Thursday Lunch Sport; With Joe Mallon Motors Renault & Dacia, Sallins Rd., Naas

European Athletics Championships get underway today & Kildare continue preparations for Louth game on Sunday.

GAA

Kildare footballers continue preparations this evening for Sunday’s vital League game vs Louth.

Kildare are currently third from bottom of Division 2, on the same points as Clare, but above them on the Head to Head which Kildare won by a point.

Kildare’s remaining games are away to Limerick on March 19th, follow by playing Meath in Newbridge in the last game.

RUGBY

South African World Cup winner RG Snyman is on the bench for Munster's United Rugby Championship game against the Scarlets at Musgrave Park tomorrow.

The second row hasn't played since October 2021 after suffering two serious knee injuries.

Joey Carbery starts at out half.

ATHLETICS

The European Indoors Athletics Championships begin in Istanbul today until Sunday evening.

Fifteen athletes will represent Team Ireland in Turkey, including John Fitzimons of Kildare A.C. who goes in the 800m heats today at 4.14pm

Team Ireland heat times: (Irish time)

Thursday 2 March

800m heats: Mark English, 4.07pm John Fitzsimons, 4.14pm

1500m heats: Andrew Coscoran, 6.15pm, Luke McCann, 6.25pm

Friday 3 March

6:00-6:07 Pentathlon 60m heats: Kate O'Connor

6:45 Pentathlon High Jump: Kate O'Connor

7:40-9:12 400m heats: Sharlene Mawdsley, Sophie Becker, Cliodhna Manning

9:05-12:33 60m heats: Joan Healy

9:30 Pentathlon Shot Put: Kate O'Connor

16:10 Pentathlon Long Jump: Kate O'Connor

18:05-18.13 Pentathlon 800m heats: Kate O'Connor

Saturday 4 March

6:20-6:48 60m Hurdles heats: Israel Olatunde

7:00 3000m heats: Darragh McElhinney

7:35-7:59 60m Hurdles heats: Sarah Lavin

Sunday 5 March

16:25 4x400m final Women

GOLF

The Arnold Palmer Invitational field includes four Irish players.

Seamus Power is the first to tee off at Bay Hill in Florida just after 1pm, Irish time.

Past winner Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington tee off between 5 and 6.

Leona Maguire carded a 2 under opening round of 70 at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore.

She is in a tie for 14th.

SOCCER

Human rights group Amnesty International says the Premier League needs to "re-examine" the Saudi ownership of Newcastle United.

A takeover by the gulf state's Public Investment Fund was approved in 2021 with assurances Saudi Arabia's government wouldn't have any input.

But, a US court case involving LIV Golf - which is owned by the same people - has described Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan as a "sitting minister of government".

Real Madrid host Barcelona in a Copa del Rey semi final first leg at the Bernabeu (pr: Berna-bay-oo) this evening at 8pm.

HORSE RACING

Today’s racing is in Clonmel from  2.05.