SPORT

Treat for soccer fans
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 19 — Soccer fans of the city may look forward to some exciting fare as the fourth edition of the National Football League gets under way at Guru Nanak Stadium tomorrow. The opening match, between Tolly Ganj and JCT, will start at 2.30 p.m.

Other teams, which will exhibit their power and skills on the field, are Air-India, East Bengal, ITI, Ludhiana, DFA XI and two famous soccer outfits from Goa — Vasco Club and Churchill Brothers.

The ground has been watered. Though it presents a lush green look from a distance, there are patches near the goal posts and in the flanks which are not so green.

So far the district sports authorities have received confirmation for seven league matches which will be played till March 23.

Confirmation for three or four more matches is expected within the coming week. These matches are likely to be played in the last week of March and the first week of April.

Mr S.S. Sandhu, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, will inaugurate tomorrow's match. All matches would be played in the afternoon. Entry to the stadium is free.

The following is the tentative schedule of the seven league matches confirmed so far:

February 20 — JCT vs Tolly Ganj, February 25 — JCT vs Air-India, March 2 — JCT vs East Bengal, March 5 — JCT vs ITI, March 14 — Ludhiana vs Vasco Club (Goa), March 18 — JCT vs Churchill Brothers (Goa) and March 23 — JCT vs Mahindra and Mahindra.

Soccer title for Hambowak
From Our Correspondent

MACHHIWARA, Feb 19 — The three-day sport festival organised by the local Shree Charan Kanwal Sports Club concluded here on Sunday. In football matches, Hambowak beat Manewal, 4-0, to win a cash prize of Rs 4,100.

The kabaddi team of Chahlan village defeated Manupur to win a cash prize of Rs 4,100. Harmaldeep, a student of Shakti Public Senior Secondary School, won the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m races to receive Rs 1,000 in prize.

Kabaddi (62kg) — Manela 1, Panjeta 2; volleyball Dehlon defeated Panjeta; football — Kotala beat Khasi Kalan.

Major Singh Ghungrali lifted 1.5 quintals and Joginder Singh Billoo lifted 80 kg with his teeth. Saroop Singh bent a steel rod using the force of his neck. Shamsher Singh let a loaded tractor pass over his chest. Another youth pulled a motor cycle using his ears. The host club honoured the Hardip Singh, a national-level light heavyweight boxer.

Mr Gurcharan Singh Mithewal, Chairman of the local market committee, gave away the prizes on the concluding day. The others who were there included Mr Anil Sood, head of Machhiwara Nagar Panchayat, Mr Rupinder Singh Benipal, Mr D.L. Jain, Mr Karamjit Singh Gill, Mr Kanwaljit Singh Batra, Mr Jaspal Singh Judge, Mr Jeet Ram, Mr Hardeep Singh and Sukhdeep Singh.

Athletics meet
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 19 — Veeraklave and Balram Yadav stole the limelight in the annual athletics meet of the Sanatan Dharam Parcharak Senior Secondary School which started here today in junior and senior section respectively. Veeraklave clinched gold medals in 100m and 400m while Balram Yadav bagged gold medals in 1500m and 800m.

The results are as follows: long jump: Inderjit 1, Manoj 2, Ram Luxman 3; 800m — Ram Luxman 1, Raju 2, Mandeep 3; shot put — Jagdeep Singh 1, Munish 2, Sandeep Chopra 3; 1500m — Balram Yadav 1, Raboo Deen 2, Udham Singh 3; 800m: Balram Yadav 1, Raboo Din 2; Onkar Singh 3; 100m (senior) — Kulwinder Singh 1, Jagdeep 2, Ramesh 3; 100m (junior) — Veeraklave 1, Vimal 2, Mandeep 3; 400m (senior) — Jagdeep 1, Ramesh 2, Bhisham 3; 400m (Junior): Veeraklave 1, Raju 2, Sunil Nahar 3; slow cycling (senior) — Nitin Verma 1, Amardeep 2; slow cycling (junior) — Kamaljeet 1, Vimal 2; 200m (senior) — Rajan 1, Bhishan 2, Paramjit Singh 3; 200m (junior) — Amir Goyal 1, Shiv Sharma 2, Bharat Kataria 3.

Rural sport meet concludes
From Our Correspondent

SAHNEWAL, Feb 19 — The 29th Annual Rural Sports of Sahnewal organised by Panchayati Raj Sports Club (regd) at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium concluded here on Sunday.

According to a press note released by Mr Avtar Singh Sandhu, convener, and Mr Tejinder Singh Sahnewal, senior vice-president of the club, the three-day annual sports meet of Sahnewal were inaugurated by Mr Gurmail Singh Pehalwan, senior vice-president of the Punjab Kabbadi Federation, and the flag was unfurled by the DSP, Mr Rachpal Singh, chairman of the club.

Mr Baljinder Singh Mottha, president of the Panchayati Raj Sports Club gave away the prizes to the winners.

Mr Gurmit Singh donated Rs. 21,000, Mr Amarpaar Singh donated Rs 11,000 and Mr Harpreet Singh Harry donated Rs 30,000 to the club.