Opening ceremony

SPORTS DIGEST:CRICKET: Bangladeshis cast aside their usual reserved image yesterday and proudly displayed their sporting passion at the gala opening ceremony of the World Cup.

The €22 million jamboree was opened by prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh will stage the tournaments opening match between India and Bangladesh at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka tomorrow.

Grand Prix doubt

MOTOR SPORT:Formula One's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 13th may have to be called off due to civil unrest in the country, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone yesterday.

“We’ll make a decision by Tuesday or Wednesday (next week),” he said. “If things stay as they are today, the answer is no,” he added when asked whether he felt the race at Sakhir circuit would go ahead.

“If it’s not quietened down by Wednesday, I think we will have to cancel probably.”

Taylor cruises to Multi-Nations semi-final

BOXING:World lightweight champ Katie Taylor advanced to the semi-finals of the Strandja Multi-Nations following a 7-0 win over Danuse Dilhofava of the Czech Republic in Pazardjik, Bulgaria yesterday.

The Bray woman will now meet English southpaw Natasha Jones in todays semi-finals.

Dublin middleweight Sinéad Kavanagh received a bye into the last-four and will face Tamara Garcia of Spain at the 22-nation men’s and women’s tournament.

Meanwhile, Ken Egan is back in action at the home of Irish boxing tonight when he meets Thomas Roohan in the first of the weekend’s light-heavyweight semi-finals in the Elite Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin.

ELITE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS(National Stadium Dublin: Tonight (6pm). Quarter-final – 81kg: D Joyce (St Michaels Athy) v S Allen (Arklow); Semi-finals – 52kg: G Molloy (Moate) v M Conlon (St John Bosco); 56kg: T McCullagh (Holy Family) v S Cox (Gorey); 60kg: E Donovan (St Michaels Athy) v M McDonagh (St Marys); 64kg: J McDonagh (Dockers) v R Hickey (Grangecon); 69kg: JJ Joyce (St Michaels Athy) v K Brabazon (St Saviours OBA); 75kg: D ONeill (Paulstown) v C Cummings (Holy Trinity); 81kg: K Egan (Neilstown) v T Roohan (Ballincarrow); 91kg: C Sheehan (Clonmel) v S Ward (Monkstown); 91kg+: C McMonagle (Holy Trinity) v C Devaney (Ballincarrow).

Women's Semi-finals– 51kg: D Rogers (Bray) v K Rowland (Geesala); 51kg: R Dillon (Crumlin) v C Smith (Cavan); 57kg: S Quaile (Drimnagh) v M Walsh (Holy Family); 57kg: E Agnew (Dealgan) v D Duffy (Ryston); 64kg: A Murphy (Eastside) v S Close (Abbey); 64kg: S Mason (Bray) v K Harrington (Corinthians); 69kg: L Traynor (Bray) v C Connolly (Raphoe); 69kg: N Hamill (Gleann) v J Lyons (St Francis).

Details of club seven’s launched

RUGBY:The IRFU has launched its Club Sevens Championship in which there will be four provincially based tournaments and an All-Ireland Club Seven's Championship, writes Johnny Watterson. The winning team will go on to represent Ireland at a European Ultimate Seven's tournament during the summer.

The competition will have both men’s and women’s tournaments drawn from clubs that compete in the regular 15-man provincial leagues. The top two teams from each event will then go on to compete in the All-Ireland Seven’s.

The provincial rounds will take place in May with the All-Ireland Championship taking place in St Mary’s College RFC on May 21st. The Munster Championship will be hosted in Cork Institute of Technology on May 7th with the Ulster Championship in Belfast Harlequins on the same day. The Leinster and Connacht Championships take place on May 14th, with Terenure College and Galway Corinthians RFC the venues.

Ireland defeated

BADMINTON:England reached the quarter-finals of the European Team Championship in Amsterdam with a 4-1 win over Ireland.

Chloe Magee took Ireland’s only point, beating Sarah Walker.

Scott Evans lost to Rajiv Ouseph, while Chris Adcock and Andy Ellis beat Evans and Sam Magee in the doubles. Mariana Agathangelou and Heather Olver beat Jennie King and Sinéad Chambers. Sam and Chloe Magee also lost in mixed doubles.

Collingwood Cup

SOCCER:The 91st Collingwood Cup will kick off on Monday when holders UCD take on the College of Surgeons in Santry for a place in the semi-finals of the event which is being hosted by Trinity College, writes Emmet Malone.

The hosts of the Dublin Bus sponsored event will play the winners of Monday’s game between University of Ulster Jordanstown and Queens on Tuesday. The final of the tournament is next Thursday at 2.30pm in College Park.

Chechen leader takes to the pitch

SOCCER:The Brazilian superstar footballers invited to play in Chechnya next month will probably take special care to avoid any fouls as they go up against none other then Ramzan Kadyrov, the republic's leader and a former warlord.

Kadyrov plans to take to the pitch in Grozny on March 10th when, according to the sports ministry, Brazil’s 2002 World Cup winners – who include Ronaldo, Kaká and Ronaldinho – will fly into the heart of Russia’s troubled Caucasus for what may well turn out to be the strangest match of the century.

“Ramzan Kadyrov himself will be the team’s captain,” Khaidar Alkhanov, the republic’s sport minister, said this week. “This will be a powerful stimulus for (the) players and a huge present for Chechen supporters.” There has been no confirmation from the Brazilian side.

Maximum score for Hendry

SNOOKER:Stephen Hendry compiled the 10th tournament maximum break of his career in the opening frame of his Welsh Open clash with Stephen Maguire in Newport last night.

Hendry held his nerve to pot a difficult pink and nudge in the black to equal the career record set by Ronnie O’Sullivan, whose maximum in the World Open last year was also his 10th.

Ali Carter beat Peter Ebdon 4-1 yesterday to advance to the quarter-finals of the event.