Sports round-up

Great Ireland Run: Kenenisa Bekele is to compete in the Great Ireland Run in Dublin on April 15 as part of his preparations for the London Olympics. Reigning Olympic 5,000 metres and 10,000m champion Bekele was one of 35 athletes suspended from international competition by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation after they failed to show up for a mandatory training camp. But the ban was rescinded just days after it was imposed and now Bekele is set to return to the city of one of his greatest triumphs.

Rugby Union: Gloucester skipper Luke Narraway has become the latest English player to head to France after agreeing a two-year deal with Perpignan it was confirmed yesterday. The 28-year-old number eight, capped seven times by England, heads to the Top 14 side along with Scottish international Alasdair Strokosch, who has also agreed a deal to join the French club.

Athletics: Reigning world long jump champ Brittney Reese heads the list of athletes named to the US team that will compete in next month’s IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships. Reese is the reigning indoor long jump no.1 and also won gold in the long jump at the 2011 World Outdoor Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea. She has a world best mark in the long jump this year.

Sailing: Camper’s hopes of glory in leg four of the Volvo Ocean Race were dealt a blow yesterday when one of their sails ripped in two, as their rivals threatened to topple the race’s 24-hour distance record. The New Zealand team had hoped to sail into their home port of Auckland as winners of the 5,200 nautical mile leg from Sanya, China, but are fighting to remain in contention after slipping from second to fourth in the leg rankings.