Boxing: Belfast's Eamonn Magee can't wait to showcase his talents on the world stage after retaining his Commonwealth light-welterweight title in quick-fire fashion in Peterborough on Saturday night.
The 28-year-old took just 48 seconds to see off the challenge of Kenya's Joseph Miyumo and book a place on the undercard for Lennox Lewis's clash with Michael Grant in New York on April 29th.
Magee said: "To get the chance to appear on the same bill as the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world is just amazing."
Miyumo, credited as 37 but looking even older, was in trouble from the moment Magee landed with a big right hook and after the Ulsterman followed up with three solid lefts the bout was over.
Magee, however, was quick to hit back at suggestions that the fight was a mismatch from the outset. "He was the number one contender for the Commonwealth title so he had every right to be in there," said Magee.
"If anyone thinks it was a farce just let them come and feel my right hook."
It was Magee's first defence of the title he won by beating Paul Burke in September and the victory improved his record to 16 wins and two defeats.
Basketball: Neptune suffered only their third loss of the season yesterday when they went down to a superb St Vincent's display at Glasnevin on a score of 88 -82, reports Ian O'Riordan.
Still assured of the league title, Neptune trailed by a point at half-time and were unable to overtake the home side as Stephen McGuirk helped complete a memorable victory for Vincent's by top scoring with 27 points.
Elsewhere, the Esat Telecom Demons took over sole possession of the runners-up position with a 90-56 win over the Clare Jets. Both Denny Notre Dame and Star of the Sea held onto joint third place following convincing weekend victories over the Clare Jets and Burger King, Limerick respectively.
Meanwhile, Tolka Rovers ensured that the women's title will hinge on next weekend's results when they comfortably beat Crusaders 78-46 to leave them just one victory short of their first ever title.
Olympics: International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch has slammed present drug testing procedures as outdated and claimed other methods are needed to stamp out doping in sport.
In an interview in the Spanish daily El Mundo, Samaranch said the IOC was already financing studies into the detection of performance-boosting substances such as EPO which improves stamina by producing more oxygen-carrying red cells. "We are looking for other methods of drug testing. Urine and blood are no longer sufficient," said Samaranch.
Athletics: Kenya's Benson Mutisya Mbithi won the rains-oaked Los Angeles Marathon yesterday in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 11 minutes 55 seconds.
Mbithi, 22, finished well ahead of runner-up Mark Yatich and 1999 winner Simon Bor.
Jane Salumae of Estonia, who trains in San Diego County, won the women's title with an unofficial time of 2:33:34.
Cycling: Colombian cycling legend Luis Herrera was set free yesterday 24 hours after he was kidnapped by armed men.
Herrera was released in a rural area near the central town of Tocaima and he was described by police as "safe and secure".
Herrera, who was fifth in the 1987 Tour de France, had spent most of his time since he retired farming on his estate.
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