Dai Sport

Newport County and other struggling clubs in Leagues One and Two have been told that football must solve their financial crisis – not the government. With the rest of the season already written off and no prospect of any more gate income until August at the earliest, County and other clubs in the lower two divisions have raised the alarm. Calls have been made for a state-backed plan to help English Football League clubs avoid insolvency in the current coronavirus pandemic.

This year should have been the time Aled Davies secured his status as one of the world’s greatest Paralympians. Champion of the world in 2012 and 2016, he was on for the hat-trick of golden triumphs in Tokyo. He’s disappointed, but there are compensations as Graham Thomas reports. Aled Davies insists fatherhood and the joy of seeing his daughter learn to walk will always shine far brighter than any gold medal. The multiple medalist and world champion should be spending this summer preparing for more glory at the Paralympics in Tokyo.

Run 4 Wales chief Matt Newman believes there is a new influx of “lockdown runners” who will help offset the postponement of organised races in Wales. The man behind the hugely successful Cardiff Half Marathon insists the event can still thrive after organisers confirmed it has been postponed for this year. The third biggest running event in the UK – which was scheduled to take place on October 4 - has been put back to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic and it will now go ahead on March 28.

Cardiff Devils have been drawn against Swedish opposition in the Champions Hockey League. Head coach Andrew Lord and his team will face Farjestad Karlstad in a last 32 knockout tie decided over two legs during October with the winners moving forward to face HC Davos or Vienna Capitals in the next round. The Farjestad BK ice hockey team was founded in 1956 and they play out of the Lofbergs Arena.

Gareth Edwards, Phil Bennett, Scott Gibbs and Justin Tipuric are the final four doing battle to be declared scorer of Wales’ greatest try. The awesome foursome have made it through to the semi-finals of the Welsh Rugby Union’s online challenge to find the nation’s favourite score. The top 16 have now been whittled down to a quartet of classic tries, with two from the Seventies against a Nineties icon and a recent gem from this season.

Welsh Athletics has published a document outlining how the governing body plans to get athletes back in action as soon and as safely as possible. Interim chief executive James Williams has reassured the nation’s athletes that the governing body is doing all it can to lift the sport’s lockdown appropriately. Williams said: "Although we're unable to remove the suspension of athletics activity at this time, we wanted to reassure our athletics community in Wales that we are working hard behind the scenes to plan and prepare for a safe return to athletics as soon as we're able.”

The French Top 14 season has been officially abandoned in a move that is likely to cast more uncertainty over any return of the Guinness Pro 14. With the rugby shutdown in France continuing, the game’s rulers announced on Tuesday that they are ending the season as of now. Organisers, the French rugby league (LNR) said no club would be relegated and no team would be promoted from the Pro D2 (second division).

Rallying could return at a famous Welsh forest complex in August – but with social distancing rules likely to prevent co-drivers from taking part. Scheduled to take place at Sweet Lamb, a popular Wales Rally GB stage situated in the stunning rolling hills on the Ceredigion and Powys border, the driver-only time trial on Sunday 9 August will take place behind locked gates and without spectators. There will also be a strict limit on the number of service vans and mechanics allowed on site.

Cardiff City and Swansea City may be preparing for a June 20 return to action, but some of their Championship rivals have cast doubt on the idea with scathing criticism of the EFL. Barnsley, QPR and Luton are leading the critical voices, claiming the resumption has been poorly planned, badly communicated and rushed through. Barnsley have written to the EFL to sound the alarm over the "potential failure of their enterprise" they get ready to play for the first time since mid-March.

Lennie Lawrence will remain a “very valued friend” to Newport County manager Mike Flynn after the club confirmed their assistant was leaving to join Stevenage. Lawrence, 72, has been at Rodney Parade for three years and forged an immediate bond with Flynn as both worked to pull off the great escape of keeping Newport in the Football League in 2017. But the veteran coach has remained based in the south-east of England and has now chosen to join Stevenage as No.2 to manager Alex Revell – with his start date likely to be the beginning of the 2020-21 season.