 |
|
| Tuesday,
April 10, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
|
Railways halt Punjab’s winning spree
I owe it
to The Tribune, says Harbhajan
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Baroda move into final Waqar wrecks Lanka
CISF lift Beighton Cup JCT, FC Kochin in goalless draw PSEB withdraws promotion orders Bindra for Atlanta meet Northern Railway win NJPC enter
final Chand-Khanna Club in final SECOND DIVISION SOCCER LEAGUE
|
|
Railways halt Punjab’s winning spree Chandigarh, April 9 True, Punjab were without four of their stars in this crucial semi-final tie. What the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could have done was to postpone their match by a couple of days so that players on national duty could have turned out for their state teams. But then it has been very difficult to understand the board’s thinking. The semi-final game between Punjab and Railways was wide open when play resumed the morning with Railways on three for no loss. If Punjab wanted to get back into the game with the Railways team, chasing a target of 199 for a win, they were in dire need of an early breakthrough. But luck was not with them. In the fourth over of the morning bowled by Vineet, the Railways opener Sanjay Bangar survived a confident leg before appeal. The umpire was unmoved even as the entire Punjab team made a loud appeal. Rattled by this appeal Bangar took quite some time to get back into his groove but at the other end Amit Pagnis was playing with a lot of confidence. Punjab got their first breakthrough when at the score of 47, Pagmis trying to play Babloo Kumar towards mid-on spooned an easy catch back to the bowler. His knock of 26 contained four boundaries. With the fall of this wicket, the Railways batsmen went back into their shell as they scored only 58 runs in 38 overs sent down till lunch. After the lunch break the Railways batsmen, Sanjay Bangar and Tejinder Singh came out with a purpose. It was Tejinder who opened up first as in the 43rd over of the innings bowled by Sandeep Sawal he struck two elegant boundaries. The 63-run partnership between Sanjay Bangar and Tejinder titled the balance in favour of the Railways team. The Punjab skipper Vikram Rathore shuffled his bowlers continuously in his bid to achieve a breakthrough. It finally paid dividend as Tejinder chased an away-going delivery by Vineet Sharma only to be caught by substitute fielder Dinesh Mongia in the slip cordon. Before his departure, Tejinder played a sweetly timed knock of 34 off 41 balls with four hits to the fence. And here one must commend the dedication of Dinesh Mongia. Although he was not a member of the Punjab team he arrived this morning to join his teammates after finishing his national duty in Goa just three days. And after getting the permission of the rivals he fielded for most of the day. Midway through the post-lunch session the Punjab team saw glimpses of a revival of fortunes as Sanjay Bangar edged an outswinger into the safe hands of wicketkeeper Vikram Rathore. The score at the fall of the third wicket was 125. Skipper Abhey Sharma then joined Yere Goud at the crease. In his bid to shrug off the pressure mounted by the Punjab bowlers, Abhey stepped out of his crease to loft left arm spinner Babloo Kumar over extra cover for a boundary. In his next over, he hoisted Babloo over the long-off fence for a towering six. Just as it looked that the Railways team were safely approaching the target, Abhey’s lapse in concentration cost him his wicket as he edge a delivery to Dinesh
Mongia in the slip cordon off Sandeep Sawal. The score at the fall of this wicket was 152 with Abhey contributing 17 off 24 balls. To make matters worse, Yere Gaud was trapped in front of the wicket by Reetinder Sodhi. The Railways had lost half their side for 168 but Raja Ali and Khandkar took them to victory. For Railways it is their second entry into the final. Their maiden attempt to win the National Cricket Championship was against Tamil Nadu in 1987-88. The final will be played between Railways and Baroda at Baroda from April 19. Scoreboard Punjab (Ist innings) 249 all out. Railways (Ist innings) 407 all out. Punjab( 2nd innings) 356 all out. Railways (2nd innings): Amit Pagnis c & b Babloo 26; Sanjay Bangar c V.Rathore b Gangandeep 47; Tejinder Pal c sub (Dinesh Mongia) b Vineet 34; Yere Goud lbw b R. Sodhi 25; Abhay Sharma c sub (Dinesh Mongia) b Sawal 17; Raja Ali not out 32; S. Khanolkar not out 12. Extras (L. Byes 4, No ball 1, Wide 1) 06. Total (in 76.2 overs) 199 for 5. Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-110, 3-125, 4-152, 5-168. Bowling:
Gagandeep Singh 14-7-28-1,Reetinder Sodhi 11-2-21-1,Vineet Sharma 10-1-38-1, Babloo Kumar 28-14-54-1, Sandeep Sawal 12.2-2-48-1, Munish Sharma 1-0-6-0. |
|
CAPTAIN’S
COMMENTS THE
