OLYMPICS: There is no room for error as organisers of February's Winter Games in Italy enter a last-minute rush to finish preparations, coordination commission president Jean-Claude Killy said yesterday.
Work on the main structures is finished, but Turin's streets and squares still resemble construction sites, while the mountain venues at Sestriere, Pragelato and Cesana are cluttered with machines and scaffolding.
"It is critical that nothing unwanted happens to the situation, because that would be a catastrophe," Killy said at a news conference after a final inspection of the sites.
HOCKEY: Riet Kuper has included four uncapped players in a panel of 23 that will begin preparations later this month for April's World Cup Qualifiers in Rome. Zanya Dahl (Old Alexandra), Sinead Dooley (Railway Union), Katherine Elkin (Randalstown) and Louise Henderson (Pembroke Wanderers) have been called up after impressing the senior coach at the recent interprovincial tournament in Cork, writes Mary Hannigan.
Hannah Bowe, Emma Stewart and Deirdre Casey could not be considered due to study commitments but Bowe is in a development panel.
TENNIS: Martina Hingis will play a "pretty full" schedule next year, feet permitting, according to her manager Mario Widmer.
Speaking the day after the former world number one from Switzerland announced her surprise comeback, Widmer said a lot still depended on how well Hingis coped physically.
"Martina has been thinking about a return throughout this year and made the decision gradually after seeing how much stronger her tennis was becoming," Widmer said.
Plagued by a string of foot, heel and ankle injuries, Hingis sued her former shoe suppliers Tacchini. The sides reached an out-of-court settlement.
CRICKET: The Intercontinental Cup for non-Test playing nations will become a global competition from 2006, and matches will be increased to four days from three, the ICC has said.
It will be played next year by eight countries divided into two groups with the winners meeting in the final.
From 2007, it will be converted to round-robin format with the eight teams playing each other over a two-year period.
Trent Johnston, captain of Cup holders Ireland, said: "The switch to four-day cricket means there is much more scope for tactics."
