The second day of the South Munster Schools’ Track & Field championships took place at the Cork IT track yesterday where a blustery wind against the sprinters didn’t augur well for fast times.

London Olympian Adam Nolan admitted he ‘fell asleep’ in the second round of Saturday’s welterweight quarter-final at the National Elite Championships at Dublin’s National Stadium.

Only three years since first picking up the game of chess, 9-year-old Carissa Yip can already look down at 93% of the more than 51,000 players registered with the US Chess Federation.

Macroom boxer Christina Desmond has targeted qualification for the 2016 Olympics following her first foray into the international scene.

Brian Gregan sprinted to victory in 21.05 seconds in the 200m at a lack-lustre Woodie’s DIY AAI Open Games yesterday that was designed as a dry run for the European Team Championships in Morton Stadium.

Beijing bronze medallist Paddy Barnes and fellow Belfast man Michael Conlan are just two wins away from a medal at the Olympic Games following yesterday’s draw which threw up some interesting pairings.

Glenn Whelan believes too much expectation is being heaped on James McClean’s young and inexperienced shoulders ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s appearance in next month’s European Championships.

KATE VEALE (West Waterford) set a world best time of 21 mins 45.59 secs to win Ireland’s first ever gold medal in the 5k walk at the World Youths Athletics Championships in Lille yesterday.

MEGAN KIELY (Ferrybank AC) qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s 400m hurdles when she finished fifth in her first-round heat at the World Youth Championships in Lille yesterday.

IRISH boxer Ryan Burnett threw down the gauntlet for London 2012 when he claimed the gold medal in the light flyweight division at the World Youth Olympics in Singapore yesterday.

CONNIE SHEEHAN will face another landmark on the road to London 2012 when he takes on the bustling Crumlin clubman David Maguire in the first of the heavyweight semi-finals at the National Stadium tonight.

IRELAND'S boxers have maintained their high flying positions in the first AIBA Official World rankings published for 2010 yesterday.

Seventeen Irish boxers are included in the first ever official world rankings unveiled by international boxing chiefs AIBA today.

Ciara Mageean showed her Championship pedigree once again by claiming gold in today's 1500 metres final at the European Youth Olympics in Tampere, Finland.

Cristiano Ronaldo touched down in Dublin tonight with his Real Madrid team-mates for a nine day training camp.

LISBURN’s Ciara Mageean has put Irish women’s middle distance running back on the map with a silver medal yesterday in the World Youth Championships 800m final in Sudtirol, Italy.

Ireland's Ciara Mageean won a silver medal in today's 800 metres final at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Sudtirol, Italy.

DAVID GILLICK went to within one hundredth of a second of the biggest win of his career when he chased Chris Brown from the Bahamas across the line in the 400m at last night’s Golden League meeting in Rome.

DAVID OLIVER JOYCE (St Michael’s, Athy) and Carl Frampton (Midland) claim star billing when they meet for the third time in a year in the featherweight final at the National Senior Championships in the National Stadium tonight.

IRISH boxing chief Dominic O’Rourke is confident the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) will be given the opportunity to host the AIBA 2011 World Championships in Dublin.

IRELAND’S Katie Taylor kept her title defence on track and guaranteed a bronze medal when she breezed through her lightweight quarter-final at the 5th AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Ningbo City, China, yesterday.

Tributes were today paid to three Irish boxers who touched down on home soil clutching bronze medals.

Three Irish boxers joined Thomas McCarthy in the quarter finals of the AIBA World Youth Championships following last 16 wins in Guadalajara, Mexico last night and in the early hours of this morning.

DAVID OLIVER JOYCE and Carl Frampton could box-off for the featherweight spot on the Irish team for next month’s European Championships in Liverpool.

Joanne Cuddihy made a confident start to her World Championship campaign in Osaka with a season's best in her 400 metres heat, but the Kilkenny woman will have it all to do to progress out of tomorrow's semi-finals.

Irish athlete Colin Quirke has qualified for the final of the shot put at the World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Athletics Ireland have announced their squad for this year’s World Youth Championships which take place in Ostrava, Czech Republic from the July 11-15.

Portugal Under-21 1 Republic of Ireland Under-21 0

Jose Mourinho has opted to maintain a dignified silence following criticism of his handling of Dutch winger Arjen Robben by Holland coach Marco van Basten.

THE Athletic Association of Ireland (AAI) last night agreed that the democratic nature of the organisation will be preserved no matter what changes take place with the implementation of the long-awaited strategic plan.

Finn Harps are set to snap up Republic of Ireland left back Stephen Capper on a free transfer.

Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has added Manchester City's Jonathan Macken to the Irish squad for the clash with Bulgaria on August 18.

Sunderland are hopeful of persuading Argentinian Julio Arca that his future lies on Wearside.

Ireland’s Mandy Crowe won her 200m heat at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Italy in a personal best time of 24.18s.

Irish youth international David Bell could make his St Patrick's Athletic debut as the Saints take on fellow relegation strugglers Derry City at Richmond Park tonight (7.45pm).

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U21 manager Don Givens has called on his new-look team to out-Portugal Portugal when the two teams meet in the opening game of the Madeira International tournament this morning (11am).

The Republic of Ireland under-21 boss Don Givens has named a 20-man squad to take part in the Madeira International Tournament at the end of this month.

Cork City and Republic of Ireland U20 midfielder Liam Kearney has denied rumours of a possible move to Premiership side Fulham, stating that he "doesn’t know where the story came from."

FIFA have named Republic of Ireland U20 goal-scoring sensation Stephen Elliott among their stars of the recent World Youth Championships held in the UAE.

Republic of Ireland 2, Mexico 0

Rep of Ireland 2 Ivory Coast 2

Republic of Ireland manager Gerry Smith has given his Under-20s squad a day off today following an impressive 2 - 0 victory over an Al Ain club reserve side last night in the run-up to their first game of the World Youth Championships against Saudi Arabia in Al Ain on Saturday (kick-off 1.45 p.m. Irish time).

Republic of Ireland U20 0 Paraguay U20 1

Republic of Ireland U20 2 Italy U20 0