The NCAA has permanently banned former Fordham basketball players Elijah Gray and Will Richardson after uncovering a point-shaving plot orchestrated by an illegal gambling ring.

The governing body revealed that bettors approached college athletes under the guise of being Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) agents.

They offered illicit payouts of up to $15,000 to deliberately lose a match against Duquesne in February 2024.

NIL disguise used by betting syndicate

Gray admitted to accepting the financial offer before ultimately reconsidering and playing with normal effort during a Fordham victory.

The North Carolina native agreed he violated ethical conduct rules by providing information to known gamblers.

However, the ex-Fordham athlete maintained he did not follow through on the actual match-fixing scheme during the game.

His former teammate was sanctioned for failing to cooperate with the probe and knowingly providing investigators with false information.

Federal indictments and lifetime bans

Both men have subsequently been ruled permanently ineligible to compete in collegiate athletics.

Federal authorities had previously pinpointed the Fordham-Duquesne fixture as a primary target for the match-fixing syndicate.

Gray, who later transferred to Temple and Wisconsin, has already pleaded guilty to federal charges and is currently awaiting sentencing.

Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney has also been indicted in connection with the widespread conspiracy.

Wider match-fixing investigation

Investigators noted that one of the implicated bettors contacted players via Instagram before the game, urging them to underperform and recruit teammates.

The former Ram told enforcement staff he actually recognised one of the instigators from youth tournaments in his hometown of Charlotte.

Another bettor, Marves Fairley, has indicated he will plead guilty to the federal charges brought against him.

Fairley is additionally facing a separate federal gambling indictment centred on sharing inside information within the NBA.

Uncapped teenager Tilly Corteen-Coleman has been called up to England’s Women’s T20 World Cup squad as Davina Perrin misses out on the home tournament.

Nat Sciver-Brunt will captain the side during her seventh appearance at the global showpiece.

The host nation begin their campaign later this summer with high hopes of repeating their famous 2009 title victory.

Surrey prospect among fresh faces

Corteen-Coleman is joined by Warwickshire fast bowler Issy Wong and Durham’s Lauren Filer in being selected for their first T20 World Cup.

The 18-year-old spinner’s inclusion comes at the expense of highly-rated batter Perrin, who failed to secure a spot in the final 15-player group.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge provides vital experience and is set to feature in her eighth edition of the tournament.

Somerset all-rounder Charlie Dean takes on the vice-captaincy duties, while Hampshire’s Lauren Bell will lead the pace attack.

‘Hardest selection meetings’

Head coach Charlotte Edwards admitted finalising the squad was an incredibly difficult process due to the depth of talent available.

This is the hardest set of selection meetings I have been a part of because the pool of players to choose from is so strong and so many talented players have put their hand up.

Charlotte Edwards, Head Coach

An ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 on home soil is a special moment for the game in this country, and we are all really motivated by what could be ahead.

Sciver-Brunt echoed her coach’s enthusiasm, highlighting the profound honour of leading the team in front of passionate home supporters.

We can’t wait to get out onto the field and give it everything to win this World Cup again.

Nat Sciver-Brunt, Captain

England squad in full

LIV Golf has postponed its scheduled June tournament in New Orleans as the breakaway circuit attempts to secure new funding following the withdrawal of financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

The event was originally slated to take place between 25-28 June at Bayou Oaks at City Park in Louisiana.

A formal announcement regarding the schedule change is expected to be released on Tuesday.

Officials from the Saudi-backed league have been collaborating with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s office to explore potential new dates in the autumn.

Search for new investment

The necessity for rescheduling comes amid significant uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of the 54-hole competition.

Reports indicate that the primary financial backer, the PIF, has ended its commitment to fund the series beyond the current campaign.

Since its controversial inception in 2022, the sovereign wealth fund has injected more than $5bn into the enterprise.

Much of that vast expenditure has been allocated to lucrative player contracts and escalating tournament prize pots.

