SPORT

Patiala, Jalandhar reach finals
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 16 — Jalandhar reached the final of the 46th Punjab School Inter-District Cricket Tournament, here today. In the first semi-final, Jalandhar defeated Muktsar by three wickets and 109 runs. Muktsar won the toss and invited Jalandhar to bat first. Jalandhar set a target of 222 runs for Muktsar in 25 overs, after losing seven wickets. Muktsar could score only 113 runs in 18.1 overs and lost all wickets.

Ishan of Jalandhar scored 29 runs in just nine balls with the help of three sixes and two boundaries. Sunny Gandhi and Amarjeet of Jalandhar contributed 54 and 39 runs respectively. The bowlers of Jalandhar did not give any chance to their opponents to edge towards victory. Rajesh took three wickets, while Ishan, Amarjeet and Vikram took two wickets each.

In the second semi-final, Patiala defeated Gurdaspur by nine wickets. Gurdaspur won the toss and elected to bat first. Gurdaspur scored 54 runs in 14 overs after losing all wickets. Patiala achieved the target in 5.2 overs and lost only one wicket. Maninder and Sukhwinder of Patiala took three wickets each while Navdeep took two wickets. Sukhwinder and Harkishan of Patiala scored 29 and 21 runs respectively.

Softball tournament
The District Softball Championship for men and women, and boys and girls is scheduled to be held from November 22 to 25 at Ramgarhia Complex, Miller Ganj. According to a press release issued here on Thursday by Mr P.N. Passi, secretary, Ludhiana District Softball Association, in junior section those born after January 1,1983, are only eligible. The entry will be closed on November 20.

Doraha hockey championship
The finals of the Panjab University Inter-School Hockey Tournament, B-Division (men), were played in Guru Nanak Stadium, Doraha, between Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, and Government College, Karamsar. The Doraha team defeated the Karamsar team by a score of 3-2. The lead was established in the first half only. Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, has won this championship for the 16th time.

COVS wins
The College of Veterinary Sciences (COVS) clinched the PAU Inter-College Cricket League Tournament on the basis of their point tally. The College of Agriculture was the first runner up.

COVS took the tally to six points by defeating College of Basic sciences and Humanities (COBS&H), by eight wickets, here today.

COBS&H won the toss and elected to bat first. COBS&H scored 124 runs in 35 overs and lost all wickets. COVS achieved the target easily, after losing two wickets.

Govt committed to youth, sports
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 16 — The Punjab finance minister, Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, yesterday claimed that the state government was committed to the welfare of youth and sports. He said the government had given special attention to create more and more job opportunities, besides launching various self employment schemes for educated unemployment.

The finance minister was addressing a largely attended prize distribution function of the 53rd annual sports tournament organised by Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Sport Club, at Sarabha village.

He announced that the required funds for the completion of on going Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha memorial complex in the village would be released by the state government on priority basis and further informed that so for Rs 20 lakh had already been spent on this project and other development works in the village during the last three years.

Paying tributes to Kartar Singh Sarabha, the finance minister described him as a pioneer of the freedom movement, whose ideology was later followed by other patriots and freedom fighters. Being the youngest martyr, to lay down his life for the sake of motherland, Sarabha had been a great source of inspiration for the youth of the country, along with great martyrs like Bhagat Singh.

The finance minister announced a regular annual grant of Rs.1 lakh for Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Sports Club for holding the sports tournament. The money, he added, would be disbursed through the district planning and development board. The minister also gave away prizes to the winners.

Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha, technical education minister, Punjab and youth akali dal leader Mr. Kartar Singh Malha were prominent among those, who addressed the function.

ADMINISTRATION

Private collection of octroi begins
From Our Correspondent

KHANNA, Nov 16 — The private collection of octroi was started by a municipal council contractor, here yesterday.

Mr Yash Raj Goel, EO, Municipal Council, Khanna, informed that the auction for private collection of octroi was held last week at zila parishad complex under the supervision of Deputy Director, Ludhiana and Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana.

The EO, Municipal Council, Khanna, said the privatisation of octroi collection would help the authorities to provide funds for sewerage project and other development works. He said that it was expected that municipal council would get a daily octroi of Rs 2,01,600 whereas earlier it was less than Rs 1.5 lakh.