Gaelic Games: Kilkenny's John Power yesterday received the Eircell All Star monthly award for July, an honour largely influenced by his memorable display in the Leinster hurling final against Offaly. Despite incurring a hand injury, Power produced one of the most exciting games of his long career, helping Kilkenny to an eventual 11-point victory.
Last Sunday, Power played an equally pivitol role against Galway, a game which ended in Kilkenny's third successive passage to an All-Ireland final. He becomes the third Kilkenny player to receive the monthly award since its inception two years ago, joining current captain Willie O'Connor and DJ Carey.
Athletics: Former Olympic 100 metres champion Linford Christie will have his positive drugs test for nandrolone considered by the International Amateur Athletic Federation's (IAAF) arbitration panel next Tuesday. Britain's Christie, European 200 metres champion Doug Walker and 400 metres hurdler Gary Cadogan have each tested positive for the anabolic steroid but were subsequently cleared by the national governing body UK Athletics. IAAF general secretary Istvan Gyulai said yesterday the panel would hear final submissions on the Walker case during the morning and would then consider the Christie and Cadogan cases together.
Cricket: In a rain-interrupted women's international at Milverton yesterday, Holland under-21 had five wickets standing at close of play, but failure by the earlier batters to push the score along saw Ireland under-21 prevail convincingly by 35 runs. Helmien Rambaldo top-scored with 46, there were other useful contributions from skipper Cheraldine Oudelf and Caroline Hes, while Ciara Metcalfe was Ireland's best bowler, with 2 for 26 off her 10 overs.
When Ireland batted first, Aoife Budd top-scored with a lively 45, well supported by Ciara O'Brien who had an undefeated 42, and Isobel Joyce who scored 36. The second one-day international between the two countries will be played at Kenure today, with play starting at 1.00.
Cycling: Top Belgian cyclist Johan Museeuw was improving in hospital yesterday two days after suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle crash near his home. Musseuw remains in intensive care at Ghent University Hospital. A build-up of fluid on his brain has eased, eliminating the need for surgery or further brain scans, a hospital spokeswoman said. The 34-year-old won the Paris-Roubaix race for the second time in April.
Soccer: A German court yesterday upheld the convictions of four soccer fans jailed for up to 10 years for savagely beating a French policeman (Daniel Nivel) during the 1998 World Cup. The federal court in Karlsruhe, Germany's highest court, rejected the appeals against last November's convictions. One fan was jailed for 10 years for attempted murder and three others for three and a half, five and six years for causing grievous bodily harm.
Hockey: Railway Union will be tuning up for the new season by competing in an international tournament in Barbados next week. Germany, Holland, England and the US are among the countries to be represented. The Dublin club will be in a colourful group including three local sides, a team from Venezuela and a party from Luton.
Tennis: The first shock of the East of Ireland Senior Open Championships at Londonbridge Road last evening was one that the organisers did not wish to materialise, for it concerned the number two seed and Davis Cup player Conor Niland who scratched. Later it was learned that Niland had reached the main draw in a British circuit ITF Futures event and in the circumstances his withdrawal was understandable. Timo Barry advanced as a result.
