Motorcycle Racing: Isle of Man government ministers are likely to come to a decision today on the staging of this year's TT races due to the foot-and mouth scare, reports Johnny Watterson. The council of ministers, however, has until the end of the month to make a final decision.
Over 35,000 motorcycle fans travel to the island each year in the first week of June and spend £16 million sterling during the event. The track, however, winds through farmland.
In Ireland the entire motorcycle racing schedule has been devastated by the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Tyrone and Antrim.
The North West 200, which attracts over 100,000, was cancelled when government officials in Stormont recommended it should not proceed. It follows the cancellation of races at Cookstown and Tandragee.
Cycling: Irish cyclist David McCann recorded his best performance as a professional when he finished 28th in the world-ranked Tour of Cologne in Germany, reports Shane Stokes. The Irish road race champion sprinted home in a large group racing for sixth place, 28 seconds behind race-winner Gian-Matteo Fagnini of the Telecom squad.
McCann's performance in this prestigious 1.3-ranked event is his most impressive since his ride in the Olympic Games last September when he was 43rd.
Meanwhile, Irishwoman Geraldine Gill finished sixth in the Finale Challenge du Frimur in France. The race was won by Stiphanie Poilvet of the VC Dinan club.
Tennis: A significant degree of optimism should accompany Ireland into their Davis Cup match against Denmark at Riverview, Dublin at the end of the month, writes Johnny Watterson. The four-man Ireland team of Scott Barron, Peter Clarke, John Doran and Owen Casey is one of the strongest teams for some years.
Barron and Clarke have recently returned from early-season stints in Australia where they have had encouraging success in Challenger events, with Barron taking his career ranking to 269, the highest it has ever been.
Although Denmark are expected to be very competitive and are led by Kristian Pless, the best junior player in the world in 1999 and ranked at 92 in the ATP Tour, Ireland are looking for a win. The match is a first-round tie in the Euro-African Group Four section.
Olympic Games: Olympic boss Juan Antonio Samaranch said yesterday he did not support Kim Un-yong's plan to allow IOC members to visit cities bidding for the Games if the South Korean is elected IOC president in July. The decision to ban visits to potential host cities was one of the key reforms pushed through by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Samaranch following the Salt Lake City corruption scandal in 1998 and 1999.
Rugby: French international Christian Califano has agreed a one-year deal to play for New Zealand Super 12 side the Auckland Blues next season. Califano said he has agreed to return to Toulouse after his stint in the Southern Hemisphere.
Swimming: National coach Ger Doyle is among six nominations for Swim Ireland's three positions on the Olympic Council of Ireland to be filled at the association's a.g.m. in Galway on Saturday. The other nominations are incumbents Gabriel Walsh of Tuam and Pat Donovan (Dolphin), along with Barney Bree (Ards), Joan O'Mahony (Trojan) and Wally Clarke of Cathal Brugha.
Outgoing secretary Donovan is unopposed for another term as is chairman Dr Tom Wyatt (Templemore) and treasurer Wally Clarke. The latter has been nominated for positions on FINA (World body) and LEN (European body). Don Mahon is Munster's automatic choice for Swim Ireland's presidency on the rota system.
The Trojan club has called for the streamlining of the Swim Ireland Board by replacing Article 39 with "The Board of Swim Ireland be limited, eight provincial representatives and four executives, president chairman, treasurer and secretary."
This would remove the Irish Schools and Irish Water Polo Association from the controlling body of the sport as well as subcommittee chairpersons .
