Damaen Kelly yesterday met with a top plastic surgeon in a bid to save his career. The former British and Commonwealth flyweight champion, who lost both titles to Scotland's Keith Knox two weeks ago after suffering terrible cuts, is anxious to find a solution to the facial damage he continually sustains.
The 24-year-old met with Professor Patrick Bowler at the Court House Clinic in Brentford along with coach Mickey Hawkins and manager Frank Maloney.
Bowler believes he can put Kelly's career back on track, and a hopeful Maloney said: "No expense is being spared."
"I believe Damaen has the ability to be a world champion, but we have to get this problem with cuts sorted out now.
"Professor Bowler is one of the top men in Europe and he's only agreed to meet us because Damaen is an exceptional talent - he wouldn't have bothered otherwise.
"We will also be meeting with a dietician and a dermatologist to see if there are any creams and skin oils that can help Damaen.
"It is also possible that Damaen might be dehydrating to make the flyweight limit which would also affect his skin. I believe a solution can be found and Damaen can go on to more success.
"I can take comfort from looking to the likes of Billy Schwer (European lightweight champion) and Alan Minter, who despite having a cuts problem managed to win the world middleweight title".
Maloney also suggested Kelly will return to the ring in October, possibly for a re-match with 31-year-old Knox, who was well behind on points when the Ulsterman was forced to retire with a gash which had cut to the bone.
Ukrainian Sergei Gontchar won the 18th stage of the Tour of Italy cycling race, a 45km time trial, in Treviso yesterday. The 28-year-old Vini Caldirola rider, who also won a time-trial in last year's Tour of Italy, came in 17 seconds clear of Italy's Paolo Savoldelli, with Laurent Jalabert of France a further 34 seconds back in third.
Seventh-placed Marco Pantani of Italy retained the overall leader's pink jersey. His margin over Savoldelli may have been cut from over two minutes to just 44 seconds, but mountain stages today and tomorrow will give him the edge before Sunday's finish in Milan.
Meanwhile cycling's world number one Michele Bartoli is virtually certain not to race again this season after he suffered a serious knee injury when he crashed during the sixth stage of the Tour of Germany yesterday. The 29-year-old Italian, who won the Fleche Walloon race earlier this season, tore a rotular tendon when he fell 75km into the stage.
Japan's hockey squad, who meet Ireland in two internationals at Belfield over the weekend, were confined to a 1-0 win against a Leinster President's Selection in the tourists' opening game of their visit to Dublin last evening.
With Alan Bothwell and Richard Beere particularly resolute in the home defence and Stephen Kinsella saving a penalty stroke from Takahiko Yamahori, the Japanese had only an eighth-minute goal by Naoya Iwadate to show for their efforts on a saturated pitch.
Leinster went close to equalising on several occasions, notably when Justin Sherriff shot narrowly wide in the first half and also when Graham Shaw was barely foiled in the last minutes of a well contested match.
Sports ministers of the European Union pressed yesterday for a minimum two-year ban for all serious doping offences. "We have agreed that there should me a harmonisation of sanctions at international level such as a minimum two-year ban," German Interior Minister Otto Schily said at the end of a three-day meeting.
"The implementation of an effective fight against doping must take place through an independent and transparent anti-doping agency," he added.
