Hockey: the Irish Hockey Association is being advised to take the International Hockey Federation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne following the decision of the FIH's disciplinary committee on Thursday to uphold Lithuania's appeal against the running of their penalty-strokes competition at the World Cup Qualifier in September, writes Mary Hannigan.
"It would be disastrous if we didn't appeal, I simply cannot see this ruling standing up," was one Irish legal opinion yesterday.
"It is highly unlikely to be upheld by CAS and Ireland would be well advised to proceed in the proper expectation of success.
" It is a judgement that flies in the teeth of normal legal interpretation. That is my view and I feel very strongly about it."
The FIH has so far refused to make public the reasons behind its decision to reverse the ruling of the Qualifier Tournament director Claire Peeters-Monseu - who ordered a replay of the stroke shoot-out between the two teams.
It has emerged, however, that they did so because she consulted with another FIH official before making her decision (thus, her judgement was "affected"), when she should have made the decision alone.
They did not, however, dispute that she had made the correct decision.
India, who supported Ireland's stance and, like Ireland, disputed the disciplinary committee's right to listen to an appeal on Peeters-Monseu's ruling - when it was stated in the tournament rules that there would be no right of appeal against decisions made by the TD - are understood to be incensed by the decision.
India were due to play the United States in a three match play-off, with home advantage - they are now being asked to attempt to qualify for the World Cup finals in South Africa, by finishing above two of Ireland, Lithuania and the USA in an eight-team tournament.
The IHA will meet today to discuss their response to the FIH ruling, but the impracticality of asking the Irish squad to compete in a tournament in South Africa in two months' time may encourage them to challenge the decision.
Tennis: World number one Lleyton Hewitt suffered a shock five-set defeat by Nicolas Escude in the Davis Cup final yesterday before Pat Rafter played masterful grasscourt tennis to pull Australia back to 1-1 against France.
Rafter swept aside Sebastien Grosjean 6-3 7-6 7-5 on the specially-laid court at Melbourne Park to steady Australian nerves after Hewitt, the US Open champion and the hottest player in men's tennis, went down 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4.
