(NEW YORK) — For Sarah Gamal, the significance of being the first hijab-wearing basketball referee to take part in the Olympic Games goes well beyond the court.
The Egyptian referee and 3-on-3 basketball will both make their Olympic debuts in Tokyo next week after the International Olympic Committee approved the addition of the fast-paced version of the popular sport four years ago.
Gamal will be making some history of her own though. When she takes the court in Tokyo, she will be the first Olympic basketball referee to do so wearing a hijab.
She made her breakthrough into the sport’s top level when the International Basketball Federation changed its rules on headgear in 2017, effectively lifting a ban on the Islamic headscarf.
The 32-year-old has officiated at several international tournaments since then, but making her Olympic bow has an added significance as she seeks to blaze a trail for other veiled referees to follow.
“Thankfully, many hijab-wearing referees who had doubts over whether to continue their careers are now reassured,” Gamal told ABC News. “In the past, many thought they would never be able to take charge of international games, and that they would only be restricted to local matches.”
“But now I’m happy to have played a part in making the difference,” she continued. “Veiled referees now have every reason to believe that they can take their careers to the international level. Many have called me to say they were encouraged to follow suit.”
Gamal takes charge of men’s and women’s games, moving up and down the court wearing a black veil to go with the traditional basketball refereeing uniform. She will be the only African and Arab referee at the 3-on-3 basketball contest in Tokyo.
Her first overseas venture after FIBA changed the headgear rules was in July 2017 when she took part in the Francophone Games in the Ivory Coast. She has not looked back, continuing to referee games at the highest level.
“I was worried at the time that I could receive any negative feedback, but all the comments I got were positive and supportive. There were no difficulties at all,” Gamal said. “My target at the Olympics is the same of the other 12 referees at 3-on-3; we are all looking forward to projecting a good image for referees on the tournament’s first Olympic appearance.”
“On the personal level, I’m representing the Arab world and Africa to I want to appear in the best possible shape,” she added.
The 3-on-3 version of basketball is played on a half-court with one basket. The first team to reach 21 points wins the game, but if neither reaches that mark after 10 minutes, the team that is ahead is declared the winner.
The men’s and women’s tournaments are comprised of eight teams each and is played in a round-robin format.
Gamal, who was born in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, started playing basketball at the age of 5 before becoming a referee when she turned 15.
She works a day job as a civil engineer in Egypt’s second-largest city, but Gamal described basketball as an essential part of her life.
“Featuring in the Olympics is a dream, but it will not end there. I want to take part in more Olympic Games and world championships,” she said.
(NEW YORK) — A powerful lawmaker says efforts by the NFL to address alleged racial bias in its concussion settlement program are falling short of what is owed to Black former players.
In comments sent to the office of Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on June 28, league officials outlined their plan to reevaluate claims for compensation that may have been affected by a race-based formula sometimes used to measure cognitive impairment, which critics say has skewed payouts along racial lines.
Wyden told ABC News that while the league’s current stance appears to represent “an improvement” from its previous position, much more transparency is needed.
“The NFL has a steep hill to climb to make amends for its racist policies that denied Black former players benefits they were owed and to give some straight answers about how the policy was implemented in the first place,” Wyden said in a statement. “It is unacceptable that the league refuses to reveal how many players were denied benefits as a result of its race-based formula.”
The NFL is currently locked in confidential negotiations with attorneys for former players, after the federal judge overseeing the program ordered them into mediation to “address the concerns” about its use of race-norming, a controversial practice used in medicine and some other fields that’s coming under increased scrutiny following an ABC News investigation earlier this year.
On Friday night, as an NFL spokesperson was preparing a response to questions from ABC News, the magistrate judge overseeing the mediation ordered that “the parties and counsel are not to discuss with persons not authorized to participate in the mediation either proposed settlement terms or the status of negotiations while the mediation discussions are ongoing.”
On Saturday morning, the league’s spokesperson issued a brief statement referring to that order.
“The Judge overseeing the mediation has directed the parties not to discuss the mediation process, and the NFL is abiding by that Order,” said Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s vice president of communications. “While the NFL did not create race norms, it is committed to prohibiting their use in Settlement Program evaluations and ensuring that any claimant whose claim was denied as a result of race norms will have their testing re-scored.”
