THE new Irish boxing promotion company Team Ireland yesterday announced details of their first promotion, to take place at the National Basketball arena in Tallaght, Dublin on Saturday September 19.
The show will be headlined by the clash of two Dubliners, 1992 Olympic Gold medallist Michael Carruth, and WAA light-welterweight champion Mark Riggs from Finglas, who will fight for the vacant World Athletic Association welterweight championship title.
Dubliner Phil McClean is the brains behind Team Ireland.
“We are hoping that this will be a regular promotion with a show every four months, between now and Christmas,”says McClean.
“We are hoping to have a show in Dublin and then one in Belfast, with another in Dublin in February and then we hope to bring the promotion to Glasgow in May of next year.
“There are a lot of exciting young boxers coming out of Ireland and not many of them are getting the chances they deserve. We are hopeful that with this promotion all the young Irish boxers will get regular fights and of course paydays.”
Also on the promotion will be Belfast-based Dubliner Jim Rock, who fights out of John Breen’s gym in Belfast City Centre.
It will be Rock’s first fight since he was defeated controversially by ex-World title challenger Ensley Bingham, in April.
“I am looking forward to getting back in the ring, having been robbed in my last fight and I feel that this will be a great platform for me to move on to getting a title fight of some sort, possibly later this year.”
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KEITH Gillespie and his Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish yesterday rubbished claims that he will be forced to quit the game through injury.
The claims were made in yesterday’s Belfast Telegraph, but both Newcastle and the Northern Ireland international were quick to firmly deny the rumours.
“It would have been nice to have been asked to quote something on the article,” said Gillespie.
“It’s disturbing for everyone connected with me but I’ve told them now that it’s untrue, and I’ll make a full recovery.''
The story first appeared in the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle.
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THE initiative which brought about the non-Ards hurling academy squad has proved its worth.
The team has qualified for the final of the Down U14 hurling championship, a showpiece which involves holders Ballygalget.
The Academy defeated Portaferry to reach the final, forcing a showdown between Academy coach Paddy Braniff and his beloved club.
Ballygalget: D Clarke, C Braniff, G Dynes, G Burns, AN Other, G Johnson, M Watson, A McAvera, D Flynn, C Savage, T Coulter, S Bailie, D Quigley, M McKenna, R McColl.
Academy: A Quayle, A McGuinness, K Courtney, T Ferris, J Cunningham, C Burns, N Burns, D McCusker, B McCartan, P Owens, C Sloan, D McAleenan, J McCusker, C Hinds, E Magee.
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LEICESTER City’s Northern Ireland international midfielder Neil Lennon has agreed a one-year extension to his contract which will keep him with the Midlands club until at least the summer of 2000.
Lennon was in the final year of his current deal, will put pen to paper on the new contract today.
