Boxing: Naseem Hamed has offered the clearest indication yet that he will risk his World Boxing Organisation featherweight title against the unbeaten Mexican Erik Morales, possibly as early as this summer. At his training camp in the Canaries, where he is preparing for his defence against South Africa's Vuyani Bungu in London on March 11th, Hamed said: "I can't wait to fight Morales. He could be the next fight after Bungu. Morales is seen, especially in America, as probably the best fighter in the lower divisions. My beating him should make me the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world."
Cycling: Tommy Evans saw his chance of overall victory slip away in the first stage of the Tour of Rhodes yesterday. Evans, who had finished second in Wednesday's prologue, suffered a puncture at the top of the climb on yesterday's stage, and a delay in getting a replacement wheel meant that the Irish national champion conceded over 13 minutes by the finish and was 124th.
Tennis: Thomas Enqvist fought back from a set down to beat Karol Kucera 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 yesterday and reach the quarterfinals of the $800,000 London Indoor Championships. He was joined in the last eight by top seed and 1998 champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov who knocked out Daniel Vacek 6-2, 75 in a far more straightforward clash.
Gaelic Football: St Jarlath's Tuam were deserving three-point winners over St Mary's Galway in the Connacht Colleges semi-final at Tuam yesterday. St Mary's were within one point of St Jarlath's at half-time and drew level through a Paul Creaven point early in the second half. However, St Jarlath's pulled away again with points from Tomas Griffin, Conor Mortimer and three from Derry O'Brien (all frees). St Mary's made a gallant effort to reel them in and a Peter Hughes shot in the dying moments was well saved by Jarlath's goalkeeper Colm King. St Jarlath's held on for an 012 to 0-9 win.
ST JARLATH'S: C King; C Monahan, J O'Shaughnessy, JP O'Neill; D Mullahy, D Blake (0-1), A Dempsey; M Webb, T Griffin (0-1); JP Steed, E O'Connell (0-1), D O'Brien (0-4); C Carty (0-1), C Rowland, C Mortimer (0-4).
ST MARY'S: P Kilgannon; P Coyne, P Feeley, I Burke; J Faherty, F Moore, R Devanney; L O'Brien, P Creaven (0-2); P Higgins (0-3), E McHugh, P Burke (0-1); P Hughes (0-2), G Clancy, T Regan (0-1). Sub: J Morton for L O'Brien.
Golf: Laura Davies laughed her way into the lead in the Australian Masters at Royal Pines yesterday. On 67, five under par, she finished alongside Australia's Jane Crafter and a stroke ahead of the world number one Karrie Webb.
