HOCKEY: As a largely experimental Irish team, with an average age of 22, was facing Belgium in Brussels this week, the build-up to the World Cup Qualifier in China was being extended with a view to ensuring that, come March, coach Dave Passmore will have a more experienced and tournament-hardened group of players to work with.
A six nations tournament has, then, been added to the schedule, with the squad off to Cairo in late February where they will play five from Egypt, Belgium, France, Malaysia, Poland and Scotland - which of those six will drop out has yet to confirmed.
As a result of the Egypt trip, the semi-finals of the Irish Senior Cup have been moved from March 4th to February 18th so international players can compete for their clubs.
"It will give the players a chance to play against high-level opposition, especially against those from other continents, Malaysia and Egypt," said Passmore, who saw his team lose 5-1 to Belgium on Wednesday night. He conceded his players had "failed to make the step up from domestic standard to international quickly enough".
The only encouraging aspects of the game for the coach were the performances of two of the younger players, Eugene Magee and debutant Peter Blakeney.
Meanwhile, the Irish Hockey Association (IHA) announced yesterday that their bid to stage the boys' 2006 European Youth Championship for Under-16s had been successful. Ireland will compete alongside Holland, Spain, England, Belgium, Poland, Russia and Austria at Belfield from July 11th to 16th.
The IHA will, however, have to wait a little longer to find out if their bid to stage the Olympic Qualifying tournament for the 2008 Beijing Games will succeed, with the International Hockey Federation delaying a decision.
The second round of the Irish Senior Cup takes place this weekend. The draw for the third round, when the top 22 seeded teams enter the competition, will be held during the interprovincial tournament dinner on Saturday week in Garryduff.
IRISH SENIOR CUP, second round: Queen's v Cliftonville, Malone 2.30; Suttonians v Antrim, Sutton Park School, 2.30; Ballynahnich v Clontarf, Hillsborough 1.0; Belfast Harlequins v Portadown, Deramore, 2.30; Bray v Armagh, Loreto Bray, 1.15; Raphoe v Kilkenny, Royal and Prior, 2.30; Belvedere v PSNI, Ballincollig, 2.0; Mossley v UCD, The Glade, 2.30; Bandon v St James's Gate, Bandon, 1.30; Kilkeel v Naas, Kilkeel, 2.30.
LEINSTER LEAGUE, Division One: Fingal v Monkstown, Alsaa, 1:30; Corinthians v Glenanne, Whitechurch, 1.15; Three Rock Rovers v Trinity, Grange Road, 2.0; Pembroke Wanderers v YMCA, Claremont Road, 1.30.
ULSTER PREMIER LEAGUE, tomorrow: Cookstown v Instonians, Cookstown, 2.30; Annadale v North Down, Lough Moss, 2.30; Civil Service v Lisnagarvey, Stormont, 2.30; Banbridge v Bangor, Havelock Park, 2.30. KIRK CUP - Semi-finals (at Havelock Park Sunday): Annadale v Bangor, 1.30; Banbridge v Instonians, 3.30.
MUNSTER LEAGUE, Division One: Cork Harlequins v Church of Ireland, 1.0; UCC v Church of Ireland II, 11.30.
