Boxing: Paul Ingle has taken his first faltering steps since suffering life-threatening injuries during the IBF world featherweight title fight on December 16th.
Yesterday consultant neurosurgeon Robert Battersby said: "Three weeks down the line he is making remarkable progress. He's sitting up in bed, looking around, talking - and is walking with help. He knows about the past but has difficulty with the present and future - to predict how he's going to be two years from now is very difficult."
Trainer Steve Pollard said Ingle had lost none of his fighting spirit: "I don't know what his first words were but I have heard him swearing. He's doing very well, his memory is still there. He recognises people, knows what belts he's won and can recall the telephone codes for Hull and Scarborough. All we do now is hope he makes a full recovery."
Battersby said: "The fact that he is swearing is a good sign, as it shows he's not lying there impassively. The difficulty with him is going to be gaining new memories."
Board set to step up weight checks
By David Field, PA Sport Boxing Correspondent
Meanwhile, championship boxers look set to face regular weight-checks in the wake of Ingle's injury. The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) stewards meet in London today and will study reports from all involved parties including promoter Frank Warren, manager Frank Maloney, trainer Steve Pollard, referee Dave Parris and consultant neurosurgeon Battersby.
A system of random monitoring in the build-up to title fights is already part of BBBC policy, but that procedure looks set to be more comprehensively imposed.
Rugby: Bernard Lapasset, the president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), and Serge Blanco, the president of the National Rugby League, have summoned former national coach Pierre Berbizier to appear before them and explain his allegations of rampant drug-taking in the domestic game.
"If things aren't as they should be then they need to be exposed," said Lapasset.
Motor Sport: Ralf Schumacher set the fastest time in practice at the Jerez circuit in yesterday in his Williams-BMW.
Schumacher, who was also fastest in Monday's session, shaved another five tenths of a second off to clock one minute 23.159 seconds compared with Monday's 1:23.630 as he put in 63 laps. Second fastest was Italy's Giancarlo Fisichella in a Benetton, in 1:24.081.
Cycling: Lance Armstrong, whose US Postal team are under investigation for possible drug use, will not ride in France before this year's Tour de France.
Twice winner Armstrong said on his official website that he planned to contest four events in Spain as part of his build-up to the Tour on July 7th-29th. Armstrong has backed down on earlier threats to boycott this year's Tour de France and will attempt a third successive victory.
