Fury and the farmer
The Guardian and The Times report that UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) has launched an investigation into Tyson Fury over an allegation that false evidence was submitted in his defence after a failed drugs test in 2015.
The story was first broken in the Mail on Sunday in which Martin Carefoot, a Lancashire farmer, alleged he was offered £25,000 by “someone linked to the world heavyweight champion to falsely claim that he sold wild boar to the Furys”.
The Times says that Fury and his cousin Hughie, also a boxer, tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone but subsequently blamed the result on eating uncastrated wild boar or contaminated supplements.
Carefoot said that though he didn’t receive any money he did sign two witness statements in which he falsely claimed to have supplied the wild boar.
In the ensuing legal battle, reports The Times, “the Furys agreed in 2017 to a backdated two-year ban for both boxers”.
Frank Warren, Tyson Fury’s promoter, responded to the new allegations by casting doubt on the farmer’s credibility but The Times says the world heavyweight champion “could face a ban of eight years if Ukad finds that false evidence was knowingly submitted”.
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Mount defies ban
The Daily Mirror and the Daily Express are indignant to see that Mason Mount broke Chelsea’s self-isolation ban “for a park kickabout with Declan Rice”.
Mount had been instructed to steer clear of people following Callum Hudson-Odoi’s positive test for coronavirus last week, but the young frontman defied the Blues’s ban for a Sunday kickabout.
The Mirror predicts that Mount will receive “a major dressing down from Stamford Bridge chiefs”, while West Ham may also take a dim view of Rice – who hasn’t been told to self-isolate – for putting himself at risk.
Coronavirus stops sport: what is cancelled or postponed?
Rugby League plays on
Several newspapers report on the “business as usual” approach of rugby league, which, in contrast to practically every other professional sport in the UK, fulfilled its fixtures at the weekend, although Leeds postponed their match against the Catalans on Saturday after a player was tested for coronavirus – a test which came back negative.
Castleford beat St Helens in the Super League and there’s some unintentional humour to be found in The Guardian’s report of the match.
“We shouldn’t be playing,” a St Helens fan called Dave tells the paper. “There’s a social responsibility to protect fans and help public health.”
Dave can’t have been that concerned as he and hundreds of Saints supporters travelled across the M62 to watch the match.
Today’s sport headlines
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