Sport

U-16s still in medals hunt O'Reilly joins German club

DIGEST: In what can be perceived as a boost for Irish basketball, but a loss to the UCC Demons, Colin O'Reilly will join German…

Fri Jul 14 2006 - 01:00

DIGEST: In what can be perceived as a boost for Irish basketball, but a loss to the UCC Demons, Colin O'Reilly will join German club ETP SW Essen in October, reports Gavin Cummiskey.

O'Reilly (21) was the Superleague's leading home-grown scorer last season, averaging 19.53 points per game. It proves consistent, quality performances in the domestic game can create professional opportunities in Europe.

"It was the right time to move on after a successful season with UCC Demons and, since it's been my ambition to play professional basketball, I felt it necessary to take this opportunity and give it my best shot for the coming season," said O'Reilly.

"Hopefully this experience will help me achieve my other goal and that is to make the Irish senior men's national team in the near future."

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Ireland's boys and girls' teams remain in medal contention at the Under-16 European Championships, with both finishing second in their pools yesterday, the girls beating Italy 6-0 in Valencia and the boys drawing 0-0 with Poland in Dublin. Both teams thus advance to four-team "medal groups", reports Mary Hannigan.

Two goals each from Zara Delaney and Nicola Evans helped Ireland complete an unbeaten pool campaign and they now go into a group with the Netherlands, France and Spain - they play the Netherlands tomorrow and France on Sunday, with their pool draw against Spain being carried forward to the medal group. The boys play the Netherlands tomorrow and England on Sunday. Belgium, who have already beaten Ireland, complete the group. Today is a rest day in both tournaments.

McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa says he is taking a week-by-week approach to his unexpected return to the Formula One starting grid.

The Spaniard said yesterday he had heard only on Tuesday he would be replacing Juan Pablo Montoya at Magny-Cours for the French Grand Prix after the Colombian announced a move to the US NASCAR series.

With eight races remaining this season, the 35-year-old test driver hoped to stay in the driving seat but recognised that might not be the case.

"All I can say really is I have only been told I do the next few races and that's it," he said. "Obviously I want to do all the championship."

De la Rosa stood in for the injured Montoya in Bahrain last year, finishing a strong fifth, but McLaren's other test driver, Alexander Wurz, now with Williams, was also given a chance.