Brett Peterson first fell in love with hockey because of its entrances. He would sit in the stands before a college hockey game, watching the lights in the arena dim and listening to the music grow louder, as spotlights followed every player onto the ice when their name was announced for pregame introductions.

"That sparked my imagination, where I would be playing pond hockey or street hockey and replicating how I'd come out for the starting lineup," he said. "You see something, and then you're like, 'That excites me. I can do that.'"

Now it's Peterson who is inspiring others with a dramatic entrance into hockey. The Florida Panthers hired him as an assistant general manager in November, as he left the player agency world for his first front-office job. He's the first Black assistant GM in National Hockey League history, according to the team.

Peterson can't help but wonder whose wonderment he's helping to spark.

"By having representation, it opens up a whole new world of people that can start to make their imagination run. Hopefully this opens up another door to have amazing people share their gifts with us," he said.

Kim Davis, the NHL's senior executive vice president of social impact and growth initiatives, called Peterson "an opportunity icon for the BIPOC community," adding that his responsibility to steward diversity practices within the team "will almost certainly outweigh the other professionals" that are in the same position in the league.

"But make no mistake -- Brett was chosen for his talent, passion, skill and ability to deliver on-ice results," she said.

Bill Zito, in his first season as Panthers general manager, has known Peterson for a decade, first as a player he represented as an agent, and then when Peterson became an agent with Acme World Sports. Despite it being a landmark hiring for an NHL team -- a league infamous for its minimal diversity at the hockey operations level -- Zito said that wasn't on his mind when he pushed Florida ownership to hire Peterson.

He was just confident that the man he knew as "Chubbs" was the right person for the job.

"I never thought about it, honestly. This is just someone who was like a brother to me," Zito said. "If it means that we're expanding opportunities for people in hockey, then I'm humbled. But this was a hockey hire. Hockey is such a great game. We need to make it accessible. I'm hopeful that maybe someone else can get a chance."

Rajasthan Royals were willing to break the bank to secure the right fast-bowling support for Jofra Archer, according to their director of cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, after the franchise put in the highest bid in IPL auction history on Thursday to sign the South Africa allrounder Chris Morris for INR 16.25 crore (US$2.2 million).

Although Morris is highly rated as a tall fast bowler and hard-hitting lower-middle batsman, Rajasthan's bidding war with three other franchises - most notably Punjab Kings - was one of the big surprises of the auction, particularly given Morris's past injury record, and the fact that he will turn 34 midway through this year's competition.

However, speaking to the media on Friday, Sangakkara justified Morris' selection in light of Rajasthan's lop-sided display in the most recent IPL. They finished bottom of the table in the UAE in November - albeit one win from reaching the play-offs - despite the stellar efforts of Archer, who was named the tournament's MVP for his haul of 20 wickets at 18.25, including an economy rate of 6.55 that no seamer who bowled more than 15 overs in the tournament could match.

However, that disparity was particularly stark within Rajasthan's own ranks. Ten of Archer's wickets came in the Powerplay, in which he returned a remarkable economy rate of 4.34, the best by a distance in the tournament. However, the remainder of the Royals' attack managed six wickets at an economy of 9.93 in their own Powerplay overs, and Archer himself ended up being stretched across too many roles, with his economy rate ballooning to 10.08 when asked to bowl at the death.

Hence Rajasthan's exhaustive pursuit of Morris, whose own Powerplay economy for Royal Challengers Bangalore last season was a very respectable 6.26, but whose death-over figure of 7.03 was the best among those who bowled 50-plus balls in the season, ahead of Delhi Capitals' Anrich Nortje, at 8.44.

"For us, it was a case of getting some support for Archer, to get him to be as effective as possible," Sangakkara said. "We considered the all-round abilities that Morris has, but focused on his bowling because he actually has one of the best economy rates at the death. He's at the top of the tree in terms of positively impacting side's performances.

"Morris has a very specific role for us to play in supporting Archer," Sangakkara added. "It gives us a lot more flexibility, because it frees us to use Archer in other ways. We also have AJ Tye, Mustafizur [Rahman] and young Indian quicks to support us, so it gives us a few more combinations that we can play with."