“As to the assertion that the NFL has employed racist policies, race norms were administered by independent clinicians in the Settlement Program — not the NFL — and were widely accepted and used in standard clinical neuropsychological practice at the time that the Settlement Agreement was implemented,” McCarthy added.
In February, ABC News uncovered emails between clinicians who evaluated former NFL players for compensation through the program, in which they contended they were all but required to apply race-based adjustments to players’ cognitive test scores and expressed concerns that the league’s protocols discriminate against Black players.
And a data analysis from a law firm representing several players, also obtained by ABC News, suggests that the impact of the practice on payouts could be significant, making it much more difficult for Black players to qualify.
A new deal has yet to be reached, but both parties have signaled that they will seek to eliminate race as a factor in future evaluations. Significant questions remain, however, about how to address past claims — from former players for whom race was a factor in their denials, as well as from former players who never submitted claims because they were told they were not impaired enough to qualify.
NFL officials told Wyden’s office that re-scoring of previously submitted claims would be left to the discretion of the claims administrator.
“The Parties anticipate that the ultimate implementation of a revised methodology will not require much, if any, action by Retired Players,” wrote Brendon Plack, the league’s senior vice president for public policy and government affairs. “The neutral Claims Administrator will re-review Claim Packages submitted through the Monetary Award Fund (‘MAF’) program or Baseline Assessment (‘BAP’) program to determine whether any claim needs to be re-scored under the new methodology, and will notify affected Retired Players about its findings, their rights and next steps.”
Players who have been previously tested but never submitted a claim, league officials said, would have to be re-tested under the new protocols and then seek a “backdated diagnosis.”
“All Retired Players, including those who have been previously evaluated through the MAF program but have not yet submitted a claim, may be re-examined by a Qualified MAF Physician or undergo a BAP evaluation (if eligible) at any time for a neurocognitive impairment assessment,” Plack wrote. “If a Qualifying Diagnosis is rendered, the Retired Player may submit a Claim Package based on that assessment. … If it is determined that a Retired Player underwent a prior evaluation and met the criteria for a Qualifying Diagnosis earlier than the date of the new evaluation, the Retired Player is eligible to receive a Monetary Award calculated as of the earlier date.”
Christopher Seeger, the attorney representing former NFL players in the mediation, however, disputed any notion that “the parties” had resolved their differences on that issue.
“The NFL does not speak for me or the retired NFL player class, and their response to Senator Wyden does not reflect our position,” Seeger said in a statement issued prior to the judge’s order. “At this point, the only agreement we have with the NFL is to eliminate the use of ‘race norms’ in the claims process going forward. No agreement has been reached on rescoring previously submitted claims, and the NFL’s response to Senator Wyden misrepresents our position. We believe all claims should be rescored if a neuropsychologist applied ‘race norms’, and if this is not achieved as part of the mediation, we will seek relief from the court.”
The league’s position would appear to fall short of Seeger’s previous demands for a more exhaustive reevaluation of claims submitted under the program. In an exclusive interview with ABC News, which was featured in a special edition of “Nightline” in June, he said that he will not sign off on a new agreement unless it includes two specific provisions.
“For me, the only two outcomes here, without a massive war, is elimination of race norms and the ability to go back and look at every claim, every single claim, to determine where it’s been applied,” Seeger said. “And if it has to be rescored and then compensated, so be it.”
Attorney Cy Smith, who represents Kevin Henry and Najeh Davenport, the Black former players who petitioned to intervene in the mediation, also said the NFL’s discussion of the potential terms of a new agreement is premature.
“All parties to the ongoing mediation agreed to keep those discussions confidential, pursuant to instructions from the Court and at the NFL’s insistence,” Smith said in a statement that was also issued prior to the judge’s order. “Because no agreement has been reached, and those negotiations are continuing under Court supervision, it is surprising and frankly inappropriate for the NFL to suggest that an agreement has been struck, or what the terms might be. Accordingly, we will have no comment at this time.”
Sen. Wyden, meanwhile, will be waiting to review the terms of the final agreement.
“Regardless of the NFL’s public statements,” Wyden said, “the proof will be in the ultimate results of the mediation process.”
(TOKYO) — The first COVID-19 case inside the Olympic Village was confirmed, officials said Saturday, as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are set to kick off in less than a week.
