Carl title bid delay

Cherries want Henry to bring back the good times

CARL FRAMPTON has told how he put back his world title shot against Jamel Herring for a month on doctor’s orders.

The Belfast fighter says he suffered a minor hand injury and although promoter Frank Warren has yet to confirm a new date for the WBO super-featherweight clash, it is believed it will now be on March 27.

Frampton, 33, (above) said: “It’s just a bit of a twinge, nothing major though and there is no fracture. But I’ve seen a specialist and his advice was to rest it.”

BRITISH boxing believes athletics great Christine Ohuruogu will bring added punch to their organisation.

The Olympic and two-time world 400metres champion has been appointed to help manage the future vision, strategy and direction.

She says she jumped at the opportunity to be part of one of “Great Britain’s most successful and admired world-class programmes”. Ohuruogu (left), who hung up her spikes three years ago, added: “It is a great opportunity for me to bring my years of experience as an athlete to a new sport.

“I am very much looking forward to working with the rest of the board to develop the organisation and help it to maintain and build on the successes it has achieved over last decade.” Anthony Joshua, Luke Campbell and two-time champion Nicola Adams have won boxing gold for Britain at the last two Olympics.

GB Boxing chairman Steven Esom said: “We wanted someone with good experience of elite sporting performance to take on this role and could not have found a more suitable candidate than Christine. I have absolutely no doubt that she will be a huge asset to the board.

“And that GB Boxing will benefit enormously from the qualities she brings as a person, and her knowledge and experience of what it takes to sustain a career as a top-class international athlete.”

Ohuruogu, 36, will serve a fourthe year term as a non-executive director on GB Boxing’s 12-person board.

Born in Newham, east London, Ohuruogu was raised less than a mile from the Olympic Park where boxing’s ‘Road to Tokyo’ Olympic qualifying event will resume – after a 13-month lockdown stoppage – in April at the Copper Box arena.

THIERRY HENRY would have approved of Bournemouth’s superb winner as the Cherries tightened their grip on a play-off place.

Sam Surridge and Adam Smith combined down the right in a rapid counterattacking move, before Philip Billing rifled home from 12 yards on 23 minutes.

With caretaker-boss Jonathan Woodgate in the dugout, the Cherries were fortunate to avoid conceding an equaliser on the stroke of half-time.

Daniel Barlaser’s teasing free-kick was headed across the face of goal by Michael Ihiekwe, but Rotherham captain Richard Wood could only bundle the ball over. The hosts hung on to retain sixth spot in the table.

If, as expected, Henry is appointed as their new manager, his short-term goal will be an immediate return to the top-flight.

And Bournemouth hope Henry’s star-studded playing career will earn him instant dressing-room respect.

Former boss Jason Tindall voiced concerns that a young squad was devoid of leaders following the summer exits of several Cherries stalwarts, including club captain Simon Francis. Henry is a legend at Arsenal after a career where he won the Premier League and FA Cup twice, and became the club’s record scorer with 228 goals.

And it is his former Gunners club-mate, Jack Wilshere, who is seen by Bournemouth’s top brass as a potential on-field leader.

One of the main factors in their decision to sack Tindall was the possible financial implications of missing out on promotion.

Speed was something Henry the player was never short of and he will definitely need some of his famous va-va-voom to fulfil that aim of returning to the Premier League by May.

Despite £80million worth of departures following relegation to the second tier last year, the Cherries board still believe they have players of top-flight quality who have underperformed this season.

As they plummeted last term, several cliques among the playing staff are said to have formed, and Henry’s biggest challenge could be uniting the squad.

Henry was part of an Arsenal side that dazzled with their swashbuckling attacking style.

The Cherries’ top brass will hope the 43-year-old might just bring some of it with him.

BOXING