Sangakkara acknowledged that Rajasthan had had their eye on further pace-bowling options to supplement their squad, including Jhye Richardson, Adam Milne and Kyle Jamieson, the New Zealand allrounder who would prove to be out of reach as he went for a bid of INR 15 crore (US$2.05million) to RCB.

"The high price is just the nature of the auction's supply-demand dynamics," he said. "If you really want a player and you're competing against someone with a huge purse, you have to stretch yourself. We would've liked to have got [Morris] for much less, but Mumbai and Kings were as interested in him as we were, and we had to push through that upper limit."

Addressing the issue of Morris' injury record - he sustained a side strain during the last IPL campaign that caused him to miss the first three weeks of matches - Sangakkara said that the prospect of a reduction in the number of internal flights between venues, due to Covid, could help to preserve his 6ft 4in frame from wear and tear.

"Questions will be asked about his training, load management - everything's been taken into consideration," Sangakkara said. "Regular flying, packing bags and leaving has a significant effect of injuries on players. Yes, there's a trend for him to get injured but it's hard to predict who gets injured and who doesn't. The key is to have cover in your squad if the unthinkable happens."

As for the burden of coming into the squad with such a heavy price tag, Sangakkara insisted that Morris would be valued as a player and a person more than a "commodity".

"Managing his mindset, in terms of stepping up and trying to justify an auction price is one thing, but then getting him to concentrate on what we really want him to do, and what we expect of him in terms of our side and our strategies [is another]," he said.

"It affects various players in different ways. Some really take that pressure on and it helps them to perform even better, others can at times wilt, but Chris is a very mature guy.

"The auction price is the auction price, whether we buy someone for a very small amount of money, or a very high amount of money, our job is to get them prepared to do the job for us on the field.

"There are no guarantees in cricket, even the best players can have deep ruts and bad performances, but the key for Rajasthan is building that culture where, irrespective of your auction price, you have a role. We want you to execute it, and we will give you that support and that preparation to do it.

"But in terms of executing your role, you are free to take a calculated risk, go that extra yard and really commit to the role. And that's going to be good enough because if the processes are right, the results come. You can't worry about all the noise that you can't control."

Mark Wood has backed the ECB's policy of resting and rotating England players throughout their lengthy winter tour of the subcontinent, despite a much-changed side falling to defeat in the second Test in Chennai and subsequent criticism about the handling of Moeen Ali's departure from the squad.

Wood has just completed his period in quarantine after flying out to India, having been rested for the first two Tests of the series, and will reinforce England's pace-bowling options ahead of the day-night game in Ahmedabad - amid hopes that a more seamer-friendly game at the reconstructed Motera ground can help the tourists bounce back after being thrashed by 317 runs on a turning pitch earlier this week.

England are attempting to balance the demands of several months on the road, and life in a succession of bio-secure environments, with a schedule that will see them contest 17 Test matches - including an Ashes series - as well as a T20 World Cup in 2021. Wood said the ECB stance should be seen "as a positive" and suggested it was the best way to get the most out of England's playing group in the long run.

"There's a lot of cricket this year," he said. "When you have such a unique position, where we're in bubble after bubble and time in hotel rooms and away from family, I think the ECB have made a good decision and are looking after players. I know it's come in for criticism but from my point of view, especially as a multi-format player, when would you get that break or that switch-off, or would you be able to keep performing at the level required, if you're mentally tired or physically tired?

"So it's good that different people are getting breaks at different points, it allows you to use different players for what's coming ahead. We've got a massive squad and huge depth of talent, so it gives an opportunity for everyone. And you just got to try and take your opportunity when it's your turn."

Following the defeat at Chepauk, England's head coach, Chris Silverwood, was prompted to defend an approach that has allowed players such Moeen and Jos Buttler to miss Tests in India despite planning to feature in the IPL.

Former players such as Kevin Pietersen have lambasted England for not putting out a full-strength team but Wood, who withdrew from this week's IPL auction in order to prioritise time with his family, denied any suggestion that Test cricket wasn't being given the same billing as T20.

