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| DVC – after winning the Volleyball Cup |
BADMINTON: Jonathan Dolan proved best of the young Irish team when he reached the last 16 at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Chiba, Japan. The young Sligo player lived up to his seeding before going out to top seed Viktor Axelsen from Denmark. With partner Alannah Stephenson, Dolan also made the third round of the mixed doubles before losing to Dutch pair Robin Tabeling and Myke Halkema of the Netherlands. Joshua Magee made it into the second round of the men’s singles, while there were encouraging performances from Alannah Stephenson and Rachel Darragh in both singles and doubles.
* Good performance from Scott Evans at the Bitburg internationl in Germany, where he made the quarter-finals.
VOLLEYBALL: After finishing runners-up behind Aer Lingus last year, Dublin Volleyball Club (DVC) currently tops the table in the women’s premier division. DVC began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over TCD and have since beaten Naas Cobras and UCD.
Shock news of the off-season was the disbandment of the mighty Aer Lingus team, winners of the league for the past five years.
Back in the top division are the Tallaght Rockets, who face a crucial match against DVC today (Sat). Also showing good form is Santry, who held firm to beat Ballymun Patriots in an epic five-setter a few weeks ago. They play TCD today.
In the men’s premier division, defending champions UCD continue to battle it out with their closest rivals, Ballymun Patriots X. The teams face each other tomorrow in a crucial early season test.
HOCKEY: Current Leinster league table toppers Pembroke Wanderers have a tough away match against Lisnagarvey in the pick of today’s Irish Senior Cup second round matches. In the only Leinster derby, UCD face Monkstown in Belfield. In other home matches for Leinster clubs YMCA play host to UCC in Milltown, while Fingal take on Banbridge at the Alsaa. Both Avoca and Railway Union travel north to play Kilkeel and NICS repectively. Key match of the draw sees current holders Cork Harlequins playing the 2011 winners Cookstown in Cork.
Also taking place today is the opening round of the women’s Irish Senior Cup, with no major casualties expected. In the Leinster home matches, Hermes entertains Randalstown in Booterstown, Loreto play Queens to Rathfarnham, while Old Alex host Portadown in Milltown.
CANOEING: Fancy yourself as a slalom canoeist? The Royal Canal, near Carton House, Leixlip, is the venue tomorrow (Sun) for a beginners’ slalom rac (11am). Boys and girls from under 10 to 16 are welcome; boats supplied. Info Deaglan O’Drisceoil 087-8244511. Meanwhile, the wildwater season begins on Sunday November 18 on the Clare river at Milltown, in Co Galway, with the second round on the Avonmore in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow on Sunday November 25.
SNOOKER: A team of three Irish snooker players will travel to the World Snooker Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria at the end of the month. Johnny Williams, Greg Casey and Brendan O’Donoghue make up the team, while also travelling are Mark Tuite and Brendan Cooney who go in the masters’ competition. The squad will meet up on Tuesday November 13 at the Ivy Rooms, Carlow for a special training day with national coach PJ Nolan. That comes after the second senior ranking tournament of the season next weekend in Letterkenny. In the opening round last month, ex-pro player David Hogan made a winning return to the amateur ranks when he beat U-19 player Josh Boileau in the final.
TABLE TENNIS: Irish table tennis celebrates its 75th anniversary this year with Tommy Caffrey, one of the country’s greatest ever players sharing his memories.
Caffrey, from Stamullen in Co Meath, began playing at the age of nine in a local hall. ” One member always brought along a box so I could stand on it and so see over the net,” he says. Later, aged 14 and now a member of the Balbriggan Club, Tommy won his first Irish Close title and soon after, the first of 151 international caps. All these years later and with a 70th birthday next year, he’s still playing and winning. Read his full story and view some wonderful old film clips at www.irishtabeltennis.com. Locally, the IWA in Clontarf hosts the Leinsetr Junior Metropolitan tournament this weekend, with finals tomorrow (Sun).
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