HEALTH

AIDS awareness campaign
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 27 — The NSS Department, Panjab University, in collaboration with the AIDS Control Society, organised a mass campaign programme in Sector 25 Janata Colony to impart awareness on HIV/AIDS problems here today.

Local residents, truck drivers, dhabawalas and social workers participated in the mass campaign. In his keynote address, Dr C.L. Narang, Director, NSS, pointed out that India was coming in the severe grip of AIDS each passing day. More than 3.5 million cases of HIV are reported in India, according to the latest survey report. The report further reveals that truck drivers and roadside dhabawalas are more prone to HIV.

Dr N.M. Sharma, Project Director, AIDS Control Society, emphasised that safe sex, pre-testing of blood for transfusion and sterilised or disposable syringes for injections could help in minimising spread of AIDS.

Mr Ramji Dass, a social worker, emphasised the need of informative literature in local languages so that it could be used by the semi-literate people. Majority of the people still did not understand the ill-effects of HIV/AIDS and they should be made aware of this deadly disease, he added.

SPORT

Double win for Tushar, Neha
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, March 27 — Tushar Liberhan in the boys' section and Neha Singh in the girls' section, won two title each in the Chandigarh State Lawn Tennis Championship which concluded here today at the Sector 10 CLTA courts.

Tushar, a student of St John's High School who represented India's in the Asia Cup in Islamabad recently, had a tough match today against Akash Sharma in the under-18 section before winning in three sets. In the under-16 section, Tushar, playing a neat game, ended the challenge of Gurneet Singh in straight sets.

In the under-14 girls' section, Neha Singh, a Class X student of the Sector 26 Sacred Heart School, defeated her sister, Simmer, in straight sets. In the under-18 section, she was extended in the first set to seven games by Mallika Malhotra, but, wrapped the second set easily. Neha who trains under Baldev Singh is also rated among first ten in India in the under-14 category, based on the All-India Tennis Association (AITA) points.

The men's singles title was won by Gurvinder Singh who proved to be too good for Saurabh Sharma. Justice R.S. Sodhi was the chief guest and gave away the prizes.

Results: (all finals) Boys (under-14) — Sanam Krishan b Yuvraj Chaudhary, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4); girls (under-14) — Neha Singh b Simmer Singh, 6-3, 6-3; girls (under-18) — Neha Singh b Mallika Malhotra, 7-5, 6-3; boys (under-18) — Tushar Liberhan b Akash Sharma, 6-3, 6-7 (7-3), 6-2; boys (under-16) — Tushar b Gurneet Singh, 6-4, 6-2; men's singles — Gurvinder Singh b Saurabh Sharma, 7-5, 6-2; doubles — Robin and Saurabh b Gurvinder and Vikas Sharma, 6-4, 6-1.

Third place matches: Boys (under-14) — Harneet b Gurdit, 6-3, 7-6 (7-0); girls (under-18) — Sanya b Simmer, 6-4, 6-3; boys (under-16) — Ardaman Sidhu b Jitin Bishnoi, 6-3, 7-5.

Training centres awarded to DAV school
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, March 27 — DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, in a significant decision by the Sports Authority of India, has been awarded four training centre under the NSTC scheme. Training will be given in athletics, football, hockey and volleyball by the Sports Authority of India at these centres. Earlier, these centres were being run by Shivalik Public School, SAS Nagar.

Mr Ravinder Talwar, Principal of the school, said the training for hockey would be at the Sector 18 ground, athletics at the Sector 7 Sports Complex and volleyball and football on the school premises. These centres will begin functioning from the next month and the selection trials in these disciplines under the scheme will be be held on April 3 and 4.

On March 24, when the national rowing trials were being witnessed at Sukhna Lake by the Rowing Federation of India officials, the President of the RFI, Mr K.P. Singh Deo, and its Secretary, Mr C.P. Singh, had complimented the facilities at the school where the rowers were lodged. The food was also according to the prescribed standards.

Mr Singh had also said the RFI would soon open centre of excellence in rowing in coordination with the SAI at Chandigarh. He said for the boy trainees, the school had ideal hostel facilities.

Mr Talwar also said a national-level handball camp was also on the anvil at the school. He said the school had one of the best grounds for this game. The trials will be conducted by the SAI coaches — K.S. Patiyal, Jasbir Singh and Sukhvinder Singh (athletics); I.P. Nagi and R.S. Bhanot (football); B.S. Randhawa and Manjit Kaur (hockey); and N.S. Nagreta and Shiv Bedi (volleyball).

Ajay shines: A fine batting performance by Ajay Sharma who scored 69 runs off 63 deliveries, helped United Insurance Limited beat PG Financial Corporation by 18 runs yesterday in the first Salzer Cup League Cricket Tournament being played at the Sector 5 grounds in Panchkula. In another match, Canara Bank beat Federal Travels by five wickets.

Brief scores: UIC — 130 runs for five in 25 overs (Ajay Sharma 69, Raj Kumar 42, Sushil 2 for 20); PGFC — 118 runs for nine wickets in 25 overs (Pankaj 24, Munish 19, Subhash 3 for 24, Raj Kumar 2 for 18, Rahul 2 for 27).

Federal Travels — 149 runs for seven wickets in 25 overs (Bharat Singh 53, Parveen 32, Vikas 2 for 16, S.R.S. Subramanium 2 for 20); Canara Bank — 151 runs for five wickets in 19.4 overs (Ram Pal 45, Vikas 26, Charandass 25, Sanjeev Sekhri 21 n.o., Jugraj Singh 2 for 15).