"No I don't agree with that," he said. "If things had been different or we didn't have so much cricket, or there wasn't these bubbles, I think we would play our best team as much as we could. We have to go down that route because of everything going on and we should maybe see it as a positive, that the ECB are looking after their players in that way. Other nations might follow this, down the track if coronavirus was to keep going.

"You look at both sides of the argument. I get why people are saying that but from within the playing group I think it's seen as a positive. Of course you want to play every game, and you don't want to be rested and rotated, especially if you're doing well. But in the long run, the endgame, especially for the multi-format players, is to make sure that everyone's fresh and raring to go."

Wood agreed that, without breaks, some players could be susceptible to burnout, although he added there was recognition that "we're very lucky to do this when people are struggling at home". On the subject of the IPL, Wood admitted to a sense of unfinished business, having played just once for Chennai Super Kings during the 2018 tournament, but said that during a busy year he wanted to put his family and England first.

England's quicks had their first training session at the new, 110,000-seater stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, and were encouraged by the swing and durability of the pink SG ball; the sight of plenty of grass on the pitch, albeit several days out from the game, led Jofra Archer to tweet simply: "Showtime!"

Archer missed the second Test with an elbow problem, with Olly Stone impressing as the team's designated pace man. But Wood, who played both Tests in Sri Lanka last month, returns hoping to push for selection in more hospitable conditions: in the one previous day-night Test held in India, the home side's pace attack shared 19 wickets, a fact that had not gone unnoticed by England.

"We have heard that, and the wickets today in the nets were a little bit green and had good pace and carry in them," Wood said. "I don't know if that's anything to go by or if it's a bit of a trick. As soon as the ball moves, we know how good our seam bowlers can be so we've got good depth there, good skills, and two of the best ever [in James Anderson and Stuart Broad]. Hopefully if the ball does move and it is seamer-friendly, we can be very confident going into the game.

"Using the momentum I felt I had from Sri Lanka, that last game where I picked up a few wickets and I felt I bowled well, I'll be trying to just get back in that groove and rhythm. It'll take a couple of sessions to get back off the long run and feel good again but with this pink ball, it's a good opportunity in a new stadium to show what I can do. But, you know, as soon as the ball moves, every one of the bowlers is dying to get it in their hands. So I'm not the only one trying to get hold of it."

Kumar Sangakkara says that Rajasthan Royals are confident of getting first refusal on the availability of England's trio of star players - Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler - during this year's IPL, even if their potential involvement in the play-off phase causes them to miss the Lord's Test against New Zealand.

Although the dates of the IPL have yet to be confirmed, it is anticipated that the final rounds will take place in the first week of June, which means that England's trio stand to miss the visit of New Zealand - the current World No.1 Test team - for at least for the first Test, between June 2-6, and depending on flights and quarantine periods, the second at Edgbaston as well, from June 10-14.

Although the ECB's attitude towards the IPL has softened in recent years, particularly in light of England's victory at the 2019 World Cup, the notion of the tournament taking precedence over a Test match is a line in the sand that has not previously been crossed in the 12 years since England's players were first permitted to take part.

Sangakkara, however, is in no doubt where the balance of power lies, following what he described as a "tripartite" discussion between the BCCI, the ECB, and the franchises, the results of which were relayed in an email last week which stated clearly that franchises were "requested" to release non-starting players for Test selection, but that no such obligation existed for core team members such as Stokes, Archer and Buttler.

"The feedback we got was that they should be available for the whole tournament and we've structured our strategy with that in mind," Sangakkara said.

"We did get Liam Livingstone as cover. He's had a really good Big Bash. He's improved in leaps and bounds. His spin-playing ability has increased, he can bat in the middle and at the top of the order and he's going to have a month in India before the IPL starts with the T20 side.

"But in terms of availability, at the moment they're there for the whole tournament. They're a crucial core in terms of overseas players and we've built our strategy around them."

Speaking in the wake of this year's IPL auction - in which the South Africa allrounder Chris Morris became the highest-paid member of the Royals squad - Sangakkara stressed that he saw the England trio as the central plank of their strategies for the foreseeable future, even when the tournament undergoes its periodic rejig at next year's mega-auction.

Although the details for the 2022 auction are still to be confirmed, with the prospect of extra teams also being added to the mix, it is thought that franchises may be permitted to retain up to three squad members from their existing lists, as well as have the right to match any bids for further key players.

