A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Olympic Council allocates €20,000 to gymnast Behan
GYMNASTICS: The Olympic Council of Ireland yesterday announced the allocation of €20,000 to Irish Olympic gymnast Kieran Behan to help his preparations for the London Olympics. Behan (22) has captured the imagination of the Irish public following his surprise qualification for the Olympics – and the revelation he went from a wheelchair to becoming a key member of Ireland’s challenge for success at the London 2012 Games.
Pat Hickey, president of the Olympic Council of Ireland noted: “Kieran has shown tremendous grit, determination and courage in achieving the very high and exacting Olympic standard. He is a winner and undoubtedly has the drive necessary to make his Olympic dream come through. We in the Olympic Council are pleased to provide essential grant aid to assist this stunning newcomer.”
Trump sets up O'Sullivan quarter-final
SNOOKER: Judd Trump set up a Masters quarter-final with Ronnie O’Sullivan after a scrappy 6-3 victory over Stuart Bingham in the first round at Alexandra Palace.
The 22-year-old from Bristol managed two centuries in the best-of-11-frame contest but his quick-fire style all too often gave way to errors that Australian Open champion Bingham was quick to capitalise on.
Bingham led 3-2 but UK champion Trump stepped up his game, picking up four frames in a row to take the victory.
Trump admitted he had been below his best and would have to raise his game significantly for his meeting with O’Sullivan on Thursday. “I’ll have to improve probably 50 per cent if I want to beat Ronnie,” he said.
England injury fears subside in Dubai
CRICKET: England appear to be over two late injury scares before the first Test against Pakistan, which starts today.
No sooner had Andrew Strauss’ tourists learned Stuart Broad’s bruised foot was nothing serious and would not stop him playing at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium than another “friendly fire” injury was landed on a second key player.
Ian Bell had to leave nets on the eve of the three-Test series for an X-ray after one of batting coach Graham Gooch’s throw-downs had struck him a painful blow on the left wrist.
Thankfully it was soon confirmed there was no break, and Bell too is expected to be fit.
An England spokesman had earlier described the X-ray as “precautionary” but the news will nevertheless come as a huge relief, with Bell a linchpin of England’s batting line-up during their ascent to the top of the International Cricket Council Test rankings.
Care put off the road for 16 months
RUGBY: England rugby player Danny Care was fined €3,750 and banned from driving for 16 months yesterday after pleading guilty to drink-driving in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The Harlequins scrumhalf was stopped at the Winchester services on the M3 motorway in Hampshire, Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard. The incident came three weeks after he had been fined by police for being drunk and disorderly.
Mirco Bergamasco out of Italy squad
RUGBY: Italy coach Jacques Brunel has named four uncapped players in his 30-man squad for the for the first two games of the RBS Six Nations Championship.
Brunel, who replaced Nick Mallett at the helm in November, has included 22 of the players that competed in last year’s World Cup.
The experienced Salvatore Perugini, Carlos Del Fava, Mirco Bergamasco and Gonzalo Garcia were left out, with uncapped youngsters Alberto De Marchi, Luca Morisi, Angelo Esposito and Giovanbattista Venditti in instead.
ITALY SQUAD: Martin Castrogiovanni, Lorenzo Cittadini, Alberto De Marchi, Andrea Lo Cicero, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Tommaso D’Apice, Marco Bortolami, Quintin Geldenhuys, Antonio Pavanello, Cornelius Van Zyl, Robert Barbieri, Mauro Bergamasco, Paul Derbyshire, Simone Favaro, Sergio Parisse, Alessandro Zanni, Edoardo Gori, Fabio Semenzato, Kristopher Burton, Luciano Orquera, Tommaso Benvenuti, Gonzalo Canale, Luca Morisi, Alberto Sgarbi, Angelo Esposito, Roberto Quartaroli, Giulio Toniolatti, Giovanbattista Venditti, Andrea Masi, Luke McLean.
Bias claim delays Contador verdict
CYCLING: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will not give a verdict in Alberto Contador’s doping case before early next month because of allegations of bias in the arbitration panel, sport’s highest court said yesterday.
“This regrettable incident has slightly delayed the work of the panel and the publication of the final decision should now take place during the week of January 31st,” CAS said in a statement.
Contador tested positive for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France and was originally cleared by the Spanish federation, only for the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to appeal the decision to CAS.