New session: Hansraj Coaching Centre, Sector 6, Panchkula, will begin the new cricket coaching session from April 3 at the school, according to a press note issued by Ms Rajni Thareja, Principal of Hansraj Public School. The interested may contact Mr Sanjay Verma on the school premises from 4 pm to 6 pm.

Wrestling meet: The Chandigarh UT Wrestling Association will hold the the UT State Sub-Junior (below 16) and Juniors (below 20) Wrestling Championship on April 1 and 2 at Wrestling Coaching Centre, Sector 30, according to a press note of the association. The entries will be accepted upto 9 am on April 1 while the weighing-in will begin at 10 am and the bouts at 11 am on the same day.

Multi-faceted sport girls of city
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Mar 27 — City girls Kirandeep Kaur, Shveta Suneja, Manpreet Kaur Kang, Gaganpreet Kaur, Shivika Arora, Rajni and Chetna, who stole the show in the Hero National Bike Championship yesterday, excel in other sport disciplines also.

A 15-year-old student of Class IX at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 37, Kirandeep has been a swimmer of repute. Her mother Anju says Kirandeep spends six months for swimming and the rest for cycling, rowing and triathlon.

She took part in the open national swimming for the first time and won the fourth position in 100m and 200m backstroke in under-17 section, representing Haryana. The city does not have affiliation with any of the national swimming associations and the swimmers belonging to Chandigarh have to depend on associations of neighbouring states for entry into nationals.

She has been coached at the Sector 23 pool by J.S. Negi. She participated in the Manipur National Games in 1999 and at the Bangalore Open Nationals.

Yesterday she won the gold medal in cross-country massed race and silver medal in cross-country point-to-point lap race in senior section in cycling. She has been coached by Achhru Pal at lake club road.

She also won the silver medal in the Chandigarh state rowing meet. She won gold medal at the triathlon meet in nationals.

Shveta Suneja, a student of BSc Honours at Panjab University, yesterday won gold medal in an event in senior category at the mountain bike meet. She secured second position in the state cycling meet. She was selected by PU for the all-India inter-university cricket meet and represented Haryana in the North Zone Cricket Tournament. She also represented Haryana in hockey at nationals.

Manpreet Kaur Kang, a Class IX student of Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 11, won gold medal in junior section of cross-country massed races and bronze medal in junior cross-country point-to-point race. She took part in the National School Games in football last year and scored six goals. She played as pitcher in baseball and represented the UT in Junior Nationals.

Gaganpreet Kaur, a Class X student of St Anne's School, Sector 32, got injured in the junior girls' category while taking part in the meet yesterday. She had won bronze medal at the Chandigarh state cycling meet. She had also taken part in baseball, basketball and athletics. She also represented the UT in the national cycling championship.

Shivika Arora, a Class X student of St Anne's School, Sector 32, won four gold medals at the state cycling meet and took part in the cycling nationals at Patiala. She won gold medal in junior girls' cross-country point-to-point race and silver medal in cross-country massed races in junior girls' section yesterday. Other sport disciplines that she is interested in are basketball and high jump.

Rajni Garga, a Class X student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, won the bronze medal in women and junior girls' cross-country, point-to-point and massed races. In swimming, she took part in 100m butterfly in state meet.

Chetna won silver medal in yesterday's bike meet in cross-country massed race in senior category. A Class XII student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 18, she won seven medals at the inter-school swimming meet and also took part in track cycling and triathlon meets.

ADMINISTRATION

AFWWA chief visits Air Force station
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 27 — Mrs Harveen Krishnaswami, President, Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Regional), Western Air Command, arrived here this morning on a three-day visit to the 12 Wing Air Force Station on her maiden inspection visit.

On her arrival, she was briefed by by Mrs Rima Banerjee, President, AFWWA (Local), about various welfare activities at the station.

She visited the Station Sick Quarters and distributed gifts to the patients. She also inspected the three branches of the Air Force Regional School, located at Sector 28, 47 and the main campus.

Mrs Krishnaswami also met special children of “Umeed” and presented gifts to them. She also addressed ladies of the station at a special meeting.

Later, she went round the campus of the station to see for herself various ongoing welfare schemes. She will visit Air Force station Rajpura and highgrounds on March 28 and 29, respectively.

Doctors transferred to Sectors 35, 45
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 27 — To provide staff to the Sector 35 dispensary and the newly upgraded Sector 45 polyclinic, the Chandigarh Administration has ordered the transfer of some doctors, who assumed duty today, it is learnt.

Dr Rajeev Vadhera, SMO, Sector 16 General Hospital, has been transferred as in charge of the Sector 45 polyclinic. Dr Jatinder Kaur has been posted as a gynaecologist in the Sector 45 polyclinic. Dr Sarita Mehra from Primary Health Centre, Mani Majra has been asked to work in the Sector 35 Civil Dispensary for three months, three days a week.

Dr Manraj Singh has been transferred as physician in the Sector 16 General Hospital. While Dr Reeta Kaul has been shifted from the Sector 45 Civil Dispensary to the Punjab and Haryana High Court dispensary, Dr Anita Chum has been moved from the high court dispensary to the Sector 8 civil dispensary. Dr Hani Sahni, who has joined on deputation has also been posted at the dispensary in the high court. Dr Asha Kiran will continue to work in the civil dispensary of the Punjab and Haryana Secretariat.