HEALTH

Spinal centre board meeting today 
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 8 — The board meeting to chalk out the modalities and other plans for a spinal injury centre, first of its kind in the region, will be held at SAS Nagar tomorrow. The centre is being set up in collaboration with the Government of Italy.

The centre will give funds and the Indian Spinal Injuries Center will provide the technical expertise for the project. Tomorrow's meeting will be chaired by the Minister of Social Securities, Mr Gobind Singh Kanjla. This was disclosed in a press conference addressed by Maj H.P.S. Ahluwalia, Chairman, and Dr H.S. Chabbra, Deputy Medical Director, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Vasant Kunj.

Major Ahluwalia, a recipient of Padmashri, Arjuna award and National Lifetime Award for the best work done in the field of disability, said about a couple of years back there were hardly any facilities for the management of spinal injuries and locomotor disabled.

Major Ahluwalia himself has been confined to wheel chair as a result of a war injury in the Indo-Pak conflict in 1965.

He said that spinal injury was perhaps one of the most disabling calamity that can afflict mankind. " Estimates suggest that around 20 per million population or say around 18,000 people will have a fresh injury every year.

In India according to the WHO criteria eight per cent of the population is disabled. Out of this, 60 per cent happen to be locomotor disabled.

SPORT

Basketball is his first love
By Arvind Katyal

CHANDIGARH, Aug 8 — Harminder Singh recently brought glory to his institution, DAV Model School, Sector 15, by becoming the only cager from Chandigarh having taken part in the Asian Junior Basketball Confederation Championship held at Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) on July 27. At 17 years Harminder has just one sole aim, to gradually scale the heights in this game by representing country. Soft spoken Harminder hail from Sherpur village of Ropar district but has been settled in the city for the past many years.

Ms Rakesh Sachdeva, principal of the school, says Harminder has been trying to fulfil what his late father had wished. His mother and sister studying in class XI now provide motivation he requires to attain dizzy heights in basketball.

The journey to the basketball world for Harminder began in 1995 while in fifth standard when he was introduced to this sport by his school coach Harjit Kaur and at home by aunt Kamaljit Batth, former international basketball player now settled in the USA. Later Harminder took coaching from K S Bharti, UT coach, at Sector 7 and now he is under the supervision of Amrjit Singh at the Sector 46 Coaching Centre.

Coming back to his previous achievements, Harminder was the captain of the UT under-14 team that played in 22nd Sub-Junior National basketball championship held at Roopnagar in October 1995. He was captain of the UT team in under-14 section in the National School Games held in December 1995.

In January 1997 he represented UT in the XXIII Mini National Basketball meet held at Pondicherry. In December same year he captained the UT team for the 43rd National School Games at Godda (Bihar). Next year also Harminder participated in 44th National School games held at Chandigarh in November 1998 and captained the UT team.

Then in January 1999, he captained the UT team for the XVth Youth National Basketball meet at Surat. At each place Harminder remained the top scorer for his team. He also helped his school won the All-India Hansraj Tournament held at Ranchi by defeating Rajasthan at 75-34 in final.

There too Harminder was top scorer with 53 points. In the National Youth Basketball meet at Chittorgarh last December he captained the UT team.

Ms Sachdeva, says that Harminder have given lead to other students of the school go ahead in sports and earn goodwill. Following in his steps is his sister who is also a good basketball player.

Harminder’s daily schedule includes almost five to six hours of practice and his mother take care of his healthy diet schedule.

Harminder has got a lucrative job offer from the BSF but has decided to wait for another two years. to concentrate on his studies .

Sanjay Public School enter final
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Aug 8 — Sanjay Public School, Sector 44, will take on DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, in the final of the Chandigarh Sub-Junior Football Championship on the penultimate day here at the Sector 17 football grounds.

In the semi-final played today, Sanjay School defeated St John's High School, Sector 26, by 5-0. Surprisingly St John's School did not report after half time in protest against fielding of overaged players by Sanjay Public School. Harmohabbat Singh of Sanjay Public School scored three goals in 9th,11th and 20th minutes, while Vinay scored two goals in 24th and 29th minutes.

In the second semifinal, DAVSSS-8 got the better of SD Public School, Sector 32, by a solitary goal. Paras scored the lone goal in the 20th minute. Rizin of DAV school saved five sure attempts of SD Public School thus played a vital role in DAV's victory.

ADMINISTRATION

25 unauthorised structures removed
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Aug 8 — The enforcement staff of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) removed unauthorised structures at different places in the town.

According to the information available the staff demolished around 25 structures in Kambali village which had come up on the site of the upcoming bulk material market. Unauthorised rehris in front of the head office of the Punjab School Education Board in Phase 8 here, were also removed.