A round-up of today's stories in brief
Getkate conscious again after reported heart attack
CRICKET:Ireland A international Shane Getkate has regained consciousness in a Birmingham hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack while playing for Warwickshire Under-19s on Tuesday night, writes EMMET RIORDAN.
Getkate (19) who plays his club cricket with North County, collapsed during the game and was taken to Solihull Hospital, where he is now in a stable condition.
Cricket Ireland performance director Mark Garaway has been in touch with Getkate’s family, who are delighted with his progress.
Garaway said: “Shane’s mother, Nora, has recently informed me that Shane is sitting up in bed and chatting to his family and the doctors at the hospital. This is wonderful news and although there is a long way to go towards a full recovery, it is fantastic to hear that Shane is on the road to recovery.
“The Getkate family would like to thank everyone in Irish cricket for the huge number of messages, support and prayers received over the last couple of days.”
Special prayer for Olympics released
OLYMPICS:The Church of England has released a special prayer for the London 2012 Games. It is hoped A Prayer In Preparation For The 2012 Games will spur on athletes, churches and anyone getting ready for the Olympics.
The words are read in a podcast by Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu at www.churchofengland.org.
The prayer reads: “Eternal God, Giver of joy and source of all strength, we pray for those who prepare for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
For the competitors training for the Games and their loved ones, For the many thousands who will support them, And for the Churches and others who are organising special events and who will welcome many people from many nations.
In a world where many are rejected and abused, we pray for a spirit of tolerance and acceptance, of humility and respect and for the health and safety of all.
May we at the last be led towards the love of Christ who is more than gold, today and forever. Amen”
Craig has high hopes for Tacen again
CANOEING:Hannah Craig, who finished a creditable 13th at the World Championships in Tacen, Slovenia, last season, returns to the venue for the first World Cup of the year in canoe slalom, which starts today.
This season the Antrim woman is targeting qualification for the Olympics in the K1 (racing kayak) at the World Championships in Slovakia in September.
Eoin Rheinisch, still recovering from a shoulder injury, Patrick Hynes and Ciarán Heurteau will represent Ireland in the men’s K1.
If they make it through qualification today they will have semi-finals and finals tomorrow.
The course at Tacen was flooded in the early part of this week, hampering training at the venue.
Dunbar flying after eagle two
GOLF:Alan Dunbar put behind him the bitter disappointment of failing to qualify for the match-play stages of the Amateur Championship in Lancashire last week to be on the heels of the pacemaker after the first round of the English Open Stroke-play Championship for the Brabazon Trophy at windswept Burnham and Berrow on the Somerset coast yesterday.
The Walker Cup squad member from Rathmore produced an amazing eagle two on the final hole- 445 yards long – to return a highly-creditable 72-one over par to trail leader Neil Raymond of Southampton by just two strokes.
His second shot which sailed into the hole on the tricky last was a pure piece of theatre which delighted the onlookers outside the clubhouse.
Portstewart’s Walker Cup hopeful Paul Cutler was very disappointing posting a 79 which included nine bogeys.
Wiggins attacks ticketing system
OLYMPIC GAMES:London 2012's ticketing system will come under the spotlight again this morning when 2.3 million Olympics tickets go up for sale from 6am.
The 1.2 million people who missed out completely in the first round of sales – almost two-thirds of the number who applied – will be given the first opportunity.
Most of the in-demand events have already been snapped up however – 1.7million of the tickets left are for men’s and women’s Olympic football matches.
Organisers are confident the system can cope with the demand though unlike the first round of sales this will be on a first-come, first-served basis so the pressure is likely to come early.
The ticketing system has come in for criticism from the consumer group Which? while triple Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins today labelled it a “bit of a shambles”.
The 31-year-old cyclist, who is aiming to medal at his fourth successive Games next year, says many of his family will miss out seeing him compete.
He said: “I think, as most of the public feels, it’s a bit of a shambles the ticket allocation.
“It’s a shame when you know what works so successfully in other Olympic Games, certainly Athens, that they couldn’t implement those ticket systems here.
“I’d love to have my family there. I grew up in London and would love to have my mum and everyone there watching me but you know that’s the way it is I suppose, you just get on with it. It’s a shame but there’s nothing you can do about it.”
London 2012 said demand for cycling events at the Games had been enormous and it was unfair to make comparisons with Athens Games.
Organisers have guaranteed to athletes from all countries they will be able to buy two tickets for every session in which they are competing.
Those who were successful in the first round will get another chance to buy from 6am on July 8th to 6pm on July 17th.
