Boxing: Jim Rooney from the Holy Family club in Belfast kept Ireland's interest in the Olympic qualifying tournament alive in Bucharest, Romania yesterday when he scored a 13-5 victory over his Albanian opponent and in doing so reached the last four of the 48 kilos flyweight division.
Sadly John Duddy from the Ring club in Derry was beaten 32 in the European Championship qualifiers by the ringside judges after the computerised system broke down. Rooney now boxes a local Romanian tomorrow and must win to qualify for the Olympic Games. It is a huge challenge for the young Belfastman, but it is not beyond his capability. What is worrying the Irish contingent in Bucharest is that some of the contests are being judged on the computer system and others by the five ringside judges. The feeling among some competing nations, including Ireland and England, is that the scoring of some bouts is being manipulated against western European contestants.
Boxing: Evander Holyfield admitted yesterday that he had underestimated Lennox Lewis ahead of their first fight and promised that he has learned from his mistakes.
"He had more skills than I gave him credit for," said Holyfield, who will take his World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation titles into the November 13th Las Vegas heavyweight unification rematch with Lewis.
Drugs in sport: Drug cheats at next year's Sydney Olympics will face fines of £40,000 and up to five years in jail if they smuggle performance-enhancing drugs into Australia.
The country's customs minister, Amanda Vanstone, said the government would double its current fines and introduce prison terms for offenders.
Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates welcomed a move he had called 14 months ago and said authorities should strictly enforce the new laws.
"Evidence from past Olympic Games is that drugs are stockpiled in the lead-up period to the Games," he said.
"Immediate implementation and effective enforcing of these new laws will go a long way to ensuring that drugs will not be available to athletes."
