Soccer: All three managers of National League clubs involved in yesterday's draw for the first round of the UEFA competitions have said that they are happy with the opposition they've been handed and pleased, in all three cases, to be playing their first leg games away from home, writes Emmet Malone.
In the Champions League Shelbourne have been paired with FC Sloga Jugomagnat of Macedonia in the first round (July 12th and 19th) with the winners to play leading Norweigan side Rosenborg.
Bohemians take on Scottish Cup finalists Aberdeen in the UEFA Cup while Cork City travel to Switzerland to face Lausanne Sports (both ties on August 10th and 24th).
UEFA Cup draws in SPORTS ROUND-UP.
Athletics: Germany's former 5,000 metre Olympic champion Dieter Baumann had his suspension for doping lifted yesterday by the German Athletics Federation's (DLV) Disciplinary Commission.
The 35-year-old, who won gold in the 1992 Olympics following a silver in the 1988 Games in Seoul, is likely to line-up at the athletics Grand Prix in Nuremberg, Germany tomorrow.
Wolfgang Schoppe, president of the commission, declared that as far as the DLV was concerned Baumann was in the clear although he wouldn't give the reasons why saying that all would be explained next week.
Cricket: A weary Hansie Cronje ended three days of cross-examination at the King Commission into corruption in tears yesterday, following a gruelling session in which he said he wanted to use money he took in bribes to redress the damage he had done to cricket.
The sacked 30-year-old skipper broke down as the panel of lawyers at the commission wrapped up their cross-examination and thanked the former captain for his co-operation.
He was helped out of the room by a minder and by his brother Frans after being warned that he might be recalled to the inquiry.
Rowing: Sinead Jennings finished fourth in her heat yesterday in a powerful headwind at the World Cup regatta in Vienna. The Irish lightweight single sculler may yet make the final, but the strength of the winds meant that her repechage - and a big portion of the entire schedule - was postponed until today.
Jennings, who had the fifth fastest time yesterday, must take first or second in one the two repechages today to join the two winners of the heats in the final.
Cycling: Four years after winning the world-ranked event, Irish cyclist David McCann went close to repeating the feat in the Manx International road race yesterday. McCann was part of a strong four-man Irish team which lined out for the prestigious competition and on the final climb McCann forged clear with FBD Milk Ras winner Julian Winn. In the dash for the line McCann was narrowly outsprinted by the in-form Welshman, echoing a similar frustration in the Archer GP in April when he was bettered by professional Roger Hammond.
With Tommy Evans fourth, David O'Loughlin fifth and Paddy Moriarty 11th, the Irish team were clearly the strongest in the race.
