Sports Digest: A round-up of other sports news
BOXING: The St Michael's club in Athy made an explosive start in the preliminary rounds of the National senior championships at the National Stadium last night, reports Pat Roche.
And it was the Joyce clan who dominated with brothers John Joe and David advancing with style. Their cousin David Anthony Joyce, a brilliant southpaw, beat lightweight opponent Thomas Dillon of Drimnagh after the Dubliner sustained a cut eye 50 seconds in to the final round.
John Joe Joyce, who is in the same division, was a clear 17-9 winner over the Ulster champion David Moore of St Joseph's, Derry.
At first Moore showed great promise through more varied work but the Athy boxer had an 8-3 lead at the halfway stage and used the ring brilliantly to force Moore to chase the points. More often than not the Derry boxer was caught with solid lefts and good combinations to head and body on his way in. John Joe's brother David, at light welter, overwhelmed William McLaughlin of the Donegal club, Ilies Golden Gloves. Joyce was generally quicker to the punch and piled on the points to cause a stoppage a little over a minute into the third round under the 20 points rule.
It took light welter Terry O'Neill from the Mount Tallant club a little time to find the measure of his southpaw opponent Paul Connolly of Neilstown. But once the Mick Dowling-trained O'Neill found his rhythm he was well on the road to victory and ended a deserving 22-16 winner.
EQUESTRIAN: Irish tenor Ronan Tynan was in Dublin to launch a new five-round spring Grand Prix show jumping league yesterday, reports Grania Willis.
The singer, who is himself a keen horseman, announced details of the Guidam Grand Prix Spring Tour, sponsored by Knightfield Equestrian and supported by both the Show Jumpers Club and the Show Jumping Association of Ireland.
The five rounds of the Guidam Spring Tour will be contested at Kilronan, Co Dublin (March 20th), Kill Equestrian, Co Kildare (March26th/27th), Glenamaddy, Co Galway (March 28th), Cavan Equestrian, Co Cavan (April 1st-3rd) and Barnadown, Gorey, Co Wexford (April 9th/10th).
CYCLING: Former points race world champion Laurent Biondi, assistant manager for French cycling team AG2R, was held for questioning in Grenoble in a doping investigation, legal sources said.
Biondi was arrested on Wednesday for his alleged implication in a ring of riders and former riders dealing 'Belgian pot' - a mixture of drugs commonly used in cycling circles.
Eighteen people have been charged in the case, including former professionals Laurent and Fabien Roux.
ATHLETICS: Olympic 5,000 metres silver medallist Isabella Ochichi has been included in Kenya's team for this month's World Cross Country Championships despite finishing 17th in February's national trials.
Ochichi was among 36 athletes named in the team yesterday for the event in France from March 29th-30th who have been training at the foot of Mount Kenya.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Team Ireland won six medals on the last day of competition of the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in the Slalom event in Japan. This brings Ireland's tally to 12 medals (four gold, three silver and five bronze). Each member of Team Ireland won at least one medal over the three events of downhill, giant slalom and slalom and Ryan Hill from Richhill in Co Armagh won a full set of medals, gold, silver and bronze.