recently concluded Test and one-day series against Australia was probably the best I have played in, in my five years of international cricket. It was a series where both sides showed plenty of character and will be remembered for India’s great fightback — one of the most remarkable ones I have seen in my playing days. Each team kept coming back and it was the last half an hour at Chennai and Goa that decided the outcome of the Test and one-day series, respectively. We have gained a lot from the series. The batting of VVS Laxman was an absolute revelation, as he kept caressing the ball all around the park. He never looked like getting out and it was a treat to watch him, both on the ground and off the field. According to me, here is a player who has arrived to serve Indian cricket for long. Harbhajan Singh was the other find and the main architect of our series win. It was a pleasure for me to lead this side, a side that never gave up, a side where the boys showed a lot of togetherness and aggressiveness on and off the field. Our plan to meet fire with fire worked. Because the Aussies got back their own stuff, it not only rattled the visitors, but also the media. They gave my team-mates and me a lot of things to laugh at and a topic of fun in the evenings. If a few things done on the field by individuals I do not wish to name could be termed as gamesmanship and tactics to beat the opposition, then our strategy was pretty much the same. Moreover, at the end of the day, it’s part and parcel of modern cricket, and no one need sweat too much over it. I also appreciate the Australian media for the way they backed their side and kept writing about the opposition. There is something for all of us to learn there. It was a series not many would like to remember as a fine example of good behaviour, but then cricket is no longer a gentleman’s game. It is fought hard and winning has become a must at any cost because there is so much at stake. I would like to congratulate all my team-mates for they showed tremendous commitment right from the camp at Chennai. It is wonderful to note that the youngsters have instilled tremendous fire in the team. I would also like to mention the commitment of John Wright, his professionalism, and his eagerness to build India as a team and a fighting unit. I think he has become two years older after this series, considering the amount of tension he has gone through. The boys have a great deal of respect for him and this is very important for the team’s success. I thank Andrew and Chetan Chauhan for their contribution and would like to make special mention of the reserve players. The series was played in hot and humid conditions and they played a crucial role in egging on the boys in the middle and keeping them going when the going was tough. We have a month and a half off before we go to Zimbabwe. This will be an important series for us, for our dream as a team is to win a series overseas. I as a captain, believe that we now have the material to do so. Lastly, I would like to mention that I was really disheartened to read all that has appeared about my personal life in the magazines and newspapers, and the quotes that have been attributed to me without my knowledge. It is not right to write about somebody without knowing the truth because it can do a lot of damage. My wife is too dear to me and I would do nothing to hurt her. I have nothing to do with anybody else. Journalists too have near and dear ones and family like us, and would not like the same thing happening to them. They may have to write because it is their profession, but a little more thought for the other person is required.
(Gameplan) |
|
I owe it to The Tribune, says Harbhajan Jalandhar, April 9 He, however, did not wish to touch on the issue of chucking and the subsequent correction of his action in a special session organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) three years ago. “Why should I look back?” said Harbhajans. Having received a grand homecoming yesterday, the tired-looking star preferred to stay away from his fans and the scribes, who turned every stone to locate him but largely remained unsuccessful in their efforts for most of the day. Instead of attending any public function, Harbhajan preferred to spend the day at home along with his mother Avtaar Kaur and sisters, who were visibly elated over his success. The Tribune was finally successful in locating him after a lot of effort and found Harbhajan willing to express his feelings. “First of all I should say thanks for the cooperation which I have been getting from The Tribune. I love it and my parents know about it. Even when I am abroad, they keep compiling clippings of The Tribune for me and the first thing I do after my return home is to read these clippings, particularly the ones pertaining to me. I would like to thank this newspaper for giving me proper coverage even when I was a star in the making. The response of the readers? Unimaginable. They (fans) keep ringing up and my home sounds like a telephone exchange”, Harbhajan said ruefully, flanked by his mother and sisters. Harbhajan said he