The case was reported after a screening test conducted Friday, according to Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto.
The person is not an athlete competing in the games, which open July 23, but has been identified as “games-concerned personnel” who is a non-resident of Japan. The person is under a 14-day quarantine period.
Muto said the organizing committee expected that there could be positive COVID-19 cases in the village.
“As such we will take proper measures so that athletes who are staying there can feel safe,” Muto said during a press briefing Saturday, according to APTN.
Athletes and those in close proximity are required to undergo daily testing. Additionally, temperature checks are conducted upon entry to the Olympic and Paralympic Village or an Olympic venue.
Those traveling to Japan for the games are also required to get tested before their flight and upon arrival and then quarantine for three days.
Between July 1 and 16, out of around 15,000 athletes, officials, journalists and others who arrived in Tokyo for the games, 15 tested positive on their arrival or during a screening test, according to the International Olympic Committee.
Organizers have confirmed 44 positive cases since July 1, including the resident of the Olympic Village. The people were mostly identified as contractors, though also included games-concerned personnel, employees, three members of the media and one athlete.
On Thursday, IOC President Thomas Bach said there was “zero” risk that people participating in the Olympics would infect Japanese residents due to detection and isolation measures, Reuters reported.
The Olympic Village will house about 11,000 athletes during the games, along with thousands of staff.
Last week, local officials declared a state of emergency in Tokyo amid rising COVID-19 cases, barring spectators from the Olympic venues.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Friday’s sports events:
INTERLEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 7 Atlanta 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Toronto 10 Texas 2
Final Boston 4 N.Y. Yankees 0
Final Kansas City 9 Baltimore 2
Final Houston 7 Chicago White Sox 1
Final Oakland 5 Cleveland 4
Final Seattle 6 L.A. Angels 5
Minnesota at Detroit 1:10 p.m. (Postponed)
Minnesota at Detroit 2:10 p.m. (Postponed)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 5 Miami 2
Final Miami 7 Philadelphia 0
Final Pittsburgh 4 N.Y. Mets 1
Final Milwaukee 11 Cincinnati 6
Final San Diego 24 Washington 8
Final San Francisco 7 St. Louis 2
Final L.A. Dodgers 10 Colorado 4
Final Chicago Cubs 5 Arizona 1
(WASHINGTON) — RobertAnthony Cruz has dreamed about being a professional baseball player his whole life.
This week, when he got the call to join the Major League Baseball Washington Nationals as a rookie player, he decided to surprise his biggest supporter: his father.
“My dad would often throw me batting practice. Typically it would be after work or on his days off and I can’t remember a single time that he said ‘no,’” Cruz told “World News Tonight.”
In a video that has since gone viral, Cruz surprises his father Ron Cruz at his job in a local auto repair shop to hand him a Washington Nationals official baseball cap. Cruz and his father then shared an emotional moment.
“Your kids — your sons, daughters — out there have dreams and as far as our kids, I didn’t want to be the one to tell them that, ‘No, that cannot be done,’” said Ron Cruz.
“My son’s had a dream of being a professional baseball player from the time he was little and it’s very special for us, [and] for him to get his life started and going,” he added.
RobertAnthony Cruz said that having his father spend time with him made all the difference.
“He was just ready to be there for me. However, I needed him,” said RobertAnthony Cruz. “And growing up, I needed him to throw me batting practice and that’s what he did.”
(NEW YORK) — Friday’s New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox game is on after Thursday’s clash in the Bronx was postponed following six positive COVID-19 tests on the Yankees roster.
“After conducting testing and contact tracing involving members of the New York Yankees’ organization, the Club’s home game tonight vs. the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium will proceed as scheduled,” said Major League Baseball in a statement.
The game gets underway at 7:05 ET.
During his pre-game press conference, New York Manager Aaron Boone announced there were no additional positive tests on Friday.
Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela, Kyle Higashioka, Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr., and Wandy Peralta are all on the COVID-19 injured list after their tests were confirmed, according to ESPN.
Thursday’s game will be played as part of a double-header on Tuesday, August 17.
The Yankees are in fourth place in the American League East, eight games behind the first-place Red Sox.
(WASHINGTON) — Washington Nationals infielder Starlin Castro has been placed on administrative leave, Major League Baseball announced on Friday.
