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Get ready now for
Olympics Jugraj back on hockey
field GND varsity benefits from 6
disciplines |
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Get ready now for
Olympics This is the year of the Olympics. Various federations must have begun preparations quite some ago and if media reports are to be given weight, ‘Operation Athens’ set in motion sometime in June last year with an Olympic preparation committee constituted with Mr V.K. Malhotra would have finalised the plans for the formalization of an Indian contingent. As per reports, the committee, which was in the process of being constituted, had the task of tapping corporate funds for sponsoring medal prospects. This was to supplement the Rs 4 crore promised by the Ministry of Coal and Mines and the addition from the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The reports had also stated that the Sports Authority of India had entered into an MoU with the FICCI for this purpose. All to the good. The work of the preparation committee was well defined with money to be provided for coaching and training camps. That such a big step as the formation of a preparation committee with money power was taken so early was a welcome step. It was perhaps for the first time in the history of Indian sport that some sort of planning was done well on time while preparing for the Olympics. With the Athens Olympics just a few months away, it is now time to find out what sort of preparations have been done by the various federation. So far, at least on the outside, there does not seem to be any hectic work underway. Perhaps it is too soon. And it does not really matter too insofar as the expectations are concerned. India has not done well at all in the Olympics except for the triumphs of the hockey team and the odd medal, in tennis, wrestling and weightlifting respectively. There have been some promising performances on the track, the best being the 1976 Montreal Olympics where Hari Chand, Shiv Nath, Sriram Singh among others performed well. Their timings were an improvement over those returned on the home tracks. But after that barring the flutter caused by
P.T. Usha in the Los Angeles Games in 1984, Indian athletics, despite being very well represented, has not quite distinguished itself. Hockey is the only game one can continue to associate with a medal. It does not matter if the team did badly at the Azlan Shah Cup in Kuala Lumpur. It has of course first to qualify for the Games. It has to raise its level considerably to be counted among the medallist in the Games. The most important point to be stressed here is not whether the preparation committee has done its work and the sportsmen and women will be in fine tune by the time of the Olympics. What is important is whether one can avoid the drama that is staged every time the contingent leaves for any Olympic Games. The All-India Athletics Federation in particular should ensure that its team is finalised well in time and that there would be no last minute trials to increase the numbers. The same holds good for some of the other disciplines which nearly always try to make a last minute bid to get India colours. The preparation committee should also make sure that the number of government officials and other personalities going with the contingent is restricted to the minimum. India, despite its medal-less, often performance-less show, has on record, nearly always carried one of the largest contingents. The public in India is used to the country’s sportsmen and women coming back empty handed from the Olympics but it is quite fed up of the last minute drama enacted before every Olympic Games. It will be a great achievement if an Indian team is finalised well on time and leaves the country with some dignity. The preparation committee will have done more than its job if it can ensure just this much. Medals can wait. |
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Jugraj back on hockey
field
It was one sight which hockey lovers were anxiously awaiting. As ace drag-flick expert Jugraj Singh entered Delhi's Shivaji Stadium on Thursday to cheer his team, Punjab Police, in the semifinal tie against Indian Oil Corporation, many of those present craned their necks to have a closer look. The smiles on seeing Jugraj back on the hockey field after five months were clearly an expression of relief. Some stood up to pat him, others shook hands as Jugraj made his way to the rear enclosure where he remained seated till the end of the encounter, incidentally won by Punjab Police. "All along I always felt that I was part of the team although missing action in prestigious meets like the Asia Cup and the Afro-Asian Games was quite painful. Nevertheless I hope to be back in action in a few months now," Jujraj told a TV news channel. And today he was again present to boost the morale of his team in the final. It was on September 2 last year that the promising defender, a key member of the Indian hockey team, met with a serious road accident near Jalandhar in which he suffered multiple fractures. His grave condition caused nationwide alarm even as thousands of hockey fans joined in prayer to wish him a speedy recovery. Even President APJ Abdul Kalam enquired about his well being during his visit to Ludhiana. For weeks, room No 1 of ward No 27 of the
ortho-neuro post surgery wing of Ludhiana's Dayanand Medical College and Hospital saw a sreeam of visitors which included union and state ministers, IOA officials, politicians and dignitaries. Even ordinary mortals came and expressed sympathy with Jugraj's parents, Mr Harinder Singh and Mrs Gurmeet Kaur. It was Jugraj's lion-hearted performance in the Champions Trophy at Amstelveen which made him a national hero. Ever since his debut in the senior team after the gold medal victory in the 2001 junior World Cup, he had been going from strength to strength. He was not only performing the vital role of a defender but also of an attacker. As a penalty corner specialist, he was seen as India's answer to the likes of Argentina's Jorge Lombi and Pakistan's Sohail Abbas. The 21-year-old lad from Fazalpur village in Amritsar district not only executed penalty corners with precision but also performed the runner's role, taking powerful blows on his body with courage. His twin strikes against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy and against South Korea in India's dramatic comeback in the Busan Asian Games set him apart from the rest. The crippling road accident on that fateful September night nearly cut short his budding career. However, thanks to the efforts of the Sahara group, IHF and other agencies, Jugraj received the best of medical attention. After making good recovery at the Ludhiana hospital, Jugraj was airlifted to Delhi's Batra Hospital on September 27. Later he was taken to the USA from where he returned some time back after treatment. Though he walked with a stick yesterday after his final discharge from Batra Hospital, his return to action may take some more months. Maybe at the Athens Olympics, India will see a fully charged-up Jugraj firing on all cylinders. When that happens, it will perhaps be one of the greatest comebacks in the history Indian sports. |
