CANOEING: The loss of the lucrative Irish Distillers sponsorship has made little appreciable difference to the entry for tomorrow's Liffey Descent. As of yesterday over 900 canoeists were set to make the 17.5-mile trek from Straffan, Co Kildare, to Trinity Boat Club, Islandbridge.

The first paddlers will leave the Straffan weir at 12.30, with the fastest boats taking under two hours to the finish. The winner of the most prestigious class, the K1 (racing kayak), will receive the impressive prize of an expenses-paid trip to South Africa for the Fish River Marathon.

The winner of the South African race receives the same deal for the Liffey Descent, and there is a strong South African entry tomorrow. One of them, Ant Short, teams up with last year's winner of the K1 event, Gary Mawer, in a K2 kayak.

Last year the fastest boat home was a K2 piloted by South Africans Sven and Deon Bruss.

While the South Africans are still coming in numbers, the entry from Britain has been slipping, apparently because our nearest neighbours find costs in Ireland too high.

Two Salmon Leap paddlers, Dermot Hudson and Fergus Cooper, will be among the favourites in the K1 class. Hudson was third behind Mawer and Jim Morrissey of Oranmore, Co Galway, last year.

In the women's K1 class, a canoeist with an outstanding record in the event, Eileen Murphy of Salmon Leap, will be defending her title. Her strongest challenger may be Sheryl Lang from the Thomastown club in Kilkenny.

The Irish Sports Council has proved a knight in shining armour for the organisers with a grant of 20,000. "The event would not be happening except for them," said Mick Scanlon of the Irish Canoe Union yesterday.

"We expect it to be as good as it has been in recent years," he added.

The Irish Distillers sponsorship lasted a remarkable 16 years.