"I have no doubt they're three of the most valuable players in the world," Sangakkara said. "They're three players who know how to deal with pressure, who've proven time and time again their excellence out in the middle.

"Jos Buttler is extremely adaptable in the way he plays. He's one of the few I have seen, alongside AB de Villiers, who can do that role. Archer is a superstar. He was the most valuable player in the IPL last season. And Stokes, there's nothing else you can say about Ben Stokes other than that he's exactly the type of player any side would want.

"We're very happy to have them as our core. They've been with Rajasthan for a while now. There is a big auction next year, but they'll definitely be part of the core that Rajasthan build their strategy around, not just this year but once the big auction comes, there will be a big focus on them remaining here."

Rajasthan's strategies in the 2020 season varied significantly from match to match, particularly at the top of the order, with Buttler relinquishing his opener's role to Stokes following the latter's late arrival at the tournament, a decision that paid off with Stokes' 59-ball century against Mumbai Indians.

And Sangakkara hinted that that approach might continue into the 2021 season, a development that could have knock-on effects for England's plans leading into the T20 World Cup in November.

"Stokes has historically been a player who has been extremely impactful in the middle order and Jos at the top. [But] Buttler is the more adaptable player," Sangakkara said. "We're looking at him in the role where he can do either [top or middle] and fit into that core role of being our linchpin batsman around whom we have everyone else.

"There is quite a marked difference in terms of strategy and rules when it comes to international cricket, although there are instances where a little move in a franchise might free up a player to do something different," he added. "But what you need is clarity, in terms of what you're doing here, and what you're going to do for England, and enough preparation between the two to get your game in order."

Alex Hales says that his axing from England's World Cup squad on the eve of their triumphant campaign in 2019 was a "sickening" experience, but insists he is in a better headspace two years on from the incident, and is still determined to earn a shot at international redemption after establishing himself as one of the foremost batsmen on the T20 franchise circuit.

Despite going unsold at Thursday's IPL auction, Hales has another opportunity to reaffirm his status when the Pakistan Super League gets underway on Friday. Hales was a stand-out performer in Karachi Kings' title-winning campaign in 2020, and goes into the latest tournament off the back of an outstanding Big Bash with Sydney Thunder, in which he was the tournament top-scorer with 543 runs at a strike-rate of 161.

"I'm obviously desperate to get back into the England team," Hales said during an interview on Sky Sports. "The pinnacle of cricket is still international cricket, so I'd love to be able to force my way back into that limited-overs side somehow.

"I think I'm a lot better [now] but I guess it's hard to tell when you've not played for a couple of years," he added. "I still feel like I'm sharp, and fit. I still feel like I can challenge the best bowlers in the world, so I definitely feel like I'm good enough to still be playing, and hopefully I can get another crack."

Hales was once again overlooked by England last week when their T20I squad was announced for next month's series in India, although Ed Smith, the national selector, hinted that he might yet be given an opportunity to link up with the squad at a training session in England later this year.

However, Hales knows he still has a long way to go to convince England's captain, Eoin Morgan, that he is worthy of a recall, following what Morgan has repeatedly described as a "complete breakdown of trust" between the player and the team.

"One of the things that has been said in the media is that there needs to be a certain amount of time and trust rebuilt," Hales said. "I feel like two years is a very long time in an international sportsman's career - two years is a very long time at the peak of your cricket.

"I sent a message to Morgie around April last year, just as we went into lockdown, but obviously it'd only been a year since it happened so he wasn't ready to talk about anything like that.

"I'd like to have some conversations with some people over, hopefully, the next couple of months and see how I can go about regaining trust as I'm currently not around the squad. I feel that is something that is hard to do when you are not actually around the people whose trust you need to win back.

"Hopefully I can have those conversations about if there is a way back into the team and if there is no way back then it would be nice just to have some clarity, one way or the other."

The final straw in Hales' relationship with Morgan came when he failed the second of two tests for recreational drugs in the weeks leading up to the World Cup. He was sacked from the squad forthwith, and forced to watch from the sidelines in disgrace as his team-mates moved on without him, to achieve their ultimate ambition in such thrilling fashion in the final at Lord's.

