Today's sport news: what you need to know

Latest - Breakers captain Tom Abercrombie has committed to the basketball club until the end of the 2022 season.

The 32-year-old signed on for another year at the club he debuted with in 2009.

"It is important for me as a player who's been here a long time to show that I'm 100 percent beind the changes at the club," Abercrombie said.

Abercrombie said the key reason he extended his contract is because of the recent arrival of the Breaker's new director of basketball, Dan Shamir.

Abercrombie has played 303 games for the club and is also the all-time leading scorer.

FIFA to extend punishments for racial abuse

FIFA says it may extend punishments globally after racist incidents, including monkey chants directed at black players, marred a match between Bulgaria and England.

Football's governing body made the statement following the decision by UEFA to charge the Bulgarian FA over the incidents that took place in Sofia on Monday.

European football's ruling body UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Bulgaria for racist behaviour, including Nazi salutes and chants, and against England for not providing enough travelling stewards.

The game, won 6-0 by England on Monday, was twice halted in the first half and a public announcement was made under UEFA's three-step protocol for dealing with racist incidents during matches.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said more needed to be done to tackle the "obnoxious disease" of racism which seemed to be getting worse.

-Reuters

Black Sticks finish series with another win

The New Zealand men's hockey team has completed its preparation for the Olympic Qualification series with a 2-0 win over Japan in the fourth Test in Stratford.

The Black Sticks won the series 3-1.

Kane Russell opened the scoring from a penalty corner in the 16th minute and Simon Child, who has just retured from injury, scored his first goal for the side in three years in the 50th minute.

It was his 141st goal for his country.

Black Sticks coach Darren Smith said: "It was good to finish the four-game series on a high note, and a fantastic flick from Kane set us up well tonight. 2-0 was a good result against a strong Japanese side.

"We will head home and have some downtime for a few days before the whole group will assemble in Auckland we will then turn our attention to Korea and the important Olympic Qualification series".

The New Zealand men will return to the turf on 2 November when they take on Korea in the important two match series which will see the winners punch their ticket to Tokyo.

Ireland consider Aki appeal

Ireland are considering appealing Bundee Aki's three-match suspension but are preparing to be without the centre for Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against New Zealand.

New Zealand-born Aki was banned after he received a red card for a high tackle in his side's final Pool A victory against Samoa.

Forwards coach Simon Easterby said Ireland officials would need to see the full report from the disciplinary hearing before they make a decision as to whether to appeal, but given the week was marching on they had to just plan to be without the 29-year-old.

Ireland have never advanced past the quarter-finals at the World Cup and face a massive task to break that curse against the three-times champions.

Joe Schmidt's side, however, have won two of the last three games between the two teams and Easterby said making it three in four would depend on them shutting down the All Blacks ability to accumulate points quickly.

-Reuters

Tongan hooker gets sevens weeks for a kick

Tonga hooker Paula Ngauamo has been banned for seven weeks for kicking an opponent in the head during his team's 31-19 win over the United States in their final Pool C match at the Rugby World Cup.

The 29-year-old admitted he had committed foul play to World Rugby's independent Judicial Committee. The decision leaves him unable to play for his club team Agen in France's Top 14 for the duration of the suspension.

Ngauamo was not sanctioned by match officials during the game on Sunday, but the incident was referred to the committee by the citing commissioner.

Neither team advanced to the knockout stages. Tonga finishing second to the bottom of Pool C with six points from their four matches. The United States came last with no points.

-Reuters

US woman footballer still wants to play NFL

Carli Lloyd, a twice winner of the women's football World Cup, says she is seriously considering a future as a pro kicker in the NFL.

"I want to try it. I want to put a helmet on, I want to put pads on, I want to kick with two steps. And then see from there," Lloyd told ESPN, fueling rumors that she may become the first woman to compete in the NFL.

A viral video of the U.S. midfielder kicking a 55-yard field goal at a Philadelphia Eagles practice in August sparked intense interest.

The 37-year-old said she had "a couple years" of football left in her career, and that she hopes to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games -- though she left open the possibly of being "loaned out a bit for a couple preseason NFL games" in the meantime.

- Reuters

Koreas score no goal in front of no fans

Long-time foes North and South Korea have played a World Cup qualifier, their first football match in the North in 30 years, but no fans were allowed in the stands and Pyongyang refused to broadcast the game live.

There were also no goals.

The last time the two sides met in a World Cup qualifier was in Seoul 10 years ago, when the North lost 1-0 before accusing South Korea of poisoning their players' food ahead of the match.

Reclusive North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 civil conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

-Reuters

New marathon record holder nominated

Kenya's marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei is one of 11 nominees for the IAAF female athlete of the year.

The 25-year-old Kosgei finished the Chicago Marathon in two hours, 14 minutes and four seconds earlier this week to shatter Paula Radcliffe's 16-year-old world record of 2:15:25, which the Briton had set in London.

American Dalilah Muhammad, who earlier this month broke her own world record to win the women's 400 metres hurdles title at the world championships with a time of 52.16 seconds, was also nominated for the global honour.

Muhammad, 29, the 2016 Olympic champion, crossed the finish line 0.04 seconds faster than her previous world record which was set in July.

Other world champions included were Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech (3000 metres steeplechase) and Hellen Obiri (5,000 metres), Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (100m and 4x100m) and Briton Katarina Johnson-Thompson (heptathlon).

-Reuters

Next year's Tour de France to be fought out in the hills

Tour de France organisers put a spring in the step of the climbers after unveiling the route for the 2020 race featuring a first mountain stage on the second day and only one time trial on the eve of the final parade on the Champs Elysees.

The race could be decided on the penultimate stage in the 36km solo effort against the clock ending up the Planche des Belles Filles, home to fans' darling Thibaut Pinot, who was in position to win this year's race with two days to go but had to pull out injured.

Pinot will be back on the Tour next year and the super hilly route will favour him as well as defending champion Egan Bernal of Colombia, who will face internal competition within Team Ineos as four-time champion Chris Froome returns after missing this year's event through injury.

The second stage will take the peloton around Nice with three climbs - Col de la Colmiane, Col de Turini and Col d'Eze - on the menu, giving early opportunities to the overall contenders.

There will be two mountain-top finishes in the opening six days, a rarity in Tour de France history.

The race starts a week earlier than usual because of the Tokyo Olympics.

-Reuters

Cricket Australia to top up any prize money won by women's team

Cricket Australia will top up any prize money won by the Australian women's cricket team at next year's T20 World Cup to ensure parity with the men's equivalent winnings.

The ICC has increased the prize money pool for the 2020 women's World Cup by 320 percent on the 2018 tournament.

The winners of the women's tournament will receive $US1 million, with the runners-up to take home $US500,000 - but those figures still fall short of what the men received in the the 2016 T20 World Cup prize pool.

As a result, CA will make up any of the shortfall for the Australian women's team to ensure they would be compensated as handsomely as their male counterparts.

-AAP

Bulgarian football boss forced to stand down

The president of the Bulgarian Football Union has resigned following pressure from the country's prime minister in the wake of the racist abuse from fans towards black English players yesterday.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov called for former goalkeeper Borislav Mihaylov to step down after the match was temporarily halted by the referee to tackle abuse from the crowd.

Racist abuse cast a blight over the match at the Vasil Levski national stadium as the game was twice halted by the referee after monkey noises and chants from the crowd were aimed at black English players.

A group of black-clad Bulgarian fans, some of whom were making right-wing salutes, were moved from an area behind the dugout at the stadium with home team captain Ivelin Popov appealing to the supporters in a heated discussion at halftime.

-Reuters