would not like to comment on the controversy regarding his action and its subsequent correction in England. “I want to look forward and I will pour my heart into improving my performance. People’s expectations from me have increased after the hat-trick and they want a similar performance in one day cricket. I think if you don’t allow the batsmen to score more than 30 runs in 10 overs in a one dayer, it is good. But I intend to move a step ahead”, said Harbhajan, adding that Shane Warne and Anil Kumble were his role models and considered them as “very very stable bowlers. I want to follow some of their techniques.” Remembering old days, Harbhajan revealed that the Ranji team manager Sushil Kapoor used to call him Jim after the famed bowler Jim Laker. I think that was encouragement coming from a senior, it worked and the result is before you.” Recalling his childhood, Harbhajan said he used to savour his favourite jalebis with his friends. Even today if go to them or they come to me it is not without hot jalebis. Otherwise, when ever I am abroad I like to have seafood and continental but when home I like simple home-cooked food by my mother. I used to play on the roof and the street with my friends and the neighbours would be furious over the frequent smashing of our ball into their homes. They would rebuke us and complain to our parents. But, sometimes my father would join us and encourage us. I was so taken up with cricket that I would continue practicing at the Burlton Park Stadium in the dim light from my friend Shiv Sikka’s scooter headlight. After that both of us would eat bananas or what ever was available at the rehris near HMV College. “At this moment, I miss my father, who is no more, and my two friends Vivek Kumble and Hemant Aginesh, who have settled in the USA. It would have been so much better had they been here to see my performance.” Referring to the lacklustre approach of the state government to his return to the city, Harbhajan ‘s mother said no Punjab minister, except one, was present at the railway station to receive her son. “Even the Director, Sports, was not there”, she rued. Talking about the reported Punjab Government’s decision to grant a 20 marla plot and a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh to her son, Mrs Avtaar Kaur, said the family had not got any official intimation in this regard. “We have read the news but no official has come to us to inform about the announcement made by the Punjab Chief Minister”, said Avtaar Kaur. |
|
Baroda move into final Vadodara, April 9 The play was called off after 6.4 mandatory overs were bowled with visiting Orissa side on 361 for five in its second innings chasing an impossible victory target of 698 on the final day. For Baroda this is the seventh entry of the side into the finals of this premier domestic tournament. The team which last won the coveted trophy under the captainship of D.K. Gaikwad in 1957-58 against Services, saw it through to the final after a gap of 43 years. A beaming Baroda skipper Jacob Martin talking to reporters after the side’s resounding victory, said his squad was in fine spirit and was quite hopeful of clinching the title for the fifth time that too in the home ground. Yesterday, the winners virtually made sure of their berth in the final, scheduled to be played here on April 19, when they piled up 409 for nine in their second innings taking an unassailable lead of 697 runs. The innings, however, folded up at the same scores as Valmik Buch (23) fell prey to all-rounder Sanjay Raul in the third ball of the very first over of the day. Though Baroda medium pacer Rakesh Patel caused a nearly dent by dismissing Orissa opener S. Kumar for 4, in-form Pravanjan Mallick (131 not out), Rashmi Ranjan Parida (71) and P. Jayachandra (82) played stubbornly to deny Baroda on outright victory. Mallick, who hit as many as 15 boundaries and six huge sixes to remain unbeaten with 131 off 121 balls during his 152 minutes stay at the wicket, associated in a 168-run fifth wicket partnership with Jayachandra who also emblished his breezy 82 with nine fours and four sixes. Ajit Bhoite was the most successful among the Baroda bowlers claiming two for 84 runs, while Rakesh Patel, Valmik Buch and Irfan Pathan (Jr) picked up one wicket each. Scorecard Baroda
(Ist innings): 568 all out Orissa (Ist innings): 280 all out Baroda (IInd innings): 409 all out Orissa (IInd innings): Shiv Sunderdas c N. Mongia
b I. Pathan (Jr) 19 S. Kumar lbw R. Patel 4 Rashmi Ranjan Parida c (sub)
R. Chandrakar b A. Bhoite 71 Sanjay Raul c C. Williams b A. Bhoite 36 Pravanjan Mallick not out 131 P. Jayachandra c I. Pathan
(Sr) b V. Buch 82 Extras (b 9, lb 2, nb 1, w 6): 18 Total (for five wickets in 82.4 overs) 361 Fall of wickets:
1/9, 2/53, 3/120, 4/193, 5/361. Bowling: Rakesh Patel 7-0-21-1, Irfan Pathan (Sr) 5-2-19-0, Valmik Buch 30.4-5-121-1, Irfan Pathan (Jr) 10-2-26-1, Ajit Bhoite 21-1-84-2, Satyajit Parab 6-0-46-0, Himanshu Jadhav 3-0-33-0.
