In brief: Euro Tour fears financial hit
Wednesday December 02 2009
THE leadership of golf's European Tour are to seek urgent reassurances over the future of its $100m Race to Dubai sponsorship deal amid growing concerns that the financial crisis in the emirate could have a damaging impact across sport.
Following last week's revelation that Dubai World, one of the state's main holding companies, is seeking a six-month standstill on debts of $59bn, European sport is braced for a harsh reckoning.
Meanwhile, Lee Westwood joins Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter as the latest players to confirm their entry for the JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am on July 5/6, 2010 at Adare Manor.
Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington, winner in 2005, had earlier committed to play in the charity fundraiser. Over €55m has been raised since the Pro-Am's inception in 1990.
Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones is in basketball training with a view to playing in the women's NBA.
Jones left prison in September last year after serving a six-month sentence for lying about steroid use and involvement in a drugs fraud case.
"It would be an interesting journey if I decided to do this," Jones said "It would give me an opportunity to share my message to young people and give me an opportunity to get a second chance."
Jones played college basketball at North Carolina, where she was the starting point guard on their national championship team in 1994. She hopes to play in Europe this winter and in the WNBA next season.
BELFAST lightflyweight Ryan Burnett got Ireland's Agalarov Youth Cup campaign off to a positive start with a 5-0 quarter-final win over Saad Farrhad of France in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Burnett, of the Holy Family club, was always in control of the 48Kg contest en route to an impressive win. AIBA World Junior champion Joe Ward will meet Fagan Huseynov of Azerbaijan in the last eight today.
Meanwhile, the professional show scheduled for the Neptune Stadium in Cork on Friday, and headlined by a 10-rounder for the vacant Irish middleweight title, is likely to be called off because of flooding.
Promoter Paschal Collins said a final decision on the show, also due to feature bouts for Irish superfeatherweight champion Eddie Hyland and Cork lightmiddleweight Billy Walsh, would be made today or early tomorrow morning.
- GOLF ATHLETICS BOXING
Irish Independent
