Sporting-goods retailer Sports Authority Inc. has pushed back the date for a planned bankruptcy auction amid “substantial” interest from several potential bidders, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Robert Klyman, one of the lawyers for the company, told Judge Mary Walrath of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del. that the retailer hopes for a vigorous bidding contest for the stores and inventory. Judge Walrath yesterday authorized rules for the auction process. When it filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March, Sports Authority agreed with senior lenders to close a sale by the end of April. The new auction date is in May, and there will be two auctions. Leases for 109 stores being closed go on the auction block May 4 while the sale of pretty much everything else Sports Authority owns is slated for May 16.