UNI |
|
Waqar wrecks Lanka Sharjah, April 9 Captain Waqar Younis broke Sri Lanka with four for 49 after Saeed Anwar’s brilliant 90 had lifted Pakistan to 255 for nine. Waqar bowled with fire and nagging accuracy as he ripped through the batting. The spin combination of Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi also made a valuable contribution with two wickets each as Sri Lanka fell away for 239. Scoreboard Pakistan: Anwar c Arnold b Murali 90 Afridi c Arnold b Ganegama 21 Farhat lbw b Ganegama 6 Inzamam c Murali b Arnold 44 Y. Khan c Vaas b Murali 37 Razzaq b Jayasuriya 9 Malik c Jayasuriya b Zoysa 24 Farhat run out 3 Waqar not out 7 Saqlain c Kaluwitharana b Vaas 4 Sami not out 1 Extras (lb-1 w-8) 9 Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 255. Fall of wickets:
1-49, 2-61, 3-149, 4-197, 5-204, 6-220, 7-237, 8-245, 9-251. Bowling: Vaas 10-0-47-1, Zoysa 8-0-48-1, Ganegama 4-0-27-2, Murali 10-0-52-2, Jayasuriya 10-0-43-1, Arnold 8-0-37-1. Sri Lanka: Jayasuirya lbw b Waqar 0 Kaluwitharana b Malik 63 Atapattu st Farhat b Malik 28 Jayawardene lbw b Afridi 27 Sangakkara c Farhat b Afridi 11 Arnold b Waqar 25 Saram b Waqar 38 Muralitharan b Waqar 7 Vaas not out 16 Zoysa lbw b Saqlain 6 Ganegama st Farhat b Saqlain 0 Extras (b-1lb-7 nb-3 w-7) 18 Total (all out, 48.3 overs) 239 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-88, 3-101, 4-135, 5-151, 6-201, 7-209, 8-222, 9-239. Bowling:
Waqar 8-0-49-4, Sami 6-0-24-0, Razzaq 8-2-37-0, Saqlain 9.3-0-46-2,10-0-42-2, Afridi 7-0-33-2.
Reuters |
|
Aussie boxer dies after fall Sydney, April 9 Ahmad Popal (29) had been on life support in a Melbourne hospital with his wife and young son at his bedside after the fall during a Victoria state bantamweight fight on Friday. “Ahmad Popal died this morning,’’ at St Vincent’s Hospital spokeswoman told Reuters. She said Popal had died without life support systems being turned off. Television footage showed Popal fall and hit the back of his head on the canvas in the sixth round. He had taken a series of punches from opponent Tony
Pappa. Popal fell backwards after the two boxers were in a clinch but he had not been knocked down by a punch. Boxing promoter Peter Maniatis described Popal’s injury as a “freakish accident’’ and said boxing was not to blame. But medical authorities said boxing was outdated and should be banned. “This sport has no place in modern society,’’ said Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Dr Kerryn Phelps, describing boxing as violent and an anachronism. “We don’t throw people to the lions any more, we should also be banning boxing,’’ she said in a statement. Australian Health Minister Michael Wooldridge joined the outcry but said the national government could not move against the sport because responsibility fell to the country’s states. British boxing authorities were ruled liable for Watson’s injuries, opening the way for a million-dollar compensation claim.
Reuters |
|
|
CISF lift Beighton Cup Kolkata, April 9 The goal, which enabled the CISF to win this prestigious trophy in their maiden
appearance in the final, was beautifully scored by CISF defender Irfan Ahmed from a penalty corner a couple of minutes before close. Besides the glittering trophy, the CISF also became richer by Rs 1 lakh which was the winners’ stake while BSF, who earlier won this championship four times after reaching the final on five occasions, had to remain contended with the runners-up purse of Rs 50,000. BSF left in Marinus Lakra was awarded Rs 10,000 for being chosen the best player. CISF skipper G.S.Xa Xa emerged as the highest scorer in this meet with seven goals, including the lone hat-trick of the tournament. An ecstatic CISF coach Sukhbir Singh after their victory commented: “It is the result of our hard work and all the players have contributed to this success. This was the first time that we played in the final. We are indeed very happy that we have been able to overcome the challenge from our much experienced opponents who not only ousted holders Punjab and Sind Bank but also won this title four times earlier.” CISF today combined better and moving like a well-oiled machine made a series of raids on BSF fort. But BSF custodian Jasjit Singh brought off a number of fine saves to keep their fort intact almost up to the
scheduled period. He even managed to place his hand on the ball after Irfan took a hit on their last penalty corner but that was not enough to stop the ball from entering the goal. With ebullient centre forward G.B. Xa Xa and right winger Prateek moving in tandem to spearhead most of their attacks, CISF went into attack right after the start and came near scoring in the sixth minute but a powerful hit by Prateek off Xa Xa went out for inches. Though BSF found their rhythm soon and also
initiated a number of raids they had returned vanquished as their forwards failed to finish. They were also unlucky not to get a goal in the 10th minute as a try by defender Christopher Ekka following a penalty corner hit the left post. During the first half, which remained scoreless, both the sides had a chance each to forge ahead. While a scoop from inside ‘D’ by CISF forward Xa Xa was saved by Jasjit Singh in the early first half, BSF forward A. Bazla failed to hit home after getting an easy chance to take the lead. |
