Sport

On This Day - July 24 2010: Belfast's former world snooker champion Alex Higgins passes away, aged 61

Belfast snooker legend Alex Higgins (left) with another snooker great, Steve Davis
Belfast snooker legend Alex Higgins (left) with another snooker great, Steve Davis Belfast snooker legend Alex Higgins (left) with another snooker great, Steve Davis

BIRTHDAYS

Zaheer Abbas (cricket) - former Pakistan and Gloucestershire batsman, born 1947.

Jim Leighton (soccer) - former Manchester United, Aberdeen and Scotland goalkeeper, born 1958.

Barry Bonds (baseball) - controversial former San Francisco Giants star, holder of the all-time record for home runs in Major League, born 1964.

Martin Keown (soccer) - former Arsenal and England defender, born 1966.

Steven Richardson (golf) - played in 1991 Ryder Cup, born 1966.

Dino Baggio (soccer) - former Italy midfielder who had a brief spell on loan at Blackburn in 2003, born 1971.

Daniele De Rossi (soccer) - Roma midfielder who formerly played for the Italy national team, born 1983.

Lukas Rosol (tennis) - Czech player famous for defeating Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012, born 1985.

ON THIS DAY 

1883: Matthew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel, died aged 35 while attempting to swim the rapids above Niagara Falls.

1926: The first greyhound meeting with a mechanical hare took place at Belle Vue, Manchester.

2000: Portugal midfielder Luis Figo, star of Euro 2000, became the world's most expensive footballer when he joined Real Madrid for £37million from Barcelona.

2005: Australia won the first Ashes Test at Lord's by 239 runs. England recovered to win a memorable series 2-1.

2005: Lance Armstrong won a record seventh successive Tour de France - his final Tour before his temporary retirement. He was later stripped of all his titles after evidence of his doping emerged.

2007: Freddy Shepherd stepped down as Newcastle chairman and was replaced by Chris Mort following Mike Ashley's takeover the previous month.

2009: England midfielder Steven Gerrard was found not guilty of affray by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.

2010: Former world snooker champion Alex Higgins died at the age of 61.

2013: Former British number one Anne Keothavong announced her retirement from professional tennis aged 29 after reaching a career-high ranking of 48 four years previously.

2014: Brothers Alastair and Jonny Brownlee finished first and second for England in the Commonwealth Games men's triathlon in Glasgow.

2016: Chris Froome won his third Tour de France title after crossing the finishing line with his Team Sky team-mates at the end of stage 21 in Paris.

SPORT ON TV 

Today (Tuesday, July 24)

CYCLING: Tour de France - ITV4 & Eurosport 1 1015.

TENNIS: WTA, Moscow River Cup - BT Sport 2 0800 & 1530; ATP, German Open - Sky Sports Main Event 1000.

DARTS: World Matchplay from Blackpool - Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Action 1900.

BASEBALL: MLB, Miami Marlins v Atlanta Braves - BT Sport/ESPN 1700, Philadelphia Phillies v Los Angeles Dodgers - BT Sport/ESPN 0000 (Weds).

Tomorrow (Wednesday, July 25)

SOCCER: International Champions Cup, Borussia Dortmund v Benfica - eir Sport 1 0055 (Thu).

CRICKET: Kia Super League, Southern Vipers v Loughborough Lightning - Sky Sports Cricket 1855.

CYCLING: Tour de France - Eurosport 1 1345 & ITV 4 1400.

TENNIS: WTA, Moscow River Cup - BT Sport 2 0900; Jiangxi Open - BT Sport 1 1000; ATP, German Open - Sky Sports Main Event 1015.

DARTS: World Matchplay from Blackpool - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action 1900.

BASEBALL: MLB, Philadelphia Phillies v Los Angeles Dodgers - BT Sport/ESPN 1730, Chicago Cubs v Arizona Diamondbacks - BT Sport 2 1915, Baltimore Orioles v Boston Red Sox - BT Sport/ESPN 0000 (Thu).

QUICK QUIZ

1. Pele, Bobby Moore, Russell Osman and Ossie Ardiles starred in which 1981 film?

2. Who top scored for Galway in their 0-17 to 0-8 victory in the 2001 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final?

3. How many times have Tyrone won the Ulster Senior Football Championship?

4. Swimmer Michael Jamieson is an Olympic medallist in which stroke?

5. Which club won the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship final in 2010?

(See quiz answers at bottom)

QUICK QUIZ answers 1. Escape to Victory; 2. Padraic Joyce scored 10 points for Galway, nine of them in the second half; 3. 15; 4. Breaststroke; 5. St Gall's, Belfast