Logistical challenges and costs

Beyond financial restructuring, organisers cited a desire to avoid peak summer heat and scheduling conflicts with the World Cup as secondary reasons for the delay.

The state of Louisiana had already invested $2m into course improvements to prepare the venue for championship-calibre play.

Following the postponement, the golf organisation has agreed to return a $1.2m portion of the public funds it had already received.

Chief executive remains defiant

Despite the withdrawal of guaranteed Saudi backing, chief executive Scott O’Neil recently reassured staff that the 2026 season would proceed exactly as planned.

Speaking during a recent broadcast in Mexico City, the former sports executive acknowledged the upcoming commercial hurdles.

“The reality is you’re funded through the season and then you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going.”

The circuit has seven remaining events on its current calendar, with the next fixture scheduled for May in Virginia.

American sprinter Allyson Felix has announced her intention to come out of retirement at the age of 40, targeting a return to competitive track and field ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The 11-time Olympic medallist stepped away from the sport in 2022 following a historic career on the track.

However, the mother of two recently revealed plans to resume full-time training in October under the guidance of long-time coach Bobby Kersee.

Speaking to Time Magazine, the American expressed her desire to embrace vulnerability and challenge societal expectations surrounding age and motherhood.

“You know, at this age, I should probably be staying home and taking care of my kids, doing all that. And just, why not? Let’s flip it on its head,” she said.

Chasing history in her hometown

The proposed comeback timeline aligns perfectly with a potential appearance at the 2028 Games, which will be hosted in her native Los Angeles.

Returning to the highest level would offer the American icon a chance to add to her record-breaking haul of 20 World Championship medals.

Her Olympic resume is equally unmatched, featuring seven gold medals alongside a memorable individual victory in the 200m at the 2012 London Games.

Despite her incredible pedigree, the 40-year-old remains completely realistic about the immense physical challenges ahead.

“I know, at 40, I am not at my peak. I have no illusions about that. I’m very clear in what it is and what I want to see. And so I hope it’s seen that way,” she added.

Advocacy and life beyond the track

Since initially hanging up her spikes, the former sprinting champion has become a prominent advocate for maternal rights in professional sports.

She has campaigned tirelessly for athletes seeking to balance elite careers with motherhood, drawing directly from her own experiences raising seven-year-old Camryn and two-year-old Trey.

Alongside this vital advocacy work, the celebrated athlete currently serves on the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission.

Athletics fans will now wait until later this year to see if the legendary runner can successfully navigate the demanding road back to elite competition.

Beau Greaves has become the first woman to win a Professional Darts Corporation ranking title after defeating Michael Smith 8-7 in the Players Championship 11 final in Milton Keynes on Monday.

The 22-year-old sealed her monumental triumph in a dramatic last-leg decider.

She produced a stunning 142 checkout to snatch the victory away from the 2023 world champion.

Earlier in the contest, the English darting sensation reeled in a massive 170 finish to establish a commanding 6-3 advantage.

Giant-killing run to the final

The path to the trophy was exceptionally demanding for the pioneering star.

She remarkably dispatched three former world champions across her final three matches of the day.

A thumping 7-1 semi-final victory over two-time world champion Gary Anderson highlighted her ruthless scoring.

Before that masterclass, the trailblazer edged past 2018 world champion Rob Cross with a tense 6-5 quarter-final victory.

Anderson achieves nine-dart perfection

Despite suffering a heavy defeat to the eventual champion, Anderson enjoyed his own moment of magic during the tournament.

The Scottish veteran threw a perfect nine-dart leg during his comprehensive 6-1 last-16 victory over Alexander Merkx.

However, the afternoon ultimately belonged entirely to the historic women’s champion.

This landmark achievement shatters another significant glass ceiling in the world of professional darts.

Players Championship 11 key results

The Milton Keynes event featured several high-profile clashes during the latter stages.

Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from the Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral as he continues to rest following his recent Masters victories.

The PGA Tour returns to the famous Blue Monster course in Miami this week for the first time in a decade.

A lucrative $20m (£14.8m) prize purse is on offer for the signature event.

