A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Kubica convinced he will be back on F1 grid next season
FORMULA ONE:Robert Kubica is convinced he will be back in Formula One next year. He is still undergoing rehabilitation in the wake of the rallying accident earlier this year that has ruled him out for the rest of the current F1 campaign.
The Pole required four separate operations and was in hospital for two and a half months before being released to continue his recovery at home in Monaco and at an Italian sports clinic.
In a fans QA on the Renault website, Kubica was asked whether he will be on the grid next year and also be able to fight for the title.
“Yes to the first question. For your second question, we will have to wait until the first test in 2012, replied Kubica, a clear indicator he has no doubts he will recover from his injuries, notably a severely-damaged right hand.
I am satisfied with how things are proceeding, added Kubica.
It is still too early to have a clear picture for the timing of my return, but the important thing is the final outcome, not the hurry.
Cleary and Joyce progress in Grozny
BOXING: Ireland's James Cleary and John Joyce cruised into tomorrow's European Schoolboy Championships 44.5kg and 48kg finals after a semi-final double over Armenia in Grozny, Russia, yesterday, reports Bernard O'Neill.
But Tiernan Bradley bowed out at the semi-final stage after he was beaten 4-0 by Constantine Misechkin of Russia in the 52kg class yesterday.
Cleary, from the Olympic BC in Galway, beat Spartak Tamaryan of Armenia 6-1, and Joyce, who boxes out of the Moate BC in Westmeath, secured a 4-1 win over Tamaryan’s compatriot Zakar Khachatryan.
Craig Bonney, Seán Conroy, Matthew Burke, Lewis Crocker and Keelan Sexton, who are all guaranteed at least bronze, will be in semi-final action today.
Ireland will be taking home at least two silver and six bronze.
Big guns fail to fire at Royal Portrush
GOLF: The big guns failed to fire yesterday in the Magners North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, at Royal Portrush, as all three senior internationals left in the race were sent packing.
Scot David Sutton put out holder Alan Dunbar in the morning, with the winner then marching through to the semi-finals with a one hole win over David Mulholland.
Next to go was Paul Dunne, beaten by Luke Lennox and, finally, title favourite Paul Cutler lost to neighbour Aaron Kearney, at the 20th, to set up a semi-final date today with Harry Diamond.
Diamond reached this stage for the first time after blitzing Moyola Park’s Luke Lennox, yesterday afternoon, by 6 and 4, having disposed of Lucan lad Richard O’Donovan in the morning by 2 and 1.
Local hopes now rest with Patrick McCrudden, who beat the last southern man standing, Robbie Cannon from Balbriggan, by 4 and 3.
No South and North Korea co-hosting
OLYMPIC GAMES: North Korea will not be allowed to co-host the 2018 Winter Olympics with South Korea, International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Jacques Rogge said yesterday.
“The IOC awards the Games to one city in one country,” he told reporters in Tokyo.
“As far as spreading venues between the two countries, that’s something we do not consider.
“We’re not going to change the Olympic Charter because otherwise you complicate the organisation,” said Rogge.
After South Korean resort Pyeongchang won the 2018 bid last week, the main opposition Democratic Party, in particular, floated the idea of co-hosting the Games with the North.
But Rogge quickly slammed the door shut on co-hosting, though he insisted the North and South would be free to enter a joint team.