"At first, watching the whole thing unfold was sickening," Hales said. "It is really quite hard to put into words that feeling when you're told the bad news. That drive home was probably the worst I've ever felt in my life.

"Putting that aside, to sit and watch the guys go on to win the World Cup was a weird feeling because you feel sick at yourself for not being a part of it, but you feel so much elation because you know how much hard work has gone into it over the four years since the previous World Cup.

"Personally, it was obviously devastating and gutting to miss out, but you feel proud to have played a part in that success of the team.

"Obviously it was a very, very difficult time but it was two years ago now and I've tried to make a positive out of it and make myself a better bloke, make myself a better cricketer as well and do whatever I can - on and off the field - to get myself back into that side and try and win another World Cup."

Among the changes that Hales made was a decision to move to the countryside, to a village 25 minutes outside of Nottingham, where the peace and quiet has helped him to come to terms with his previous mistakes - including an incident that he believes weighed heavily on his mind in the World Cup lead-up, his involvement in the brawl outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017 that led to the arrest and subsequent trial of Ben Stokes.

"It was a very different stage in my life," Hales said. "At the time I wasn't in a great headspace. Ever since the whole Bristol thing, I feel like I was in a bad place off the field. But I've tried to make the best out of a bad situation and hopefully people can forgive and forget.

"People make stupid mistakes, but when something that means so much to you is taken away from you, you suddenly realise those changes you need to make. That's something I really feel like I've done over the last couple of years. This is as happy as I've been in a long time off the field, and as confident as I've been in a long time on the field."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers cleared $19.9 million in salary cap space this week with the release of four players, including three on Friday.

The release of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short on Wednesday, defensive end Stephen Weatherly, safety Tre Boston and punter Michael Palardy on Friday improved the team's cap space to $28.473 million heading into free agency that begins on March 17. Boston's release won't be official until league year starts March 17 with a post-June 1 designation, according to a source.

The moves more than doubled Carolina's cap space that was around $8.5 million after the 2020 season, according to ESPN's Roster Management.

The Panthers cleared $8.66 million with the release of Short, $5.906 million with Weatherly, $3.55 million with Boston and $1.787 million with Palardy.

According to a league source, the moves were made specifically because of cap space and dead money. Even before Boston's release is made official on June 1, the Panthers led the league with $22.6 million in dead money.

The moves brought at team strapped for cap room near the top 10 teams in the league in space.

That's important for a team looking to upgrade at quarterback and rebuild the offensive line.

Before the moves Carolina, per league sources, offered Detroit the No. 8 pick, a fifth-round pick and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Lions ultimately traded with the Rams.

The Panthers, per source, plan to make a strong run at Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson if the Texans grant the former Clemson star his wish to be traded.

Watson is set to count $15.94 million against the 2021 cap, then jump to $40.4 million in 2022.

With center Matt Paradis the only starting offensive lineman currently under contract, the additional cap space frees Carolina to use the franchise tag on right tackle Taylor Moton if a long-term deal can't be reached before the league's new year begins on March 17.

A tag on Moton would cost around $13.6 million now that the league has reset the cap at $180 million.

The release of Short made sense because of his age (32) and his 2021 cap number of more than $20 million, second on the team behind Bridgewater's $23 million hit.

Weatherly didn't live up to expectations after signing a two-year, $12.5 million deal last year as a free agent out of Minnesota. Carolina plans to use 2020 second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos as the starter opposite Brian Burns.

Palardy spent last season on the non-football injury list and the Panthers were happy with the performance of undrafted Joseph Charlton, who has a cap figure of only $780,000.

The NCAA will allow a limited number of fans at every round of this year's men's NCAA tournament, it announced on Friday.

Up to 25% capacity with physical distancing will be permitted at all rounds, including the Final Four, a decision made in conjunction with state and local health authorities in Indiana. The 25% will include all participants, staff and family members as well as fans. Masks and physical distancing will be required.

"We continue to use the knowledge we have gained over the season on how to conduct games in a safe environment," NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement.

The entire tournament is taking place in Indianapolis and the surrounding area. The teams will stay at hotels around the Indiana Convention Center, which will be used as a practice facility.

