A round-up of today’s other stories in brief
Harnan favourite for Meath job
GAELIC GAMES: Liam Harnan, who helped Meath to All-Ireland successes in 1987 and 1988, has emerged as the favourite to succeed Eamonn O’Brien as the Royals’ senior football team manager with the interviews due to start tomorrow night.
The former centre half-back from Moynalvey gained a notable addition to his CV when steering Skryne to a county SFC success this year, beating Seneschalstown in the final.
Indian hockey team target gold
COMMONWEALTH GAMES: India’s frenzied fans buoyed their men’s hockey team into the Commonwealth Games final yesterday as the side beat England on penalties to remain on course for the gold medal the host country craves the most.
While some events at the Delhi Games have been played in front of only a handful of supporters, the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium was rocking as 19,000 fans danced on seats and waved flags after India won the semi-final on penalties 5-4.
The result means India, who defeated rivals Pakistan in their previous match, will play favourites Australia in the final and are guaranteed a first Commonwealth Games men’s hockey medal.
Lyon ‘misinterpreted’ message
INTERNATIONAL RULES: Former manager of the Australian International Rules team, Garry Lyon has conceded that he may have played a role in the ill-feeling that existed between the series’ participating teams by encouraging his players to fight.
Lyon has revealed that he misinterpreted a message from the chief executive of the AFL Andrew Demetriou prior to the second test in 2002. Demetriou had asked for a meeting with the Aussie boss due to the fallout that had occurred after a huge row had taken place in the first test.
As a result of his misinterpretation, Lyons told his players that while they should avoid taking part in mass brawls, they could fight in a “one-on-one” situation.
As a result, Brad Scott was issued with a red card and sent off after punching Graham Geraghty repeatedly early in the second quarter.
“There was a big blue and of course the Irish are very quick to jump on the defensive and there was a big furore after it” recalled Lyon on Melbourne’s Triple M radio.
“So I had to go to a meeting with Andrew and he said: ‘This is the problem. They can handle one-on-one fights but not fellas charging in and jumping over the top.
“So I sort of misinterpreted that and when I gave the message for the next test, I said ‘if it’s one-on-one, you can go for your life but don’t be third man in’.”
Porterfield signs for Warwickshire
CRICKET: Ireland captain William Porterfield has completed a move from Gloucestershire to Warwickshire, signing a three-year deal at Edgbaston yesterday, writes Emmet Riordan.
The 26-year-old from Derry will join Ireland team-mate Boyd Rankin in Birmingham, with Warwickshire director of cricket Ashley Giles confident that the opening batsman can prosper at his new county.
“Will has proved his potential at international and domestic level and I believe he has a great deal more to offer,” said Giles. Porterfield, capped 113 times for Ireland said: “I am extremely excited to be joining the Bears. It’s a club with a great history and I’m looking forward to playing a significant part in their future success,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ireland lost to Sri Lanka by two wickets in their final 50-over match at the ICC Women’s World Challenge in Potchefstroom, South Africa yesterday.
Contador suggestion dismissed
CYCLING: The head of Belgium’s World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory has dismissed triple Tour de France champion’s Alberto Contador’s call for a threshold limit for clenbuterol positives.
Contador has been provisonally suspended by the International Cycling Union (UCI) after testing positive for a small quantity of clenbuterol during last July’s Tour de France.
He has denied deliberately taking the anabolic agent, which can be used to strip fat and enhance muscle size, and attributed the positive result to eating contaminated meat.
Peter Van Eenoo, the head of the Ghent laboratory, said that it was possible for positive clenbuterol tests to come from other sources although athletes were ultimately liable for substances in their bodies.
“Contaminated products or foodstuffs are possible causes, too,” he said.
Nigeria’s Oludamola stripped of gold medal
COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Nigerian Osayemi Oludamola was stripped of the women’s 100 metres Commonwealth Games gold medal yesterday after her B sample confirmed a positive test for a banned stimulant, the games federation said.
“The federation court determined that Ms Oludamola had committed an anti-doping rule violation and that she be disqualified from the games,” said a statement.
Her compatriot Samuel Okon, a 110 metres hurdler who also tested positive for Methylhexaneamine, has also been disqualified. Oludamola was awarded gold in controversial circumstances when Australian Sally Pearson was disqualified for a false start three hours after crossing the line. Natasha Mayers, who finished third in the blue riband sprint to take St Vincent and the Grenadines’ first athletics medal, will now be awarded the gold medal.
