Sports digest

Today's other stories in brief

Valverde benefits as Freire demoted

CYCLING: Spaniard Alejandro Valverde won the first stage of the Tour of the Basque Country yesterday following the relegation of compatriot Oscar Freire. Ireland's Daniel Martin finished a creditable ninth on the stage.

Philip Lavery staged a great comeback to win the PO Irish Sea Tour of the North yesterday, attacking from the drop of the flag and being joined by Martyn Irvine (Planet X) and the Australian Dean Windsor (Rapha Condor). He finished second on the stage but had 18 seconds to spare from overnight leader Hamish Haynes.

Maguire retains French Under-21 title in style

GOLF: Leona Maguire once again demonstrated her immense talent yesterday in storming to a second successive French Women's under-21 title at St Cloud, Paris.

The 15-year-old from Slieve Russell became the first player in recent times to record back-to-back successes in this championship.

And she came from behind like a true champion to retain her title with a 3 and 2 victory in the 36-hole final over Norwegian Tonje Daffinrud.

Maguire was stunned early on by Daffinrud who was four under par and three up after six holes. But the teenager battled back in style to square matters at the halfway stage and took the lead for the first time when she rolled in a 15-foot putt for a birdie three at the 20th.

She went two up at the 27th and then, after a succession of halves, wrapped up another triumph with a 10 foot putt for birdie at the 34th.

Ireland bid for Olympic qualifier

BOXING:The Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) have sent a letter of intent to World amateur boxing chiefs AIBA with a view to hosting one of the qualifying events for the 2012 Olympic Games.

IABA administrative director Don Stewart, confirmed that the IABA, which celebrates its 100th birthday next year, had written to the AIBA outlining their plans to hosts one of the qualifiers for the London Olympiad.

The IABA, which won Ireland’s only medals at the 2008 Olympics, will face competition from Armenia, Germany, Turkey, Russia, Hungary and Azerbaijan for one of the European qualifiers.

The host cities will be decided at the 2010 AIBA Executive Committee meeting to be held in July. Meanwhile an 11- strong Irish men’s and women’s senior team are in Turkey for the Prime Ministry tournament. Ken Egan, a silver medal winner at the Beijing Olympics, and World champs Katie Taylor and Ray Moylette have been included in the squad for the tournament which gloves off in Ankara today.

Undersized Irish up against it

RUGBY: Ireland face more than a mountain to climb when they take on England in the Under-18 Five Nations at Llandovery today (2.0). The physical chasm between Ireland and Wales on the opening day is equal to that between England and Wales to judge by the former's 43-22 slicing of the Baby Dragons in Swansea two weeks ago.

The problem for Ireland is that they are undersized with a Capital U everywhere from loose-head prop Rory Harrison right back to full-back Ross Jones. In order to move the ball into threatening positions, two kickers in the form of outhalf Cathal Marsh and Paddy Jackson, moved to inside centre, have been selected.

IRELAND: R Jones (Castleknock); M Corballis (St Michael’s), P Nelson (Royal, Dungannon), P Jackson (Methodist), S Coghlan-Murray (Newbridge); C Marsh (St Michael’s), L McGrath (St Michael’s); R Harrison (Methodist), N Scannell (PBC Cork, capt), K McCall (Wallace High), J Conan (St Gerard’s), S Buckley (Rockwell), C Gilsenan (Clongowes Wood), A Conneely (Colaiste Iognaid), D Qualter (Sligo Grammar).

Cricket mourns Alec Bedser

CRICKET: Tributes have poured in for former England pace bowler Alec Bedser, who has died at the age of 91. Bedser took 236 wickets in 51 Tests for England and also helped Surrey to eight County Championships, earning a reputation as one of England's greats. Before his death, Bedser was the last man alive to have taken the wicket of Donald Bradman, something he did six times, more than any other cricketer.