Nurses threaten to go on strike
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 10
The nurses in the Capital today threatened to go on strike if men continue to hold key positions in women-specific professions. The Guru Nanak Dev Eye Centre Nurses Association, affiliated to the All India Government Nurses Federation, in a letter to the top health authorities, pulled up the government for its “callous attitude” towards women and making a mockery of the Women Empowerment Year.

The association said that it was not happy to find out the total number of nurses in the country. As per the 1991 census, the number was 2,74,509 and nearly 10 per cent of them 30,551 were males. It also said that the highest position, Nursing Advisor to Government of India, was held by a male nurse. Likewise, the post of Additional Director General, Nursing Services, was created for one year in the Directorate. “But the same nurse was holding both the positions. By virtue of being an ex officio member of the Indian Nursing Council, he has been elected as the INC President also.

In effect, the posts of the Nursing Advisor to the Government of India and the INC President are with the same male nurse,” the association alleged. The nurses also demanded that this discrepancy should be done away with immediately by appointing female nurses to the top positions in the decision-making body.

Credit Suisse lift Swiss Polo Trophy
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, February 10
Credit Suisse lifted the Swiss Polo Trophy beating Swiss Business Forum by 11 goals to five at the Jaipur Polo ground in the Capital on Sunday.

Watched by a goodly holiday crowd, Credit Suisse played aggressively to make it a one-sided affair. Oliver Taylore scored to open the account of Business Forum in the first chukker which was equalised by Maj Ahiraj Singh. But Oliver struck again in the same chukker, and after that the Swiss Business Forum could not score a goal till the end of the fourth chukker.

Samir Suhag scored two goals for Credit Suisse in the second chukker while Vikram Sodhi scored one. Samir Suhag scored another brace in the third chukker and one goal in the fourth chukker. Martin Nero scored one goal each in the third and fourth chukker respectively.

Credit Suisse led by 9-2 at the end of the fourth chukker. The winners scored two more goals in the fifth and final chukker through Vikram Sodhi while Capt. Tarun Sirohi, Oliver Taylor and Lt. Col J.S. Virk scored one goal each for Swiss Business Forum, to reduce the impact of the defeat.

Earlier, in an exhibition match, SGS beat Polo Event by 7-6. Shivraj Singh scored three goals, Basheer Ali two and Massimo Baggi one for SGS while Shamsheer Ali struck four goals and Aroonpal Singh and Maj. A.S. Randhawa one goal each for Polo Events.

Hyderabad Chaugan beat Indian Military Academy 13 to four and a half to win the Junior IPA Championship. Basheer Ali scored eight goals, Yogeshwar Singh three and Ms Devyani Rao two goals for Hyderabad Chougan.

Mayo College emerged winners of the Sanawar Polo Trophy beating Sanwar by six and a half goals to six.

Monday’s fixtures: Final of SMS Gold Vase (eight goal) between 16 Cavalry B and Saghal Stud (2 pm); The General Thimayya Cup between Cadets of IMA and NDA (3 pm)—Jaipurr Polo Ground.

26 Asian PGA winners for Hero Honda Masters
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, February 10
As many as 26 winners on the Asian PGA Davidoff Tour will be seen in action during the Hero Honda Masters 2002, to be held at the Arnold Palmer-designed DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon from February 13 (Wednesday).

Heading the list is American Gerry Norquist, who has five titles under his belt. Among the four-time winners on the Tour, who will vie for the top prize of $ 48,450 in the $300,000 lakh event, are Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, both of India, Bunchoo Ruangkit, Prayad Marksaeng and Thammanoon Sriroj (all Thailand). Defending champion Arjun Atwal of India and Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand have won three titles each.

A quality field is expected to tee off for the fifth edition of the Masters. As per the latest entry list, a full quota of 129 players from the Asian PGA Tour, including 12 Indians, and top 15 players from the Indian Golf Tour, will comprise the field along with select amateurs.