The Athletic reported earlier on Friday that the league was investigating an alleged domestic violence incident that took place earlier this summer. Castro would be on leave for seven days, during which he is still paid his normal salary.
The leave could also be extended by additional seven-day increments if the league and the MLB Players Association agree to do so.
Castro was placed on the restricted list on June 16 due to what Nationals manager Dave Martinez then referred to as “a family matter.” The Athletic says that matter is not believed to be related to the alleged domestic violence incident.
Castro was previously accused of sexual assault in 2011, but charges were not filed.
(NEW ORLEANS) — New Orleans Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata announced on Instagram that he failed a drug test.
“I was informed by the NFLPA yesterday that I have tested positive for a banned substance resulting in a suspension for part of the 2021 NFL season,” Onyemata wrote in an Instagram story. “While I was certainly surprised and disappointed with this news, I am responsible for what I put in my body. As I have never knowingly taken anything that could cause a positive test, we are currently in the process of testing the supplements I was taking at the time of the test. Regardless, I am committed to being more aware of any medication and dietary supplements that may contain substances banned by the NFL.”
The NFL has not announced the suspension yet.
ESPN reports, Onyemata was suspended one game in 2019 for a misdemeanor summons for marijuana possession.
Last season, Onyemata had 6.5 sacks and 44 total tackles.
(NEW YORK) — Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love is withdrawing from the Olympics and will not play for Team USA, his agent told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski Friday.
Love spent ten days with the U.S. Men’s National Basketball Team in Las Vegas, preparing for the upcoming Olympics. But Love continues to recover from a right calf injury that forced him to miss much of the NBA season.
“I am incredibly disappointed to not be heading to Tokyo with Team USA,” Love said in a statement. “But you need to be at absolute peak performance to compete at the Olympic level and I am just not there yet.”
Love is the second player Team USA will have to replace on short notice, after Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal was forced to withdraw due to COVID-19 protocols. Beal entered the health and safety protocol for the virus earlier this week.
USA Basketball also announced late Thursday that its exhibition matchup against Australia, scheduled for Friday night, was being canceled. That after a second USA player, Detroit Pistons star Jerami Grant, was also placed in the health and safety protocol.
Team USA’s final exhibition game is scheduled for Sunday against Spain. They are expected to fly to Japan on Monday, before their Olympic Opener on July 25.
(SEATTLE) — A judge ordered NFL star Richard Sherman be released from jail without bail on Thursday, one day after he was arrested on suspicion of trying to break into his in-laws’ home in Washington state.
Sherman did not appear in court Thursday, where King County District Court Judge Fa’amomoi Masaniai found probable cause that Sherman committed four offenses, including misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass in the second degree.
The other charges against Sherman are malicious mischief in the third degree, and misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and driving under the influence.
While prosecutors requested $10,000 bail, the judge called Sherman a “pillar of the community,” and said that it was presumed Sherman would be released because the allegations represent his first arrest. The 33-year-old Sherman was also ordered not to have contact with his father-in-law, not possess a weapon, and not use alcohol or non-prescription drugs.
“I love and support my husband,” Sherman’s wife Ashley Sherman said in a statement Thursday. “I am committed to helping Richard get the support and care that he needs. Richard has always been a loving father and husband. And we are looking forward to seeing him at home with his family.”
Police reports indicated that Sherman was belligerent, had been drinking heavily, and spoke of killing himself when he left his home late Tuesday night. His wife called 9-1-1 to try to have police stop him.
He was later arrested after having crashed his car in a construction zone along a busy highway and then attempting to break into his in-laws’ home.
Sherman’s father-in-law, Raymond Moss, told officers that he armed himself with a handgun and used pepper spray to protect his family from Sherman, who had tried to break down the door of their home with his shoulder.
He told officers that he was upset over his children being taken from him. When the officers directed him to kneel down to be handcuffed and placed under arrest, they say Sherman ignored those commands and became increasingly hostile. A K-9 unit was eventually used to help apprehend Sherman.
King County prosecutors and the sheriff obtained an “extreme risk protection order” for Sherman in February, which barred him from having guns. That came after a judge had determined that he posed a danger to himself or others.
Ashley Sherman told police that her husband has been on antidepressants and was receiving mental health counseling.
