Sports Digest

A round-up of other sports stories in brief

Champions League the top event

SPORT ON TV:Uefas Champions League final has for the first time replaced the NFLs Super Bowl as the most-watched annual sports event, according to a survey.

The yearly report from London-based Initiative Futures Sports and Entertainment, found that both events continue to grow but the European soccer final is growing faster.

With 2009 not including a “mega event” – a Summer Olympic Games or a soccer World Cup or European Championship – it offered a chance to measure the two biggest annual sporting events.

The Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, on May 27th, drew an average audience of 109 million while the Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals on February 1st, attracted three million less.

Afridi gets two-match  ban for ball tampering

CRICKET:Shahid Afridi has been suspended for two Twenty20 internationals after television cameras caught him biting the ball during his side's two-wicket defeat to Australia in Perth, a result which completed a 5-0 series whitewash.

Afridi, who was captaining the side, was seen putting the ball to his mouth and apparently biting down on the surface of the ball.

In a hearing straight after the close, match referee Ranjan Madugalle imposed two suspension points on the all-rounder, equating to two T20 matches for his country.

Afridi pleaded guilty to breaching article 2.2.9 of the International Cricket Council’s Code Of Conduct after being charged with “changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket” by on-filed umpires Asoka de Silva and Paul Reiffel.

Afridi, who captains the Pakistan side in Twenty20 cricket, will miss the match against Australia on February 5th and the first of two matches against England in Dubai on February 19th.

Kuerten the sole  Irish success

EQUESTRIAN:Germany-based Jessica Kuerten recorded Ireland's sole success at the five-star show in Zurich when landing Saturday evening's speed class on Miribel d'Auvray, writes Margie McLoone.

The Antrim-born rider and Lady Georgina Forbes’s 10-year-old Selle Francais mare came home clear in 53.11 seconds and had half a second to spare over the host nation’s Martin Fuchs (Riot Gun) with France’s Kevin Staut (Pin Ball 4) filling third place.

Unfortunately Kuerten and Castle Forbes Libertina failed to repeat their 2009 victory in yesterday’s Rolex FEI world cup qualifier. A fence down in round one saw the combination finish 12th behind Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat riding Tresor V.

Meanwhile, Shane Carey was successful three times at the two-star show in Neustadt Dosse, Germany, with the Hannovarian gelding Temple Road which is owned by McNamee’s Bakery and Ronnoco Jump Ltd.

Detail in SPORTS ROUND-UP

Magee claims European title

IRISH super-middleweight Brian Magee emerged victorious from Saturday’s battle of the southpaws with Danish puncher Mads Larsen to claim the vacant European title and a career best purse of €155,000 in Aarhus, Denmark on Saturday night.

The former Irish Olympian floored Larsen once in the fifth and twice in the sixth before the fight was stopped by ref Erkki Meronen after the Dane visited the canvas again in the seventh.The three ringside judges had the Irishman 58-53, 58-53, 59-52 ahead when the fight was halted 15 seconds into the frame.

Magee, an ex Holy Trinity Belfast club-man, who had to relinquish his British title last year because of injury, emulated Derry’s Charlie Nash in winning a European crown in Denmark.

Russians next for Irish pair 

AUSTRALIAN OPEN hero Louk Sorensen and Conor Niland have been drawn against Russian opponents in the first round of the ATP Challenger Tour event in Kasan, Russia today.

Sorensen, who made the second round of the main draw at Melbourne Park, faces Evgeny Donskoy, while Niland, who made the final round of qualifying in the Australian Open, takes on wild card Anton Manegin.

Solid start for McConvey and O'Brien

CYCLING:Irish riders Conor McConvey and Paídi O'Brien had a solid start to their 2010 season yesterday, placing 34th and 43rd respectively in the 1.1-ranked GPCycliste la Marseillaise in France writes Shane Stokes.

The 139.7 kilometres race was won by Jonathan Hivert (Saur-Sojasun), who proved quickest out of a breakaway group that had gone clear inside the final hour of racing.

McConvey and O’Brien, two Irish An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team riders, were in a 76-man bunch coming in for 10th place.

Their Belgian team-mates Nico Eeckhout and Kenny Lisabeth had strong performances, finishing 11th and 12th, and getting 2010 off to a good start for the squad.

Earlier, Ireland’s Roger Aiken finished 53rd in the world cyclo-cross championships -one lap behind Czech rider Zdenek Stybar, who dominated the race.

Details in SPORTS ROUND-UP