Sport

O’Sullivan and Croft twins finish with victories

Published

7 years ago

July 5, 2018

CRYMYCH’s peerless Croft twins finished a winning season with a flourish by bagging golds at the prestigious Monkstown Cup tournament in Dublin.

Cardigan ABC duo Ioan and Garan came through six tough bouts in a top-class event which drew around 830 entries from 18 different countries.

Southpaw Ioan secured his second Monkstown triumph in the 60kg 2001 class with a unanimous points win over Louis Joey Barra, of the US, while Garan improved on last year’s silver medal by beating Ireland’s Eric Byrne, again on a unanimous decision, in the 62kg class.

And on the same day in Cardiff, Fishguard’s Mikey O’Sullivan captured a Welsh schoolboy title by recording a unanimous points verdict over Guto Owen (Caernarvon ABC) in the 35.5kg 2006 category.

In the Monkstown Cup quarter-finals, Ioan Croft boxed Jo Jo McArdle, of Belfast, in what proved a closely-matched contest.

The Crymych 16-year-old began well, maintained constant pressure and dictated the fight from start to finish en route to a unanimous decision.

Garan boxed England’s Max Curtis and dominated from the start on his way to a unanimous points victory.

The following day saw Ioan pitted against Belfast’s Jack McGivern in a semi-final which proved his closest and toughest test of the tournament.

“Jack’s an all-Ireland champion who we had watched beating a top American the day before,” said Cardigan ABC head coach Guy Croft.

“We knew he was going to be hard to beat, but Ioan pulled out all the stops from the start, just edging every round with a sharper work rate and strong front foot boxing to win by a split decision.”

Garan proved too strong for Ireland’s Trefor Hegarty in his semi-final – a couple of powerful right hands checking his opponent’s progress early on.

The doctor was called in twice in the first round to inspect the Irish boy’s nosebleed and the towel came in as Croft really started to go through the gears.

Barra, a stocky, powerful Mexican who had looked dangerous in close in the semis the day before, was expected to be a daunting final opponent for Ioan.

However, the Welsh teen produced an outstanding display, catching Barra from all angles as he strove in vain to close the gap on his elusive opponent.

By the end of the third round the bloodied US boxer looked battered and deflated – Ioan securing his second Monkstown gold with ease.

Garan saved his best until last, keeping his composure against the aggressive Byrne, picking his shots and landing a succession of good punches throughout the fight.

“I was suprised Eric wasn’t given at least two counts during the fight because Garan landed some crackers,” said Croft senior.

“He won by unanimous decision to take the gold, having had to settle for silver last year after losing to Mikey Stokes.”

Meanwhile, over at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens, club-mate Mikey O Sullivan began his schoolboy final against Owen in his usual whirlwind fashion, virtually overwhelming the north Walian with an endless barrage of punches from both hands.

Only a good defence kept Owen in the contest, although he did take a standing eight count in the second round, and the result was never in doubt.

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Letterston marksman wins junior athlete award

Published

2 days ago

January 21, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A TALENTED young athlete from Letterston has been honoured at the British Shooting Awards 2024.

Seren Thorne was shortlisted for the prestigious awards and attended the gala event held at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. To the delight of her family and supporters, Seren was named the winner of the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award.

This accolade highlights Seren’s exceptional skill and dedication to the sport, marking her as one of the rising stars in British shooting.

Her mother, Sian Thorne, expressed immense pride in Seren’s achievement, sharing photos of the memorable evening.

The British Shooting Awards 2024 celebrated excellence in the sport, with a full list of winners available on their official website.

PHOTO CAPTION: Champion marksman: Seren Thorne receiving the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award (Pic: Supplied).

Sport

Previewing the 2025 Super Bowl

Published

3 days ago

January 20, 2025

Staff Writer

Each year millions of people across the world gather to watch one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the Super Bowl. Last year, 3.4 million people in the UK watched the Super Bowl, up 1.1 million from the previous year. Considering the growth in popularity of American football in the UK, we anticipate the viewership will be even higher for 2025.

The 2025 Super Bowl is scheduled to take place on 9 February 2025 at Caesars Superdrome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

NFL teams

12 teams began competing for a spot in the 2025 Super Bowl when the playoffs began on January 11. At this point, four teams were eliminated. This now leaves eight teams to compete in the Divisional playoffs. Four of these will make it to the Conference Championships before contesting for a spot at this year’s Super Bowl.

The eight teams left with a shot at competing in the 2025 Super Bowl are:

Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Commanders

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs took the title for the second year in a row. However, the latest Super Bowl odds puts the Detroit Lions as the favourites to win this year’s Super Bowl, following a series of impressive performances in the regular season.

The national anthem and halftime show

Before the game commences, a special guest performs the national anthem. Last year, Reba McEntire offered a moving performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, and this year the task falls to jazz singer Jon Batiste.

It’s not just the football match that people look forward to. Super Bowl halftime shows are a spectacle in themselves and many look forward to the performance as much as the game itself. This year, 17-time grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is headlining the halftime show. Lamar previously headlined the Super Bowl in 2022.

How can I watch the Super Bowl in the UK?

The Super Bowl is being broadcast to fans free on ITV, including live online via ITVX on your laptop, mobile, or tablet.

Sky Sports is also broadcasting the event which you can watch online via Sky Go, NOW TV, or using the Sky Sports mobile app. You could also head to your local pub as plenty of pubs in Pembrokeshire will be showing the big game.

Will you be tuning in?

With a surge in popularity for American Football, it’s anticipated that more people from the UK than ever before will be turning their TVs on for the big event this year. Will you be watching this year’s Super Bowl?

Sport

Division Four West rugby: Thrills and tight contests on a chilly Saturday

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Herald Sport

Exciting matches, hard-fought battles, and standout performances define the weekend’s action.

Dreigiau Emlyn Edge Harlequins in Close Contest
Dreigiau Emlyn 21 – Pembroke Dock Harlequins 15
Dreigiau Emlyn secured a narrow victory over Pembroke Dock Harlequins, strengthening their position in the top half of the table. Gethin Davies scored two crucial tries, while Deiniol Rees added three penalties and a conversion to steer the hosts to victory. The Harlequins kept the game competitive with tries from Craig Barnett and Tom Donovan, with Ben Hathaway converting one and kicking a penalty. However, Emlyn’s composed performance ensured they held on for the win.

Teirw Crymych Outgun Llangwm in High-Scorer
Llangwm 22 – Teirw Crymych 33
Teirw Crymych powered to a 33-22 victory over bottom-placed Llangwm, bolstering their challenge for the league’s top spots. Sion Williams and Morgan Jones led the visitors’ try-scoring efforts, with additional tries from Sion Owen and Nick Bevan. Adam Phillips was reliable from the tee, adding four conversions. Llangwm fought back with tries from Aidan Rees and Ryan Banner, while Harry Makepeace contributed two conversions and a penalty. Despite their spirited display, the hosts couldn’t match Crymych’s attacking prowess.

St Davids Win Key Clash Against Llanybydder
Llanybydder 17 – St Davids 29
St Davids took a significant step away from the relegation zone with a vital 29-17 win over Llanybydder. Harvey Godkin, Nathan Foster, Zac Morgan, and Morgan Griffiths all crossed the whitewash for the visitors, with Bob Froy converting three and adding a penalty to secure a bonus-point victory. Llanybydder’s John Evans delivered an impressive hat-trick of tries, with one conversion by Matthew Rowlands, but St Davids’ all-round performance proved too much for the home side.