Sports Digest/DRUGS IN SPORT: World 100 metres record holder Tim Montgomery will appear before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in San Francisco early in November for a hearing over a possible life ban for doping.
Montgomery and fellow-sprinter Chryste Gaines have decided to go before CAS after receiving letters from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) alleging serious doping violations.
Gaines's lawyer, Cameron Myler, said yesterday the hearings were to start on November 1st. "CAS has intended to hold both hearings in the same week," she said.
Both athletes have declined arbitration by USADA, which has yet to present its final cases against them, and elected to go directly to the independent, Lausanne-based panel. A decision by CAS arbitrators is final and cannot be appealed.
ROWING: In a break from what has become the norm, Ireland's next head rowing coach must be based in this country. The Irish Amateur Rowing Union has publicised basic requirements for the job on the website of the world governing body FISA, including a requirement that the person be "domiciled in Ireland", writes Liam Gorman.
The new head coach "will have responsibility for preparing Irish rowers for the annual World Rowing Championships and for the 2008 Olympics", in addition to other unspecified tasks.
Thor Nilsen, who headed up the coaching programme for the Athens Olympics, spent relatively little time in Ireland. Ray Sims, who coached Ireland's sole rowing crew for Sydney, the lightweight four, was based in England.
CRICKET: A 24-man Ireland winter training squad has been named ahead of next season's vital series of matches, writes James Fitzgerald.
Under coach Adrian Birrell and captain Jason Molins, the squad will prepare for the C&G Trophy match against Yorkshire in May and the ICC Trophy in July.
The squad has few surprises but included are uncapped players such as Ralph Coetzee of Belfast Harlequins and Roger Whelan of Railway Union.
Cricket Union has also included the names of Ed Joyce (Middlesex) and Niall O'Brien (Kent), who will attend training sessions "when available" although it is unlikely either will be available for the ICC Trophy. The first session will be held on Sunday October 31st.
SQUAD: C Armstrong (North County), A Botha (North County), J Bray (Phoenix), J Bushe (Waringstown), R Coetzee (Belfast Harlequins), G Cooke (Brigade), P Gillespie (Strabane), M Hutchinson (Bangor), T Johnston (Clontarf), D Joyce (Trinity/Merrion), K McCallan (Cliftonville), A McCoubrey (Cliftonville), J Molins (Phoenix), J Mooney (North County), P Mooney (North County), E Morgan (North County/Middlesex), K O'Brien (Railway Union), W Porterfield (Donemana), B Rankin (Bready/Middlesex), A Riddles (Eglinton), N Shoukat (Rush), G Thompson (Lisburn), R Whelan (Railway Union), A White (Instonians)
CRICKET: The first day of an International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing in Harare on racism in Zimbabwean cricket ended abruptly yesterday when the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) did not accept a ruling barring some of its officials from being present when witnesses testify.
The three-day, closed hearing first stalled when Chris Venturas, the lawyer representing the 15 rebel players who have alleged the ZCU is racist, objected to the presence of ZCU officials implicated in the players' allegations.
Two board members, Ozias Bvute and Max Ebrahim, and the chairman of the provincial Mashonaland Cricket Association, Tavengwa Mkuhlani, were at the hearing.
Venturas sought to have the three men excluded after Norman Arendse, the ZCU's lawyer, made an inflammatory comment to the first witness.
During an adjournment, Venturas challenged another member of the ZCU's legal team about Arendse's comment. Arendse appeared to respond by grabbing Venturas' shoulder.
Venturas then asked the ICC panel to have the officials excluded. The panel ruled the three should not be present to hear witnesses' testimony. The ZCU would not accept the decision and threatened to withdraw from the hearing.
