A round-up of other sports news in brief
Murray looking for win over Fagan to keep hopes alive
BOXING: Unbeaten Cavan lightweight Andy Murray is planning to serve up a career best performance live on terrestrial TV at the National Stadium in Dublin tomorrow night.
The 27-year-old, unbeaten in 17 (8 KOs), headlines against Dubliner, Oisin Fagan in one of four Irish title fights on the Brian Peters promotion. Murray (27) is currently ranked four in Europe and wants a shot at French European champion Anthony Mezzaache. However, failure to win against the challenge of Fagan will see him slip right back down the pecking order. The Cavan boxer is no stranger to defying the odds. As as child he suffered from Perthes, a degenerative hip condition that left him confined to a wheelchair and crutches. Doctors feared that he would be left with a permanent disability. However, Murray, inspired by watching the likes of Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, was determined to swap the wheelchair and crutches for the ring and ignoring doctors and his fathers advice that any type of athletic activity could leave him crippled by the time he was 20, he used to sneak down to the Cavan boxing club to train. His determination certainly impressed club coach Brian McKeown who helped steer Murray to three Irish senior titles until he eventually turned pro in 2005.
The card features three other Irish title fights including Galway’s Coleman Barrett contesting the vacant Irish Heavyweight title with Dublin’s Colin Kenna.
Bad weather halts downhill training
WINTER OLYMPICS: Vancouver Olympics Alpine skiing gold medal favourite Lindsey Vonn, struggling with a badly bruised shin, took pain killers ahead of downhill training yesterday but was left frustrated by bad weather.
American Vonn was on skis to take part in the course inspection and was all set to take part in the first training run for the womens downhill before fog descended on the course.
Germanys ski jumpers will find it hard to win any individual medals at the Winter Olympics, a team official has said.
Germany won the large hill individual and team golds in 1994 and triumphed again in the team event in 2002 but failed to claim a medal in Turin four years ago.
“We are dangerous outsiders,” Werner Schuster told a news conference. “We realise it will be very difficult for us to make the podium.” The team consists of promising teenagers and experienced jumpers like Michael Uhrmann and Martin Schmitt.
Gloucester role for McGeechan
RUGBY: Gloucester have announced that British and Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan is to work with the club in an advisory capacity.
McGeechan will link up with former Scotland captain and current Gloucester head coach Bryan Redpath at Kingsholm.
Gloucester are currently ninth in the English Premiership, but they are through to this season’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals – against McGeechan’s former club Wasps – and LV Cup semi-finals.
Purdy grabs win
AWARDS: Daniel Purdy was the match-winner for the Irish Under-17s last night at the Carlisle Grounds as defaeted Hungary, 1-0.
The West Ham forward scored a spot-kick in the 54th minute after Frankie Sutherland was taken down by Balint Vecsei just inside the area.
IRELAND: J Bonham (Watford); M Barker (Belvedere), R Bryan (A Villa), N Yadolahi (Burnley), C McHugh (Reading); G Smith (Southend), S Byrne (Leicester), C Webb (Arsenal), K Knight (Leicester); C Smith (Watford), G Burke (Belvedere). Subs used: A Smith (Crumlin), D Purdy (W Ham), D Murphy (Reading), B Glasgow (Arsenal), F Sutherland (QPR), S Murray (Watford), D Keena (Shels), S McDermott.
Djokovic eases into last eight
TENNIS: Top seed Novak Djokovic yesterday breezed into the quarter-finals of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Switzerland’s Marco Chiudinelli.
Djokovic dominated and could have won even more convincingly, the world number two converting just three of the 14 break points.
Sixth seed and 2007 winner Mikhail Youzhny was also untroubled as he ended the impressive run of Turkish qualifier Marsel Ilhan, winning 6-4, 6-4.
Youzhny will face fourth seed Gael Monfils in the last eight after the Frenchman beat local favourite Thiemo de Bakker 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 16 minutes. “The next match will be very tough against Monfils,” said Youzhny, who has won both their previous meetings. “I am still recovering after my (wrist) injury, trying to get better with every match, so we will see.”
Frenchman Julien Benneteau will meet third seed Robin Soderling after beating Germany’s Michael Berrer 6-4, 6-4.
Silverstone gets the green light
MOTOR SPORT: F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has given the green light for Silverstone to stage the 2010 British Grand Prix on a revised circuit lay-out.
The Northamptonshire track won back the staging rights to the race in December after a proposed switch to Donington Park fell through, by which time a €5.5 million facelift was already well under way. The new ‘Arena’ circuit was originally designed to comply with MotoGP regulations, with the motorcycling series making the switch to Silverstone later this year, but yesterday’s seal of approval from Ecclestone’s Formula One Management company means F1 cars will also use the new lay-out.
Officials hope the new section – which will increase the circuit length by 760 metres and create three new overtaking opportunities.
Walker suspended
ATHLETICS: Spanish Olympic silver medal-winning walker Francisco Fernandez has been suspended from competition pending a disciplinary ruling on possible doping offences, the Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) said yesterday. “On Wednesday, the RFEA president received an email from Fernandez’s lawyer, signed by the athlete, in which he admitted to the possession of substances prohibited in the sport,” a federation statement said.
