Sports digest

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Schools match to be replayed

GAELIC GAMES: An All-Ireland Schools senior hurling semi-final is to be replayed this weekend after it emerged that the winners had fielded a number of players who were ineligible – because they were too young.

Tipperary defeated Galway by 2-17 to 1-14 in a gripping All-Ireland Vocational Schools semi-final at the weekend but it emerged afterwards that two of their players and a number of subs were underage.

There is a rule in the competition that junior players – those with a date of birth after 1st July 1994 – cannot play in the inter-county competition. The matter was brought to Galway’s attention after the game when it was noticed in the team lists that a number of Tipperary players were ineligible because they were too young.

Galway, under competition rules, would be awarded the game if the lodged a successful complaint but after discussions between the counties it was decided to replay it next weekend with Tipperary not fielding the younger players.

Double celebration for Spain

AWARDS: SPAIN enjoyed a double celebration yesterday when tennis champion Rafael Nadal and their World Cup winning soccer team walked away with the top prizes at the Laureus Sports Awards.

Nadal was named Sportsman of the Year after a remarkable season in which he won the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open trophies while Spain’s World Cup side were named Team of the Year at a glittering ceremony in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. American Alpine skier Lindsay Vonn, who won the Olympic downhill gold at the Vancouver Games last February just days after suffering a shin injury, was voted Sportswoman of the Year.

The awards are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. Double Oscar winner Kevin Spacey hosted the event attended by celebrities from sports and entertainment.

McGee clinches place in final round

TENNIS: Ireland's James McGee reeled off two wins yesterday to clinch a place in the final round of qualifying of the ATP Challenger Tour event in France. The 23-year-old Dubliner opened up with a 6-2 6-2 thrashing of France's Damien Cueff in the morning session of the indoor carpet tournament in Quimper, Brittany.

And the Castleknock man followed up in the afternoon with a similarly emphatic 6-3 6-0 success over the Philippines’ Treat Conrad Huey. But the 666-ranked Irish ace faces a stiff test to make the main draw, having to face the number two seed, France’s 372-ranked Kenny De Schepper today. Barry King overpowered the Ivory Coast’s Davis Cup player Valentin Sanon 6-0 6-1 in the opening round of qualifying. But the unseeded Knocklyon man, who is ranked at 938, was edged out by the number five seed, France’s  501-ranked Julien Dubail, 4-6 6-4 6-4 in the second round.

Conor Niland is the number two seed in the main draw and faces Germany’s Sebastian Rieschick in the opening round.

Ricco taken off the critical list

CYCLING: Top Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco is in hospital with an unspecified illness but has been taken off the critical list, doctors said yesterday. Ricco, who returned from a 20-month ban last March after being caught doping at the 2008 Tour de France, entered hospital on Sunday. "His condition was initially critical but he has improved. The prognosis remains reserved," Italian media quoted a statement from the hospital in Modena as saying.

Reports said he has kidney, intestinal and lung problems. The 27-year-old, who races for the Vacansoleil team, had his house raided in September as part of a police probe into doping and unidentified tablets were seized but charges have not been brought.

O'Rourke continues her build-up for Europeans

ATHLETICS: Derval O'Rourke has confirmed her participation at the Irish Indoor Championships on February 20th, which once again are being staged at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, writes Ian O'Riordan.

O’Rourke opened her indoor season in Austria last Thursday with a second place finish in the 60 metres hurdles, and will use the Irish Indoors as part of her build-up to the European Indoor Championships, which are set for Paris on March 4th-6th.

In the meantime O’Rourke will next race this evening at the Pas de Calais meeting in France – the fourth stop on the IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting series.

The intention is to improve the 8.16 seconds she ran in Austria, when finishing second to the American Yvette Lewis, and certainly O’Rourke will want to get under eight seconds in advance of Paris.

Also confirmed for Belfast is O’Rourke’s training partner Ailis McSweeney, and fellow 60-metre specialists Niamh Whelan, Claire Brady and Amy Foster.

McSweeney opened her season with a new best time of 7.34 in Chemnitz in Germany in January, but the Cork athlete will face serious competition from Brady, who was Athlete of the Meet in Belfast last year after her 7.35 seconds performance in taking the 60 metres title ahead of McSweeney.

Klitschko urges Haye to fight

BOXING: Wladimir Klitschko has challenged David Haye to face him in a potential heavyweight unification bout on July 2nd.

The Germany-based Ukrainian will take on Dereck Chisora for his IBF and WBO titles in a rescheduled fight in April, which means WBA champion Haye must also take on the mandatory challenger for his title, Ruslan Chagaev of Uzbekistan, before any fight with Klitschko can take place.

“I think after talking so much nonsense (Haye) has to show up in the ring,” said Klitschko. “He has been trying to be smart but eventually he put himself in a corner. He’s talking about legacy – I don’t see the legacy with him, to be honest with you.

“I’m confirming that July 2nd, as I’ve said before, that’s the date for the fight. Either David Haye takes it or he just leaves the whole thing there.”