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GND varsity benefits from 6
disciplines Hockey, weightlifting, gymnastics, athletics, basketball and football are the six disciplines which helped Guru Nanak Dev University to the lion’s share of medals in the inter-university competitions. The laurels won by the university are not confined to trophies alone. The university has produced a record 24 Arjuna awardees since its birth. Guru Nanak Dev University has also lifted the prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for a record 17 times, a feat which no other university of the country has achieved till now. It has also won the second highest sports trophy, the Dr B.L. Gupta Trophy, for a record 11 times. The men’s weightlifting team of the university won the gold medal 22 times, a record by itself. Ask any weightlifter of the university about the reason behind the stupendous success since 1979 and he will immediately point to the efforts of coach Prem Singh. A retired Army Captain, Prem Singh has already crossed 70 years, but his long stint in the Army taught him to strive for being the best. He has been coaching the university team in honorary capacity since 1986. Before joining the university he coached the Army team who remained winners for a continuous 16 years in Services competitions. For his commendable work, he was honoured with the Vishisht Sewa Medal (VSM) by the President. The discipline has also given two Arjuna awardees — Tara Singh and Dalbir Singh. Women’s hockey is another bastion of the university. The discipline has fetched 21 gold medals. The university has achieved the unique distinction of winning the All-India Inter-Varsity Championship consecutively for five years twice — from 1975 to 1979 and then from 1995 to 1999. It has also produced two Arjuna awardees — Ajinder Kaur and Rajbir Kaur. However, men’s hockey has not produced such results. The university has secured just nine gold medals although the discipline has produced seven Arjuna awardees. They are Harcharan Singh, Surinder Singh Sodhi, Pargat Singh, Surjit Singh, Baldev Singh and present stars of Indian hockey Baljit Singh Dhillon and Baljit Singh Saini. Gymnastics have also fetched a large chunk of medals to the university. Men gymnasts have captured 19 gold medals in inter-varsity competitions. Women gymnasts have got top positions 15 times, including the 11-year unbroken stint from 1974 to 1985. Gymnasts attribute the achievements to coach Ritu Raj Kapoor who has been coaching at the university for the past 31 years. Men’s athletics is another rewarding discipline. The university has won 15 gold medals. Nachhtar Singh has been coaching the university team since 1981. He attributes the success to the athletes’ physique. Most of the athletes come from the Majha belt and are well-built. The university has maintained a grip over javelin, discus and shot put. Women’s basketball and football have fetched 10 gold medals in inter-university competitions. Basketball has also produced an Arjuna awardee — Suman Sharma. Football coach Tarlochan Singh revealed that of 14 football tournaments played so far, the university won 10 and remained runners-up twice and stood third once. He said the team had also established a record winning tournaments for six consecutive years. Mr S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor, says the region has immense sports potential. The university has also made a mark in newly-introduced disciplines like archery, pistol shooting, rowing and cycling. In rowing and cycling, the university teams participated in the inter-university competitions for the first time last year and finished fourth and second, respectively. However, the university does not have infrastructure for these disciplines. |
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Hockey team disappoints Hockey fans were stunned to watch the shameful defeat of our team in the Azlan Shah Cup. Defeats against Pakistan, Korea and Spain were really disappointing. The tall claims of the IHF were exposed. In this cup the teams who defeated us had players of strong will with lasting stamina and best talent. Our team played well initially but due to poor stamina succumbed to the might of the rivals.The process of selection of players requires drastic changes. JASWANT S. SANDHU,
Jalandhar II In the Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament at Kuala Lumpur, India were defeated by Germany and Pakistan. India lost six matches and played a draw against Malaysia to secure only one point. It was observed that India squandered away the lead in the ties. India’s showing was poor and disappointing. There was no coordination. B.M. SINGH NARANG,
Chandigarh Wise decision It was sad to sea India’s dismal performance in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. This is India’s first bad performance after four straight title wins, including the Asia Cup and Afro-Asian Games. All the four wins were under coach Rajinder Singh. The team sent for Azlan Shah Cup comprised junior players. Azlan Shah Cup is not a prestigious tournament and it was right to test the junior players. The coach, Harendra Singh, and captain Dhanraj Pillay, could not show their ability of command. Since the Olympic qualifiers are drawing near, we have the satisfaction that we have the best forward line in Deepak Thakur, top scorer of the junior World Cup, Gagan Ajit Singh and Prabhjot Singh. This forward line is ably supported by Baljit Singh Saini, Baljit Singh Dhillon, Pillay and Ignace Tirkey in the midfield. Full-back Kanwalpreet Singh and Dilip Tirkey are most dependable. Devesh Chauhan is the best goalkeeper at present. PRITPAL SINGH,
Patiala |
