Today's other stories in brief
Texaco shortlist 16 sports
SPORTSTARS: A shortlist of 16 sports from which the winners of this year's 51st Texaco Sportstars will be chosen has been announced. They are: athletics, boxing, camogie, cricket, cycling, Gaelic football, golf, horse racing, hurling, ladies football, motor sport, rowing, rugby, sailing, soccer and swimming.
This year, the scope of this annual event has been extended to include a new award - the Texaco Young Sportstar Award aimed at a younger generation of sports stars of 18 years and under.
The winner of this new award will be announced shortly along with the eight other Texaco Sportstars Award winners.
Awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held in Dublin on Wednesday, November 19th. Also being presented on that evening will be the Texaco Hall of Fame Award, which goes to a prominent sports personality from the past.
Annual book contenders named
SPORTS BOOKS: The 23 contenders for this year's William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year Award were announced yesterday with the winner being announced in early December.
Last year's award was won by Trevor Brennan with Gerry Thornley for Heart and Soul, which documented Trevor's highs and lows through his rugby career in Ireland and France.
This year's list includes, Foul Play - What's Wrong With Sport by Joe Humphreys, Sonia - My Story by Sonia O'Sullivan with Tom Humphries, House of Pain - the Rooms of Mayo Football by Keith Duggan.
Fast, Higher, Stronger by Lindie Naughton and Johnny Watterson and Touching Greatness by Dermot Gilleece.
This year the public will also get a chance to have their say in the award. You can vote for your favourite book on www.irishsportsbookoftheyear.com
Ivanovic advances
TENNIS:World number one Jelena Jankovic beat French Open champion Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4 in their opening White Group match at the WTA Championships yesterday. It was only the second time Jankovic beat her fellow Serb in eight meetings.
In the same group eighth seed Vera Zvonareva downed fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3 while American Venus Williams defeated second-seeded Russian Dinara Safina 7-5, 6-3 in the Maroon Group.
New HSI winter series to increase participation
EQUESTRIAN SPORTS: Full details of a new national show jumping competition, which kicks off on Saturday, November 15th, in Claregalway, were published yesterday by Horse Sport Ireland, writes Margie Mcloone.
The HSI national winter tour 2008 runs over three qualifying weekends this month with the finals taking place on Saturday, December 13th, at Cavan Equestrian Centre.
It aims to increase participation in the sport as well as promote Irish-bred horses and ponies.
Speaking about the tour, which takes place when there is traditionally little activity on the home front, Joe Walsh, chairman HIS, commented: "We are looking forward to the new competition and I want to acknowledge the work of ShowjumpingIreland representatives to the HSI board in putting the competition together."
Meanwhile, the executive board of the Federation Equestre Internationale has called on the entire FEI dressage committee to resign immediately, citing "a series of issues indicating the current committee's lack of flexibility on certain key matters."
The communique from the FEI also states that the dressage committee "has been seen to work in isolation, not fully representing the interests of the dressage community as a whole".
Nov 15th: Claregalway Equestrian Centre; Nov 22nd/23rd: Killossery Lodge Stud; Nov 29th/30th: Kernan Equestrian Centre. Dec 13th: Grand Final - Cavan Equestrian Centre.
Saturday
Leinster Club SHC: quarter-final: Ballyboden-St Enda's (Dublin) v Birr (Offaly), Parnell Park, 2.30.
Women's Football: All-Ireland Senior Semi-final: Inch Rovers (Cork) v Mountmellick Sarsfields (Laois), Killeagh GFC, Co Cork, 2pm.
Sunday
Leinster Club SFC: quarter-finals: Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) v Newtown Blues (Louth), Parnell Park, 2.30; Éire Óg (Carlow) v Colmcilles (Longford), Carlow, 2.30; Rhode (Offaly) v Portlaoise (Laois), Tullamore, 2.30; O'Mahonys (Meath) v Castledaly (Westmeath), Navan, 2.30.
Connacht Club SFC: semi-finals: Eastern Harps (Sligo) v Ballaghadereen (Mayo), Markievicz Park, 2.30; Castlerea (Roscommon) v Corofin (Galway), Dr Hyde Park, 2.30.
Munster Club SFC: semi-final: Nemo Rangers (Cork) v Kerins O'Rahillys (Kerry), Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2.00.
Ulster Club SFC: quarter-final: Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) v St Patrick's (Fermanagh), Crossmaglen, 2.30.
Waterford SH Final: Abbeyside v De La Salle, Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 2.30.
Women's Football: All-Ireland Senior semi-final: Carnacon (Mayo) v Donaghmoyne (Monaghan), Ray Prendergast Memorial Park, Clogher, Co Mayo, 2pm.
Coghlan enters Hall of Fame
FORMER World 5,000 metre Champion and Indoor Mile world record holder Eamonn Coghlan will receive the Hall of Fame Award at the annual National Athletics Awards in Association with Waterford Crystal, which will take place at a Gala Dinner in Dublin on November 15th.
Coghlan, a three-time Olympian, ran his first sub-four minute mile in May 1975 with an Irish record 3:56.2 and one week later broke the European record with 3:53.3.
