Sports Shorts: The Weeknd to perform at 2021 Super Bowl

Canadian singer The Weeknd will perform the halftime show at the 2021 Super Bowl, the artist and the NFL announced on Thursday.

"Performing on the iconic stage. see you 02/07/21," the singer posted on his Twitter account with the logo for the game.

The Super Bowl, to be held on February 7, 2021, in Tampa, Florida, is the most watched television event of the year in the United States, and the halftime show is one of the biggest honors in the music business.

"We all grow up watching the world's biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position. I'm humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year," The Weeknd said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira took the honors in a halftime show of girl power and Latina strength. Previous performers have included Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Prince and the Rolling Stones.

The Weeknd, 30, began his recording career in 2010 and had hits with R&B songs such as "Can't Feel My Face," "Heartless" and "Blinding Lights." He has won three Grammy Awards and nine Billboard music awards.

Athletics Integrity Unit appeals decision to clear world champion Eid Naser

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has appealed against a decision to clear world 400 metres champion Salwa Eid Naser of committing an anti-doping violation by missing out-of-competition tests, it said on Thursday.

The global athletics watchdog, which brought the initial case against the 22-year-old, said on Twitter that it would challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The AIU had alleged that Eid Naser, who was born in Nigeria and competes for Bahrain, missed three out-of-competition tests within a one-year period, which would constitute an anti-doping violation and carries a minimum one-year ban.

However, the World Athletics disciplinary panel cleared Eid Naser last month because on one of the tests, in April 2019, the anti-doping inspector became confused over the numbering of the flats in her building and rang the wrong door bell.

The panel added that the case was "very much on the borderline".

Under the so-called whereabouts rule, elite athletes must make themselves available for random out-of-competition testing and state a location and one-hour window where they can be found on any given day.

Prajnesh ousts Jack Sock to make quarters of Cary Challenger

Fighting hard, Prajnesh Gunneswaran prevailed over tough nut Jack Sock in three sets to sail into the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Tire Championships, an ATP Challenger event, in Cary, USA.

The fourth-seeded southpaw beat the former top-10 American 6-7 (3), 6-2, 7-6(5) in a tight round two contest, which lasted almost three hours.

The gritty Indian broke the serve of Sock, who reached a career-high singles ranking of eight in 2017 but is now placed 253, thrice and dropped his own serve only once in the slugfest.

Prajnesh, ranked 146, next faces Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci for a place in the semi-finals of the $US52,080 hard court tournament.

Belluci was ranked as high as 21 at one stage of his career, in which he has won four singles ATP titles. The 32-year-old is now ranked 297.

Ramkumar Ramanathan has already made an exit from both singles and doubles events.