes to almost every facet of American life. Fans were largely shut out of stadiums last season to stem the spread of the virus but have returned in force, donning jerseys in Dallas, face paint in Seattle, and blocks of cheese on their heads in Green Bay.

Soccer – Clubs say FIFA World Cup plan would have “destructive impact”

FIFA’s plans for a biennial World Cup would lead to a “direct and destructive impact on the club game”, Europe’s top clubs organisation said on Friday. The European Club Association (ECA) said FIFA’s approach to the reforms of the international match calendar were in “direct and unilateral breach of certain legal obligations”, as it joined European soccer’s governing body UEFA in opposing the proposals.

(With inputs from agencies.)