SPORTS DIGEST

Today's other stories in brief

Today's other stories in brief

'Bambino' vows to derail Dunne's title ambitions  

BOXING:Eduardo "Bambino" Garcia has promised to derail Bernard Dunne's world title ambitions when they fight at the Breaffy House Resort, Castlebar, on November 15th.

The Mexican dangerman looks set to provide Dunne with an acid test of his world-title credentials in Co Mayo, and Garcia is in no doubt about the outcome.

READ MORE

The 28-year-old said, "I have heard about Dunne and watched some of his fights on the internet. He is a good fighter but I believe I am simply better and I think he will be a great stepping stone for me to a world title."

Garcia is ranked number seven by the WBC and 15 with the IBF.

BOXING:Ireland's Tyrone McCullagh and Ray Moylett progressed to within two fights of bronze medals at the AIBA World Youth Championships following wins in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Moylett, from the St Anne's club in Westport, was in total control against Brazilian Jefferson Silva, winning 21-2 over four rounds and will now meet Welsh lightweight Fred Evans in the last 16 this evening.

McCullagh, who boxes out of the Oliver Plunkett club, beat Shokhrukh Khudjabekov of Uzbekistan 11-8 to set up a last 16 meeting with Dmitris Gutmans of Latvia or Marcos Cabral of Argentina tonight.

Reddan due in but Irish camp still missing players based in England

RUGBY:Eoin Reddan was expected to link up with the rest of the 41-man Ireland squad in Limerick last night, but the Irish management were resigned to not having the other four English-based players in the squad: Geordan Murphy, Bob Casey, Mike Ross and Roger Wilson, writes Gerry Thornley.

That follows this week's decision by Premier League Rugby (PRL), the umbrella group for English clubs, not to release their Irish players in this week's non-Test window.

"We are expecting Eoin Reddan due to an arrangement he has with Wasps," confirmed the Ireland manager, Paul McNaughton.

"We don't know for sure how long he will be staying with us, but we've been told he's coming. As far as I know, none of the other four are being released."

This seems especially unfair on Bob Casey, and while London Irish clearly have to abide by the PRL ruling of last Thursday, it's poor reward for their stalwart of seven seasons and current captain.

Casey won the last of his five caps over eight years ago and has been in international limbo since.

The squad will train in the University of Limerick over the next four days before being trimmed to 30 or 32, and will then reassemble on Sunday evening in Dublin before the team and replacements for the first of the autumn internationals, against Canada in Thomond Park, is named next Tuesday lunchtime.

Glasgow utility back Colin Gregor has been called up to the Scotland squad for their training camp in Spain. The 27-year-old was enlisted after his clubmate, Mark McMillan, sustained knocks to a shoulder and hip during training.

McMillan is unlikely to be fit to train today but is not regarded as a long-term concern.

The training camp at La Manga is preparation for Scotland's November matches against New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.

Twomey still on winning way

EQUESTRIAN:Billy Twomey is quickly making up for time, and money, lost through injury, after adding Sunday night's Grand Prix at the Odyssey in Belfast to the one he won recently at Birmingham's Horse of the Year Show.

The venue may have been different but his mount was the same, his own eight-year-old bay stallion Je t'Aime Flamenco, and the pair were the only ones to record a double clear in the four-day show's WKD-sponsored finale. Germany's Marc Bettinger (Caretina) picked up time faults to finish second.

In the earlier Belfast City Council Speed Stakes, Twomey's fellow Cheshire-based stable jockey Anthony Condon had to settle for runner-up position with Whinney Jackson behind Britain's Ellen Whitaker and CS On Line.

Povetkin pulls out of Klitschko bout

BOXING:Russian Alexander Povetkin has pulled out of December's title fight against Ukraine's IBF and WBO champion Vladimir Klitschko with a foot injury.

"Alexander won't need surgery but the fight is definitely off," Povetkins manager was quoted as saying in Russian media referring to the December 13th bout in Mannheim, Germany.

Povetkin (29), has won all 16 of his fights, including 12 by knockout, since turning professional in 2005 after a successful amateur career that included winning the Olympic heavyweight gold medal at the 2004 Games in Athens.

Klitschko's adviser, Shelly Finkel, said he would still fight on that date and their camp was busy finding a replacement.