However, the world number two has opted to skip the tournament and forgo the £2.7m top prize to extend his post-Augusta hiatus.

Trump disappointment as stars sit out

McIlroy is not the only high-profile absentee from the upcoming Florida event.

Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Bob MacIntyre and Ludvig Aberg have also chosen to miss the tournament.

The Northern Irishman’s decision will likely frustrate former US President Donald Trump, who owns the Doral venue.

Following the recent Masters tournament, Trump used his Truth Social platform to directly urge the reigning champion to compete.

“He performed tremendously under intense pressure, something which few people would be able to even think about doing. With each year, Rory is becoming more and more a LEGEND! I look forward to watching him compete in two weeks at Doral.”

Scheffler returns as Lowry seeks new partner

Despite the notable withdrawals, world number one Scottie Scheffler is confirmed to play in what serves as his final preparation before his PGA Championship defence.

The ripple effects of McIlroy’s extended break have also impacted his Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry.

The duo claimed victory together at the 2024 Zurich Classic in New Orleans, but Lowry was forced to find a replacement for this year’s £7.1m team event.

After the four-time major winner confirmed his intention to rest, Lowry faced numerous rejections before finally securing Brooks Koepka.

The Irishman detailed the difficult search for a new playing partner to The Golf Channel.

“I asked about 10 or 12 other guys first, and they all said no.”

British heavyweight Anthony Joshua intends to continue his boxing career for another three years as he finalises a deal to fight domestic rival Tyson Fury this November.

The former two-time world champion is expected to return to the ring for a preliminary warm-up contest this July.

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that negotiations for the long-awaited showdown have now reached their closing stages.

While no official paperwork has been signed, the final contractual details for the blockbuster agreement are currently being ironed out.

Saudi backing for domestic showdown

The historic November event is expected to be promoted by Sela and broadcast live to a global audience on Netflix.

Hearn remains hopeful that Saudi Arabian boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh will choose to stage the mega-fight in the United Kingdom.

The promoter explained that securing a July comeback serves as the perfect preparation for the biggest fight in British boxing history.

“We are negotiating the final points in an agreement to come back to the ring in July and then fight Tyson Fury.”

Eddie Hearn

Usyk advice prompts summer return

Hearn revealed that the Olympic gold medallist intends to extend his professional career significantly longer than many observers anticipated.

The decision to pursue a summer tune-up bout was heavily influenced by unexpected advice from undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury had previously warned his bitter rival against wasting time with interim contests to ensure their lucrative clash remains intact.

However, the prospect of a fully funded ‘Battle of Britain’ has convinced all parties to adhere to the current strategic timeline.

British boxing fans must now nervously await the outcome of the July bout to ensure the November spectacle finally becomes a reality.

Undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue will defend his world titles against unbeaten compatriot Junto Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday, 2 May.

The highly anticipated bout is widely regarded as the biggest Japanese boxing match of this generation.

Both fighters carry flawless professional records into the ring, setting the stage for a spectacular showdown in their home country.

The ‘Monster’ faces a massive test

The 33-year-old champion, known as the “Monster”, recently outclassed Alan Picasso to set up this historic clash.

He puts all four major super-bantamweight belts on the line against the formidable 28-year-old challenger.

Nakatani is fighting in a relatively unfamiliar division, competing at the 122lb limit for only the second time in his career.

The former three-weight world champion scraped past Sebastian Hernandez Reyes in December following his initial move up in weight.

Start time and broadcast details

The landmark event will stream live in the UK on DAZN.

Coverage is scheduled to begin at 08:00 BST.

Main event ring walks are expected to take place at approximately 13:00 BST.

Bookmakers have installed the defending champion as a heavy favourite to emerge victorious over his compatriot.

Full undercard line-up

The Tokyo Dome event features a stacked undercard showcasing some of Japan’s finest boxing talent.

The champion’s brother, Takuma Inoue, will also be in action defending his WBC bantamweight title against Kazuto Ioka.