Coronavirus: Here's what's happening in the sports world on Thursday

The latest on how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting sports around the globe:

• Georges Laraque tests positive for COVID-19
• Little League World Series, regional tournaments cancelled
• NBA owners may lack financial incentive to complete season
• NASCAR announces May return
• PSG declared champs of French soccer league
• Heavyweight title defence could take place in July
• Soccer resumes in Belarus
• Diamond League postpones meet scheduled for August
• Golfers wants fans in the stands for Ryder Cup

Georges Laraque reveals positive test

Former NHL player Georges Laraque has tested positive for COVID-19.

The 43-year-old Laraque made the announcement on social media Thursday alongside a photo of himself in a hospital gown.

The veteran of 695 NHL games said: "I guess I'm not invincible, just got diagnosed with Covid, since I'm asthmatic, not the best news, will fight it off!"

Laraque played 12 seasons in the NHL including eight with the Edmonton Oilers and two with the Montreal Canadiens. He also suited up for the Phoenix Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Laraque has written an autobiography, done public speaking and devoted much of his time to charity work since retiring.

He was recently assisting with a campaign called 'Give Protection' in Laval, Que., in an effort to get more Personal Protective Equipment to front-line staff, posting a video of himself on April 1 outside a nearby hospital.

'Heartbreaking decision' for Little League World Series

Vowing to return next summer, this year's Little League World Series was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

All seven World Series tournaments and their respective regional qualifying events are off this summer.

The Little League World Series is an international event involving 10- to -12-year-olds vying for the title of Little League champions. Regional tournaments feed the world series, which is played in South Williamsport, Pa.

Little League committed approximately $1.2 million US in support to local leagues who will be negatively impacted by seasons expected to be canceled entirely.

Losses piling up for some NBA teams

National Basketball Association executives and player agents are calling on the league to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 season due to health concerns over the novel coronavirus outbreak, CNBC reported on Thursday.

Talking to executives and agents, CNBC said team owners are concerned with liability issues and are conflicted about whether or not to give up on the current season.

CNBC further reported that many owners have no desire to return because other sources of revenue are down and despite a massive media rights deal, teams are still reporting losses.

NASCAR to resume season May 17

NASCAR announced Thursday that it will resume its season without fans starting May 17 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina with the premier Cup Series racing three more times in a 10-day span.

NASCAR joins the UFC as the first major sports organizations to announce specific return to play plans since the coronavirus pandemic shut down U.S. sports in mid-March.

"NASCAR and its teams are eager and excited to return to racing, and have great respect for the responsibility that comes with a return to competition," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR executive vice-president and chief racing development officer. "NASCAR will return in an environment that will ensure the safety of our competitors, officials and all those in the local community.

NASCAR's revised schedule goes only through May and has a pair of Wednesday races, fulfilling fans longtime plea for midweek events. The first race is scheduled for Darlington, NASCAR's oldest superspeedway, followed by a second race at the 70-year-old, egg-shaped oval track three days later.

Paris Saint-Germain awarded French soccer crown

Paris Saint-Germain has been declared French league champion after the soccer season ended early because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The move follows the French government's decision to call off the soccer and rugby leagues in the country because of the virus.

The top two divisions in French soccer had 10 rounds of matches left to play. PSG led second-place Marseille by 12 points and played one game less.

Joshua could fight without fans in title defence

Anthony Joshua's first fight as the restored world heavyweight champion could take place in front of no spectators.

British boxing's governing body told promoters on Thursday it hopes to be able to have shows back from July after months of inactivity because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Initially, though, Bouts are expected to be held without fans, meaning Joshua's fight against Kubrat Pulev — the first since the Briton regained his WBA, IBF and WBO belts by beating Andy Ruiz Jr. in December — would surely be switched from its planned venue, the stadium of English soccer club Tottenham which can hold more than 60,000 spectators.

The Joshua-Pulev fight had been scheduled for June 20 before being pushed back to an as-yet-unconfirmed date because of the pandemic. A rearranged date of July 25 has been touted.

Portuguese soccer league to resume on May 30 

Portugal's government says the country's soccer league will be allowed to resume on May 30 following a stoppage forced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa included the announcement in Thursday's presentation of his government's plan to roll back lockdown measures.

Costa said the resumption still depends on health authorities approving measures to make stadiums meet hygiene conditions.

The games will be played without fans.

Porto leads Benfica by one point at the top of the standings.

Fans allowed as soccer season underway in Belarus

A new women's soccer season has started in Belarus after it was initially delayed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The season started with a game between Dynamo-BGUFK and the Belarus national under-19 team. The under-19 team competes in the league alongside club squads.

Fans were allowed to attend the game for free but fewer than 100 were in the stands at the stadium in Minsk.

Belarus is the only country in Europe playing professional soccer during the pandemic. The men's league started last month and the women's league had been scheduled to start on April 16 but was delayed by two weeks because of suspicions that players had contact with people who had the virus.

Belarus national soccer federation spokesman Alexander Aleinik tells The Associated Press that "tests did not confirm the virus for any of the players."

Diamond League forced to shuffle track schedule again

The Diamond League track meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, won't happen as scheduled on Aug. 20.

Organizers of the Athletissima say they are now looking at "alternative options and formats that could still be considered in order to offer athletes the possibility to compete."

Switzerland's government has prohibited gatherings of more than 1,000 people until the end of August.

Athletissima organizers say "it is currently impossible to allow a high number of people to gather in a confined area."

The first eight track meets on the Diamond League circuit have been postponed. Lausanne was the fifth in order of the seven left on the calendar.

Ryder Cup not 'worth playing' without fans

Spain's Jon Rahm became the latest marquee player to call for the Ryder Cup to be postponed, saying the event is not "worth playing" if fans can't attend.

While European team captain Padraig Harrington said this week that the Ryder Cup might have to "take one for the team" and be played without fans, the second-ranked Rahm joined No. 1 Rory McIlroy and No. 3 Brooks Koepka in saying the team event loses its lustre without the fans.

"It's the one tournament of the year where we're not playing for ourselves, we're playing for Europe, we're playing for the United States, and it's for the fans," Rahm told Sky Sports. "There are 50,000 people following four groups over the first two days and the atmosphere is what it is because of the fans."