A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Kelly to step down at end of season
RUGBY: Connacht chief executive Gerry Kelly will step down at the end of this season, writes Gavin Cummiskey. The former Garbally College teacher became president of the Connacht Branch in 1995, and the province’s first and only CEO in 1999.
Kelly said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of Connacht rugby for the last 30-odd years and I have seen the game grow at every level since then. I feel that it is the right time for me to pass on the reins and, by doing so right now, it leaves the path clear for the recruitment process to start so the right candidate can be in place for the start of next season.
“I have seen dramatic changes to the sport over the years. I remember there being less than 1,000 people in the Sportsground for Challenge Cup games in 1999 and then you had this season where we had over 9,000 in the same venue for a Heineken Cup match – that’s a tremendous growth figure.”
Kelly, a former Irish schools selector, expressed his delight at the expansion of youth and schools rugby in the province during his tenure. “It is also very promising to see the promotion of indigenous players to coaching positions within the club. Eric Elwood, Dan McFarland, Tim Allnutt, Nigel Carolan, have all played with Connacht and their experience and knowledge of Connacht are helping to shape the future and define the very being of the club.
“The future of Connacht rugby looks bright with the Connacht Branch Management Committee, the PGB and the IRFU working together to push on to new levels.”
Seven are named for final Olympic boxing qualifier
BOXING: The Irish Amateur Boxing Association have ratified their seven-man squad for the final Olympic qualifier for European male boxers in Trabzon, Turkey, in April.
Paddy Barnes, Michael McDonagh, Ross Hickey, Adam Nolan, Joe Ward, Tommy McCarthy and Con Sheehan will line out for Ireland by the shores of the Black Sea.
All seven retained their titles at the National Elite Championships at Dublin’s National Stadium last Friday night. Ward beat Ken Egan 29-10 and also scooped the Boxer-of-the-Championships award.
Michael Conlan, John Joe Nevin and Darren O’Neill, who also retained their Irish titles at the weekend, have already qualified for the Olympics.
The London-bound trio will take part in Ireland’s intensive preparations for the Turkish qualifiers.
The squad will begin an eight-day training camp in the Curragh on Thursday before heading to Germany for a second training camp and a final training camp in the Ukraine. The Irish team will also compete in the Chemistry Cup Multi Nations, which gloves off in Halle, Germany on March 13th.
“We have a very difficult task ahead of us to get some more lads qualified. We’ll start knuckling down to that task and begin the hard work at our training camp in the Curragh this week,” said Irish head coach Billy Walsh.
The Trabzon qualifier takes place from April 13th to April 22nd.
Pakistan's spinners sort out England
CRICKET: Pakistan’s spinners “outclassed” England’s batsmen at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for a thoroughly deserved 3-0 Test series whitewash.
Captain Misbah-ul-Haq knows that much, after yesterday’s 71-run success completed the rout on the back of yet more wickets for Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.
Pakistan, of course, must play their “home” series hundreds of miles away from their country because of ongoing political turmoil.
Ajmal and Rehman inflicted a series of batting collapses on England over the past three weeks.
But in the final Test, Pakistan had to overcame a shambolic first innings of their own – which realised only 99.
From that moment, they barely put a foot wrong – limiting England’s lead to 42 and then setting the opposition a near record target of 324 to win on the back of hundreds from Younis Khan and Azhar Ali.
Joyce commits to Galway cause
GAELIC FOOTBALL: Galway football manager Alan Mulholland has received a huge boost with former Footballer of the Year Pádraic Joyce committing to another season with the Tribesmen.
The 34-year old met manager Mulholland last week and wants to continue his inter-county career for at least another season.
Mulholland can now count on Joyce’s vast experience as he infuses the Galway side with the young players who won the 2007 All-Ireland minor title and last season’s Under-21 crown.
Joyce has had to battle back from injury in recent years, including a troublesome Achilles problem, but has committed to the cause for another season.
He will undergo a fitness campaign over the next few weeks and is likely to feature in the latter stages of the National League campaign.
