Sports Digest

A round-up of other sports news in brief

Woods still top of sporting rich list despite problems

RICH LIST: Tiger Woods has been off his game since his extramarital affairs were exposed last year, but he’s still the world’s highest-earning athlete, according to 2010 rankings released yesterday.

Woods claimed the top spot on a US list of 50 athletes for the seventh consecutive year, though his total earnings fell 10 per cent to $90.5 million (€71 million), according to Sports Illustrated. His total is also down 40 per cent from $127.9 million (€100 million) in 2008.

Tennis star Roger Federer, at $61.8 million (€48 million), bumped soccer player David Beckham from the top spot he had held the last two years on the international list.

Woods’s earnings for the 2010 list are comprised of $20.5 million (€16 million) in earnings and $70 million (€55 million) in endorsements from such sponsors, fall of €17 million from last year.

On the international list, Federer jumped from ninth, while Beckham slipped to third at $40.5 million (€31.5 million) behind Lionel Messi at $44 million (€34.5 million).

Ireland guaranteed two bronze

BOXING: Ireland are guaranteed at least two bronze medals from the European Schoolboy Boxing Championships following a day of mixed fortunes in Yambol City, Bulgaria, yesterday.

Westmeath ace John Joe booked his place into the semi-finals – and secured bronze – following a 1-0 (41.5kg) win over England’s Dalton Smith.

Wayne Kelly, in a last 16 bout, also emerged victorious after beating Yasin Dastan of Turkey 4-1 on a double-countback following a 1-1 and 2-2 tie.

EUROPEAN SCHOOLBOY CHAMPIONSHIPS(Yambol, Bulgaria – last 16 and quarter-finals): 41.5kg: J Joyce (Ire) beat D Smith (Eng) 1-0. 44.5kg: G Storey (Ire) lost to A Alexandru (Mol) (last 16) 1-4. 52kg: M Cawley (Ire) lost to D Pesotskyy (Ukr) 2-3. 59kg: C Hayes (Ire) lost to S Aliyev (Azer) 0-2. 40kg: B McDonagh (Ire) lost to A Prygoda (Ukr) 0-1. 46kg: D Keating (Ireland) lost to A Lomonosov (Rus) 1-3. 50kg: W Kelly (Ire) beat Y Dastan (Tur) 1-1 c/b 2-2, 4-1. 56kg: J Connolly (Ire) lost to D Vasyliyev (Ukr) 0-1.

Muralitharan closes in on 800 mark

CRICKET: Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan was left needing two more wickets to reach a Test landmark of 800 as India finished day four of the first Test in Galle on 181 for five.

Muralitharan, playing in his final Test match, claimed six wickets as India, resuming on 140 for three, were bowled out for 276 and forced to follow on.

At stumps India still trailed by 63 runs, following Sri Lanka’s first innings 520 for eight declared.

Muralitharan claimed five for 63 from 17 overs in India’s first innings and took one for 57 when they followed on, claiming the wicket of Yuvraj Singh.

India’s second innings was rocked by the loss of openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag before tea but Sachin Tendulkar (84) and Rahul Dravid (44) mounted a recovery.

Tendulkar played with some freedom to chalk up his 55th Test half-century.

Armagh, Antrim to meet in final

ULSTERUnder-21 SHC:

Derry 0-10 Armagh 2-11: Armagh dominated Derry at a Casement Park last night. The game was as good as over at half-time when Armagh led by 2-6 to 0-2. The excellent Conor Coulter finished the game with 1-5 from play, with Michael Lennon supplying the other goal.

SCORERS – Derry: A Grant (0-1), D ONeill (0-2), P Henry (0-6f); P Cleary (0-1) for C McSorley, C Crossan for L Hawkins. Armagh: K McKiernan (0-4f), M Maguire (0-1); M Lennon (1-0), D Carville (0-1); C Coulter (1-4), M Moan (0-1) C Corvan (0-1)

Antrim 0-19 Down 1-12: Antrims under-21 hurlers remain on course to retain their title after a four-point win over Down. Antrim led by 0-10 to 1-6 at the break. Down gained the lead for the first time after the restart when Danny Toner and Woods pointed but Antrim scored five of the next seven points to regain control.

SCORERS– Antrim: J Campbell (0-1), PJ OConnell (0-1), M Devlin (0-2), T McCann (0-1), C Rocks (0-1), M Armstrong (0-4), D Hamill (0-9), C Brogan. Down: C Woods (0-4), Mageean (0-1), P Keith (1-2), D Toner (0-4), A Clarke (0-1).

Hamilton thinks Germany will tell a lot

FORMULA ONE: Lewis Hamilton feels this weekend’s German Grand Prix will serve as a barometer for the remainder of the season.

After 10 of the 19 races it has so far been a Formula One campaign full of twists and turns, with no clear indicator as to who will be crowned world champion.

Ahead of Sunday’s race, Hamilton holds a 12-point lead over McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, with feuding Red Bull rivals Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel 17 and 24 points adrift respectively.

“I think this race will give us a very good read on form for the second half of the season,” said Hamilton.

“The big question mark for this weekend surrounds some of the other top teams. They’ve shown improved performance over the past two, three races, even if they’ve not fully managed to score the results their pace suggests. So it will be interesting to see just how close things have become.”

Lisa Maguire in stunning finish

GOLF: Lisa Maguire was on the heels of the leaders after the first round of the European Ladies Amateur Championship in the Czech Republic yesterday – thanks to a spectacular finish.

A birdie three on the 15th followed by an eagle three on the 16th helped the 15-year-old Curtis Cup star from Slieve Russell to post an opening three-under-par 69.

She is in joint third spot just two strokes behind leaders Marta Silva from Spain and Italian Giulia Molinaro.

Lisa’s twin sister Leona did not have such a good day returning a 75 comprising halves of 40 and 35, finishing with a bogey five.

Mary Dowling produced a spirited performance to stay in touch with a 73 – the easier back nine proving more difficult for her as she took 38 strokes coming home, having gone out in 35.

Victoria Bradshaw was round in 77 with halves of 37 and 40. She closed disappointingly with a double bogey five at the short 17th and a bogey five at the last.