Rider in coma after Paris-Nice crash

CYCLING: Kazakhstan rider Andrei Kivilev, who fell into a coma following his fall in the second stage of the Paris-Nice classic yesterday, has serious head and face injuries, according to race organisers.Kivilev lost consciousness after his fall and was rushed to hospital.Italy's Davide Rebellin, of the Gerolsteiner team, took the overall lead of after winning the 182.5km second stage from La Clayette to Saint-Etienne.

HOCKEY: There are five new faces in the 25-player Irish senior panel named yesterday by coach Riet Kuper, writes Mary Hannigan. They replace the four members of November's World Cup squad who have retired - Tara Browne, Arlene Boyles, Karen Humphreys and Laura Lee - and the fifth, Pegasus defender Pamela Magill, who has been dropped.

Re-called after a three-year absence is Cork Harlequins' Karen Bateman, who last played for Ireland at the 2000 Olympic Qualifier in Milton Keynes but, due to work commitments, had been unavailable for selection.

HOCKEY: In a repeat of last year's Leinster Schools Minor Cup final, Muckross Park beat Wesley College, this time on penalty strokes after the game ended 1-1 following extra time, writes Mary Hannigan.

Shannon Taylor gave Wesley the lead six minutes into the second half, after being set up by Rachel Scott, but Muckross levelled through Anna O'Flanagan two minutes from time.

Muckross had the better of extra time but strokes were needed to separate the teams, with Liane Costello's conversion, in the second round, proving decisive after Ciara Houlihan had saved a Wesley effort.

CRICKET: Peter Thompson (32), ranked among England's leading cricket marketeers and administrators, has been appointed the first chief executive of the Irish Cricket Union (ICU), writes Karl Johnston.

Thompson has spent the past four years as head of marketing at Warwickshire County Cricket Club at Edgbaston, where he was responsible for all commercial activities.

He will be heavily involved, along with full-time national coach Adi Birrell, in helping the ICU to plan and stage the next International Cricket Council's World Cup Qualifying Tournament, which will be staged in Ireland in 2005.