Brown to lead new Ireland indoor team in South Africa
the 12-lap race is scheduled for 7.55am tomorrow morning and can be accessed on livestream.com/MacauGrandPrix. Meanwhile, in a shock announcement yesterday, three-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo (32) has retired from the sport.
The Spanish racer has enjoyed a glittering career but bows out after what has been his worst season in GP racing.
After joining Honda for 2019 alongside Marc Marquez, Lorenzo has been plagued by injury and difficulties in adapting to the RC213V and hasn’t scored a top-10 finish ahead of this weekend’s finale at Valencia.
Lorenzo (left) commented: “This will be my last race in MotoGP and at the end of the race on Sunday I will retire as a racer.
“There are four significant days in the life of a rider — your first race, your first win, your first world championship, which not everyone can manage to do, and finally the day you retire at, which I have arrived at,” added Lorenzo. role models for their peers and fellow athletes, and we are proud to support them to achieve their goals.
“Funding support to help talented and hard-working athletes reach their potential has never been more important and I’m immensely grateful to Power NI for their financial contributions.”
SIX Ulster players have been named in the Ireland women’s indoor hockey squad to play six test matches against South Africa in Durban and Cape Town next month.
The series, scheduled for December 4-10, will be part of the preparation for the European Championship in Bratislava at the end of January.
In Tori Hastings, Jessica McMaster and Erin Getty, Queen’s University supply three members of the 14-strong squad which will travel to the southern hemisphere.
Ards, who won the Irish title for a record seven years in a row until they lost their crown last season, have two players involved with Caroline Adams and Amy Benson both included.
Former Ards player Chloe Brown, now in her second season with top English side East Grinstead, completes the Ulster contingent and has been named as co-captain.
Brown
(right) is recognised as one of the best indoor hockey players around and she scored more than 30 goals in Ards colours when they contested six European Championships.
Another outdoor international, Catholic Institute forward Naomi Carroll, returns to Ireland action after spending almost a year out due to injury.
The trip to Bratislava in the New Year marks the return of Irish international hockey to the European stage after a gap of more than a quarter of a century.
Coached by Dave Passmore, Ireland will be up against hosts Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Denmark, Finland and Spain.
Ireland will also be sending a men’s team to the European Championship and trials are ongoing before a squad is named for their tournament in Santander in January.
Both national teams must start in the bottom of three tiers as they are new participants and their aim will be to secure promotion into the second division for the 2022 events.
Ireland indoor women’s squad for South Africa test series: Caroline Adams (Ards); Sophie Barnwell (Muckross); Amy Benson (Ards); Chloe Brown (East Grinstead); Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute); Orla Fox (Railway Union); Erin Getty (Queen’s); Tori Hastings (Queen’s); Kate McKenna (Railway Union); Jessica McMaster (Queen’s); Roisin O’Brien (Glenanne); Orla Patton (UCD); Millie Regan (East Grinstead); Niamh Small (Loreto).