SPORTS DIGEST: EQUESTRIANIreland finished equal fifth in yesterday's opening round of this year's FEI superleague series at La Baule, France, where the host nation finished last of the eight teams.
The Irish squad completed round one on eight faults, with a clear from Shane Sweetnam and Amaretto Darco while Cian O’Connor (Blue Loyd) and Denis Lynch (Lantinus) both had one fence down. Jessica Kurten (Vincente) provided the discard score on five faults. Sweetnam started the second round with four faults but there were clears from Kuerten and O’Connor before Lynch again had a pole on the ground. This gave Ireland a total of 12 faults, the same as Switzerland and Britain. On four faults apiece, Belgium beat The Netherlands in a jump-off to win while Sweden were third.
Manager Robert Splaine said: “This was a very tough competition. Olympic qualification was at stake for many of the combinations today.”
– MARGIE McLOONE
Craig books Olympic spot after European showing
CANOEINGIreland's Hannah Craig booked her place at the Olympic Games in the K1 class (racing kayak) at the European Canoe Slalom Championships in Augsburg in Germany yesterday.
The top two boats from countries not already qualified nailed down spots for London and Craig’s second run in the heats of 105.79 seconds placed her 25th, the highest place of a boat from a country not already qualified. Elise Chabbey gave Switzerland the second qualifying place by finishing 32nd. Ireland’s Helen Barnes finished 38th and Aisling Conlon 40th.
“We’re delighted,” said Ireland performance director Karl Dunne, who is hopeful that Eoin Rheinisch or Ciaran Heurteau, who go in today’s K1 semi-finals, can match Craig’s feat and qualify a men’s boat.
Craig, who is from Co Antrim, is coached by her partner Han Bijnen. She finished 13th at the World Championships in 2010.
– LIAM GORMAN
Ireland to host Bangladesh three-match series after funding package is agreed
CRICKETIreland will host Bangladesh in three one-day internationals in July after a funding packaage was put together for the Asian side to tour Europe, where they will also play against Scotland and the Netherlands.
Most of the costs will be paid by contributions from the ICC High Performance Programme and ICC Europe, with the host nations making up the shortfall.
Bangladesh will start their tour in Ireland, where they are likely to play a warm-up game against Ireland A, before three ODIs against Ireland. The dates are expected to be announced next week.
Meanwhile, the first big weekend on the domestic calendar sees the introduction of the RSA National Cup as an understudy to the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup. It’s a move that underlines the growth of the game in Ireland, with 17 counties represented in total.
Some of Leinster’s more fancied sides face tricky away ties in the Bob Kerr, with YMCA facing a daunting trip to Belfast to take on an Instonians side that lost last year’s final to fellow NCU side Waringtown.
Merrion and Leinster, two recent winners of the competition, are also away to NCU clubs, taking on Ballymena and Lisburn respectively, while North County and Railway Union are in the North West.
Five Leinster sides host matches, while The Marydyke will host an All-Ireland match for the first time since 2003, with Derriaghy the visitors.
– EMMET RIORDAN
