Olympic Games: The Olympic Council of Ireland were again the target of severe criticism yesterday, this time from the newly formed Athletes' Forum, which claims that the OCI underperformed in Sydney, writes Johnny Watterson.
Following an inaugural meeting in Dublin last weekend, the new forum particularly singled out the history of public squabbling between the OCI and various agencies including the Irish Sports Council, the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation Jim McDaid and the National Coaching and Training Centre in Limerick.
It further pointed out that the OCI had fallen short of what was required of them during the Sydney games this year. The forum concluded: "It was unanimously felt that the OCI officials were unable to fulfil the needs of the athletes in Sydney."
The forum was comprised of 30 athletes, 27 of whom had just returned from Sydney. The disputes engaged in by the OCI were seen to detract from more important issues.
Boxing: The road to the Athens Olympics effectively begins for Ireland's promising boxing prospects at the National Stadium tonight with the staging of the opening series in the national intermediate championships.
Record entries have been received in most weight divisions and already some firm favourites have emerged. Coleman and James Barrett, brothers of former Olympian Francie, are well fancied at middle and heavyweight respectively. Coleman returned from the World Junior Championships in Budapest earlier his week with bronze. Boxing gets under way at the newly refurbished Stadium this evening at 5.00 p.m..
Tennis: The Ireland women's tennis team opened their bid in the European nations cup on a highly promising note in Bjarred, Sweden, yesterday evening, beating Luxemburg 2-1 in a exciting tie.
Gina Niland returned to something of her best form, fighting back in style to oust Manda Minella 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Cork teenager Elsa O'Riain never found the consistancy needed to beat Celine Francois and went down 6-2, 6-3. Ireland's doubles partnership of Karen Nugent and O'Riain were in superb form, winning in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5.
Meanwhile, Spain's Alex Corretja completed the eight-man line-up for the season-ending Masters Cup in Lisbon by reaching the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters Series at Bercy.
