BOXING: John Joe Joyce is within one fight of a medal after recording a convincing last-16 win over American Jerry Belmontes at the World Junior Championships in Morocco yesterday.
Joyce, from the St Michael's club in Athy, beat the Texan 31-18 and will now meet a Russian opponent in the quarter-finals with a bronze medal up for grabs.
John Joe Nevin from Cavan was also in top form yesterday coming from 10 points down to defeat Bulgarian Serj Dimitria 48-28 in a seesaw 48kg decider. Nevin joins Michael Collins and Ryan Lindberg in the last 16 in north Africa.
Meanwhile, Damaen Kelly's coach, Mike Hawkins is quietly confident that his man will get an EBU Bantamweight rematch against Italian, Simone Maludrottu in Belfast in November.
GAELIC GAMES: Alan Dillon (Mayo) and Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) have won the Opel Gaelic Player of the Month Awards for August in football and hurling respectively. John O'Mahony, chairman of the football selection committee wasn't surprised that the players chose Alan Dillon after three inspiring performances on the big stage inside a frantic two-week period for Mayo footballers. "The competition for the August award must have been huge and it says a lot for Alan's displays in Croke Park that he got the verdict."
The chairman of the hurling selection committee, Donal O'Grady, praised Shefflin. "After the retirement of DJ Carey, many people wondered who would step into the breach for Kilkenny when inspiration was needed upfront, and Henry has taken on that responsibility with gusto."
CYCLING: Ireland have named a team of nine for the Road Cycling Championships, which take place in Salzburg, September 20th-24th.
First up is Ryan Connor who competes in the under-23 time trial. He will later be joined by two of his Sean Kelly Team-mates Páidí O'Brien and Mark Cassidy alongside VC La Pomme's Daniel Martin in the under-23 Men's Road Race.
Like Ryan, David McCann will also be doing the double. The Giant Asia rider is due to compete in the Elite Men's time trial on Thursday, September 21st. Two days later he will join Nicolas Roche and Philip Deignam in the Elite Men's Road Race.
Ireland's only female entrant is Siobhan Dervan who competes in the Women's race, a 22km course consisting of six laps, on Saturday, September 23rd.
