Championship exclusion hits London hard

Gaelic football: The London GAA community was yesterday coming to terms with its sudden ejection from the football championship in the midst of renewed concerns about foot-and-mouth disease, reports Keith Duggan.

The exiles were due to host Mayo in Ruislip on May 27th but were informed by the Connacht Council late on Thursday night that the game would not go ahead. A letter from the IFA in Mayo expressing fears about the game proceeding is believed to have influenced the decision.

"The players and the management are absolutely gutted," said London board secretary Tommy Harrell. "It was a big date for us financially, given that Mayo are the new league champions. But, also, the new manager Tom Roche has seen his efforts ruined and the players have been training for nothing."

London remain uncertain if they will be allowed re-enter the competition in the "back-door" rounds and feel that it would be unfair if they were just jettisoned, particularly since there are no cases of foot-and-mouth near London.

Cycling: Irish professional Ciaran Power yesterday broke his collarbone when he crashed in the finishing sprint of the Four Days of Dunkirk cycling race in France, writes Shane Stokes. The 25-year-old St QuentinOktos rider was part of a large group sprinting for the win at the end of the stage from Fontaine au Pire to SaintVenant when he was sent crashing to the ground after a rider ahead of him lost control.

Cricket: [The star South African batsman of the tour to the West Indies and five of his team-mates have been caught smoking cannibis in a hotel room, the country's cricket governing body said yesterday, saying the players admitted their guilt.

Herschelle Gibbs - who scored a match-winning century at the Kensington Oval on Wednesday - and five other members of the tour party were fined about £1,120 each and severely reprimanded.

Boxing: Promoter Don King plans to have heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman fight in China on August 4th on the same card as the Evander Holyfield-John Ruiz bout, according to Pat English, a lawyer for Lennox Lewis's promotion company, Main Events.

English said King would match Rahman in China against little-known Brian Nielsen of Denmark. King virtually ensured a slew of lawsuits over the right to promote Rahman when he signed the new champion to a promotional contract yesterday. Cedric Kushner insists he still is Rahman's promoter.

Tennis: Spanish eyes weren't smiling at the German Open in Berlin yesterday as world number one Martina Hingis knocked out former champion Arantxa SanchezVicario to reach the semi-finals while US third seed Jennifer Capriati dumped out reigning champion Conchita Martinez.

Hurling: Brian Corcoran will miss Cork's championship clash against Limerick after breaking his finger in a club match this week.

Soccer: UEFA president Lennart Johansson told a German newspaper that the number of teams in the Champions League would be reduced from 2003, and should be contested by league champions only.

Meanwhile, AC Milan beat city rivals Inter 6-0 in the Milan derby at the San Siro, sparking angry protests from their fans. Juventus moved into second place behind Roma with a 3-1 win over Fiorentina.