Norquist will be playing his fourth Hero Honda Masters. His best finish thus far is a third place in 1998. Norquist’s other wins were 1998 Volvo Asian Matchplay, 1997 DFS Galleria Guam Open, 1996 Omega PGA Championship and Royal Perak Classic in 1995.

Randhawa, who won the Hero Honda Masters in 1998 and 1999, and the Indian Open in 2000, will be among the pre-tournament favourites. His other victory came at the 2000 Singapore Open. Jeev, who is also sponsored by Hero Honda, last won in the 1999 Lexus International. While his best finish was a second in 1998, his other Asian PGA Tour victories include the 1996 Philip Morris Asia Cup (where he scored 26-under par which still is the best four-round aggregate on the Asian PGA Tour) and the Philippine Classic and Asian Matchplay Championship in 1995.

All five Indian winners on the Asian PGA Tour – Gauravv

Ghei (1995 Gadgil Western Masters) and Feroz Ali (1998 Indian Open), apart from Jeev, Randhawa and Atwal, will be seen in action. Ali Sher, who won the Indian Open twice, will also participate.

Daniel Chopra, the Sweden-based Indian, will also be in the fray. Chopra had won the Mercuries Masters in Taiwan last year. Vivek Bhandari and Arjun Singh had finished second and third in the same event.

Golf to unite residents
Ravi S.Singh
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, February 10
The local Gymkhana Club of Haryana Urban Development Authority(HUDA)today organised 9-Hole Golf tournament at the Gymkhana Golf Course in Sector 15(Part 1). The three club tournament, which was teed off early in the morning, was attended by the elites of Gurgaon, including a large section of women. A good number of participants, both from local Gurgaon and Delhi took part in the events.

Briefly.....
26 disciplines for National Games
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, February 10
The 32nd edition of the National Games, to be held in Hyderabad from November 15 to 25, 2002 will have 26 disciplines. According to Indian Olympic Association director ASVPrasad, “there is a possibility of including one or two more disciplines as per the choice of the host Olympic Association”.

The events, scheduled to be held, as of now, in Hyderabad, are: Archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing and kayaking, cycling, equestrian, fencing, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, kho-kho, rowing, shooting, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and yatching.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad is learnt to have created “state-of-the-art” facilities for the National Games, with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu taking a keen personal interest in the timely completion of work on the infrastructural front. According to sources in the IOA, the Andhra Chief Minister readily accepted a suggestion mooted by IOA president Suresh Kalmadi for the setting up of permanent flood-lighting facilities at the main stadium. The Andhra Government is learnt to have liberally loosened its purse strings to create world class sporting and other facilities for the National Games, which had taken its modern avatar, way back in the sixties, in Hyderabad.

5 Nations for Asian, Oceanian Korfball

Five countries—Australia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and hosts India—will take part in the fifth Asian-Oceanian Korfball Championships to be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from February 13 to 16.6.

Lt Governor of Delhi Vijay Kapoor will inaugurate the championships on February 13 at 4 pm. Hong Kong will play against Australia in the first match at 2.30 on the opening day followed by a match between India and Japan at 4-15 pm. On February 14, Chinese Taipei take on Hong Kong followed by an India-Australia match. On February 15, Australia meet Japan, India clash against Chinese Taipei and Japan play against Hong Kong. On February 16, Japan take on Chinese Taipei, Chinese Taipei meet Australia and India meet Hong Kong.

Rashtriya Yuva Yatra function at IG Stadium
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, February 10
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Uma Bharti will deliver the presidential address at the concluding function of the Rashtriya Yuva Yatra, the country-wide on-going mass contact programme of youth, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the Capital on Monday.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Shahnawaz Hussain, Minister for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Ananth Kumar and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Pon. Radhakrishnan, will also address the gathering.

These yatras will signify a convergence of four Rashtriya Yuva Yatras, which commenced in all four directions of the country—South (Kerala), East (Puri), West (Dwarka) and North (Paonta Sahib) as well as a Sub-Yatra representing the North-Eastern States..