"This year's tournament will be like no other, and while we know it won't be the same for anyone, we are looking forward to providing a memorable experience for the student-athletes, coaches and fans at a once-in-a-lifetime tournament," NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said. "After the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, we are happy to welcome some fans back to all rounds of the Division I Men's Basketball Tournament."

The Final Four will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium, with earlier rounds at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, plus Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and Assembly Hall in Bloomington.

Assembly Hall will allow 500 spectators to attend games held there, Indiana University said.

Selection Sunday is set for March 14, with the Final Four taking place April 3 and 5.

Eduardo Rodriguez felt the effects of COVID-19 firsthand, missing the entirety of the 2020 season after being diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart linked to the coronavirus.

An offseason later, Rodriguez is ready to take his spot at the top of the Boston Red Sox rotation, feeling the way he normally does heading into a typical spring training, even during the most atypical of times.

"At the beginning of COVID, I just wanted a chance to get past through that," Rodriguez said Friday. "Thank God I have a chance to survive that part and be available to get back to baseball and get cleared. ... I did everything that I can to get back to 100%, and now I'm here. I'm ready to go."

The 27-year-old was slotted to be the team's Opening Day starter in 2020 before the heart condition forced him to the sideline after he posted a career-best season in 2019, with a 3.81 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 213 strikeouts, 6.0 WAR and a 19-6 record in 34 starts.

Rodriguez said he felt significant fatigue in 2020, unable to throw many pitches without feeling the effects of the myocarditis. After spending three months resting up combined with a full offseason of conditioning training, Rodriguez said he's grateful to push through his health issues.

"When they told me that I had to get out of the season and I didn't get a chance to pitch, that was the day I was thinking like, what happened? What is this?" Rodriguez said. "Thank God I had my family, my wife and my kids. They were there with me all of the time. They were pushing me. That was the only thing I need to pass through all of that."

Although he has gotten past his stint with COVID and its aftereffects, Rodriguez pleaded for the public to continue to follow public health guidelines regarding the pandemic.

"Just wear your masks, wash your hands, be careful," Rodriguez said. "Keep your distance with other people. This is not a thing that we can play around with. I was feeling really bad back in those days. Really, really bad. This is not something that we can play around with."

Gentle and generous giant of track and field will be fondly remembered after he passes away aged 88

Before the era of Lottery funding, British athletes scrimped and saved to afford physiotherapy treatment, warm-weather training camps or air fares to overseas events. In some cases they were helped by a private sponsor and one of the most generous in the history of the sport was Sir Eddie Kulukundis.

Sir Eddie, who has died aged 88, was born into a wealthy family who had made its fortune in the shipping business. An avid athletics fan, from the 1970s through to the turn of the millennium he donated several million pounds in total to promising athletes for little reward other than the simple pleasure of seeing them reach their potential and knowing he helped them along the way.

When Mo Farah moved from Somalia to England, Sir Eddie paid some of the legal costs that helped him become a British citizen and which would, eventually, lead to him winning 10 global titles for Great Britain.

He also gave financial assistance to athletes such as Denise Lewis, Dean Macey and Jason Gardener. Earlier, he helped athletes like Steve Ovett, Sally Gunnell and Roger Black, among many others.

Sir Eddie became inextricably linked to Belgrave Harriers in London, helping fund their athletes and coaches. In the quest for British Athletics League titles, for example, he would sometimes fly steeplechaser Justin Chaston from the US to England just to race 3000m over barriers to claim maximum points in that particular event before sending him back to the States so he could be back in time for work on Monday.

“It is with great sadness that we have heard the news about Sir Eddie,” said John Gladwin, president of Belgrave Harriers. “He was patron of Belgrave Harriers and couldn’t have been more supportive of us.

“We pass on our condolences to the family and our great thanks for everything you did for the club. RIP Sir Eddie.”

Sir Eddie did not restrict his generosity to Belgrave alone, though. He helped athletes from various clubs and was an ever-present at major meetings as he mingled with members of the British Athletics Supporters’ Club as they enjoyed the action.

With his large 20-stone-plus frame he was an unmissable figure, too. But he had lost weight in recent years as he struggled with diabetes and dementia.

