Francie Barrett has been ruled out of Ireland's two-match boxing tour of New Zealand later this month. The move is a huge setback to Barrett and his efforts to compete at the Sydney Olympics.
IABA's standing committee on Saturday revealed that the Galway boxer cannot be accommodated by the New Zealand ABA with a suitable opponent. Barrett is one of three changes to the squad. Seven times national champion Neil Gough is unavailable because of a family wedding, while a suitable opponent also can not be found for feather champion Bernard Dunne.
Barrett is replaced by Ciarain Smithers from Bunclody, Gough by Kevin Cummiskey of Tralee and Dunne by Francis Maughan of Drimnagh.
IABA officers expressed surprise at the decision to exclude Stephen Reynolds, the St Joseph's Sligo heavyweight who competes in the world championships in Texas in August, from the 25 boxers who are to share the Sports Council's £82,000 allocation. It is believed the Sligo man did not "satisfy the criteria".
It was also announced after the IABA meeting that the national senior championships are fixed for January 14th, 15th, 21th, 22nd, and 28th.
A junior international against England was also mooted at the meeting.
Tennis: Owen Casey beat his Davis Cup team-mate Robert Collins 6-3 6-2 in the final of the Co Dublin Open Championship at Carrickmines on Saturday.
Collins could not come to grips with Casey's confident game on the fast croquet lawns. The visiting White sisters from Bournemouth, Jane and Anna, took the women's doubles title at the expense of Zara Wolseley and Emer Sloan.
Cycling: Ciaran Power of Comeragh was the overall winner of the Dan Morrissey Club's two-day race at Carlow, writes Jim McArdle. At the end of 142 miles, held in three stages, he had 17 seconds to spare over Paddy Moriarty, Paul Butler another second behind in third.
Power was fastest in the opening time trial on Saturday morning but only by less than a second from Paul Healion. Although Power was second to Butler on stage two over five laps of 12 miles, Power opened up a clear lead going into the second day. After a loop of 68 miles yesterday, Ray Clarke and David McQuaid broke away on the finishing 12 mile circuit and Clarke was first at the end. Power came in sixth to hold his overall lead.
Motor Sport: Jaguar are set to enter Formula One motor racing, it was reported yesterday. The Stewart-Ford team, bought by Jaguar's parent company Ford for Stg£60 million last month, will be relaunched with the Jaguar name and the new owners are expected to totally revamp the team according to British newspaper The Sunday Times.
Jaguar have some pedigree in motor sport, having triumphed seven times in the Le Mans 24-hour race, but Formula One would be a new departure. Chairman Wolfgang Reitzle said last week that Jaguar were looking to expand in the sports market.
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