Boxing: Afghanistan's Taliban Sports Minister Mawlawi Qalamuddin yesterday called for an immediate global ban on boxing as a hazardous sport. The minister in the ruling Islamic militia said he had recently modified boxing rules throughout the war-torn country so that fighters would avoid punching to the face.

"Boxing in essence is not a sport. It creates several physical troubles - like teeth problems - and leads to madness. It should be globally banned," he said.

"We call upon the International Federation of Boxing to ban it altogether."

Qalamuddin, once the Taliban's ex-minister for fostering virtue and preventing vice (better known as religious police), said he believed the global ban was very likely.

Boxing is the second most popular sport in Afghanistan after soccer.

Boxing: The three times Olympic heavyweight boxing champion, Cuba's Felix Savon has confirmed that he will retire from the ring, a move that will not go down particularly well with the Irish Amateur Boxing Association.

It means that one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport will not compete at the World Championships in Belfast in June. Savon will, however, be in Belfast as a coach with the Cuban squad. Savon (36) was six times World Champion.

Rowing: Neptune are offering a very attractive coaching workshop at Garda rowing club in Dublin on Saturday, January 27th.

John Armstrong is the new athletes representative on the international rowing committee of the IARU. He has asked for contacts with him to be made at johnaarm@hotmail.com or on his home telephone number in the evenings, 028 926 27818.