He was often described as the ‘godfather of British athletics’ and he was recognised for his philanthropy by receiving an OBE and a knighthood for services to British theatre, charity and sport.

It was well deserved. His generosity aside he was a kind and charming man who always had time to speak to athletes, coaches or fellow athletics fanatics. His conversations were carried out in a slight American accent, too, as he was born in London but moved to New York as a child and went to university at Yale.

Such was his interest in the sport, he even bankrolled the publication of Athletics Today – a weekly athletics magazine in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Several years later he nearly became the first president of UK Athletics, too, but finished runner-up to David Hemery in a vote and instead took the role of vice-president.

Outside athletics his other big passion was the theatre and he ploughed money into West End plays and musicals and in 1981 he married the film and television actress Susan Hampshire, who has looked after him in recent years as his health deteriorated.

Last August the premature news of his death was published on social media. But reports of his demise were untrue and the confusion had been caused by the fact one of his cousins – with a similar name – had died in Greece.

This week, however, the news of his death is sadly correct and he will be remembered as a generous benefactor who helped unofficially fund athletes and coaches long before the National Lottery system arrived.

Naomi Osaka says a belief "people don't remember the runners-up" will fuel her bid for a fourth major title when she faces American Jennifer Brady in Saturday's Australian Open final.

Brady, seeded 22th, is in her first Slam final and looking to avenge defeat by Osaka in the US Open semi-finals.

"The winner's name is the one that's engraved," said third seed Osaka.

"I think I fight the hardest in the finals. I think that's where you sort of set yourself apart. The other person has won as many matches as you did. It's the biggest fight."

Osaka, whose major wins have come at the 2018 US Open, 2019 Australian Open and 2020 US Open, goes into the match as the heavy favourite against 25-year-old Brady.

It is a rematch of their high-quality semi-final in New York, which was widely considered as the best WTA match of 2020.

Brady had never gone past the fourth round at a Grand Slam before reaching the last four in New York and says she will have to check her emotions in check in the Melbourne final.

"I don't know how I'm going to feel. I can say I can enjoy the moment and just try to play tennis and not really think too much about it," she said.

"But there are going to be moments where I'm going to be thinking 'wow, this could be my first Grand Slam title'."

Will Osaka make her experience count?

As well as her previous Grand Slam pedigree, Osaka holds a 20-match winning streak which goes back to early February last year.

On paper, she had a tough route to the Melbourne final but has swatted aside the likes of 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and 2020 Australian Open runner-up Garbine Muguruza.

She has yet to lose a Grand Slam match after reaching the quarter-final stage, but faces a different scenario on Saturday as the most experienced player.

Former Grand Slam champions Williams, Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka were all beaten in Osaka's three Grand Slam triumphs.

"I feel like experience is important because you can draw on the things you didn't think you did well in the past and memories," Osaka told WTA Insider.

"But at the same time, I acknowledge that not having experience is also good because I didn't have experience when I won my first Slam. There's a certain hard-headedness that comes with not winning a Slam before. There are two sides to every story."

Brady given belief by recent successes

Brady's path to a maiden Grand Slam final has been unusual compared to most of her peers, having played in the American collegiate system before a relatively late progression to the WTA Tour.

She won her first tour title in Lexington shortly before the US Open and carried on that form to reach the semi-finals of a major for the first time.

Although she was edged out by Osaka, Brady left Flushing Meadows with added confidence she could challenge the world's best on a regular basis.

"When I'm playing matches now, I'm never in doubt about whether I can win the match or not," Brady told WTA Insider.

"I believe the match is on my racquet, that it's within my control."

In Melbourne, Brady has recovered from being one of the 72 players forced into a 'hard' quarantine after arriving in Australia.

She was not allowed to leave her hotel room for 14 days and said the experience contributed to her not having "high expectations" of success.

"Even before quarantine I didn't think I would be where I am right now," Brady said.

"I wouldn't say I'm in disbelief. I think I have earned the right to be sitting here. I have put in a lot of work."

But she added: "I think I used that two weeks to reset mentally and also physically, just give myself - my mind, my body - a little bit of a rest."