|
JCT, FC Kochin in goalless draw Ludhiana, April 9 The pulsating final which touched dizzy heights saw the two teams going all out to secure full points from the kick-off but bad luck coupled with some wayward shooting denied them an opportunity to romp home victorious. Nevertheless, with one point gained from today’s draw, FC Kochin remain at the third position with 33 points whereas JCT’s tally has gone up to 16 points from two victories and 10 draws. Displaying early domination, JCT clearly held an edge over the Kochi outfit, who were heavily dependent on Liberian recruit Sunday Seah. Although Sunday has also been playing both as goalkeeper and striker, coach A. M. Sreedharan opted to field him upfront in the absence of star striker I. M. Vijayan and Joe Paul Ancheri who are currently in the national team. Sunday Seah’s excellent ball control was indeed a treat for the motely crowd but in Jaswant Singh, JCT had a player of equal calibre. The return of promising medio Hardip Saini strengthened JCT’s midfield but once again the mercurial Hardip Gill and left winger Jaswant Singh held the spotlight. Jaswant, whose father, G.S. Parmar, is himself a former international, is perhaps the most skilled player in JCT’s fold. In the opening minute itself, Jaswant tested FC Kochin custodian Dinesh Nair, who replaced Shanmugam, with a power-packed grounder but unluckily the ball went past the far post. Another move by Jaswant and Hardip Gill culminated in right winger Jaswinder’s excellent attempt but his powerful volley struck the horizontal. This was followed by Hardip Saini’s long ranger but the ball sailed over the bar. FC Kochin, who took some time to settle down, counter-attacked through Aaron Cole but Cole’s lob saw Arvind punching the ball over the bar at the cost of a flag kick. In the 25th minute, PB Babu, who had managed to move towards the right corner, despatched a cross into the JCT box and Sunday Seah, who was standing unmarked, leapt high to execute a perfect back volley but failed to score. JCT hit back through Jaswant whose measured cross from the left was followed by Hardip Gill’s well-taken header but the ball sailed over. The FC Kochin goal had a narrow escape in the 35th minute when newcomer Shaminder Birring shot from close range but custodian Dinesh Nair, who has also been playing as a defender, punched the ball away only to be tested again by a Hardip Gill header which he managed to chip over the bar. A minute before the breather, the JCT citadel nearly fell when Aaron Cole, who had managed to reach the corner of the box, despatched an angular shot which kept low. With goalkeeper Arvind stranded at one end, the ball was rolling in but luckily it struck the far post and wing back Daljit Singh made a hasty clearance. The second half saw JCT coming back strongly. Sukhjit, who replaced Shaminder, added some punch to the attack. In the 55th minute, Hardip Gill set up a move for Sukhjit who was in a one-to-one situation with the goalkeeper. However Nair, sensing danger, rushed forward to tackle him and was injured in the process. FC Kochin replaced PB Babu with Rajesh Kumar and T.S. Anoj with Anil Kumar but failed to achieve anything worthwhile. JCT also made a couple of replacements with Jagjit Randhawa replacing Hardip Saini and Samir coming in place of Jaswinder but they also could not make much of an impact. In the dying minutes, a booming volley by FC Kochin’s Patrick Nuku landed in the safe hands of Arvind Kumar and eventually the two teams settled for a draw, which left coaches Parminder and Shreedharan more or less satisfied. JCT will now travel to Kolkata for an away match against Tollygunge Agragami on April 21. |
|
Woods creates history Augusta (Georgia), April 9 “It will probably go down as one the top accomplishments in our sport. I am very proud of what I have accomplished in my short career,” he said. “It was fun, arduous but extremely satisfying. It’s very special, it really is. It’s hard to believe. I was in such a zone today,” he added. The 25-year-old never flinched as first world No 2 Phil Mickelson and then David Duval challenged him. Woods carded a four-under 68 for a four round total of 272 to finish the day two shots ahead of Duval and three ahead of Mickelson. For a brief second Mickelson, trying to shed the tag of being the best player never to have won a Major, had visions of finally doing it when Woods dropped a shot at the first despite the near perfect conditions. The bogey put Mickelson and Woods level, but Woods promptly fired a birdie on the par-five second to gather up his lost stroke and never looked back. In the group ahead David Duval was riding a wild roller coaster first nine as he moved to the top of the leaderboard. The 29-year-old, who has not played a tournament for five weeks before coming here because of tendinitis in a wrist, had six birdies, two bogies and a single par. Duval was full of praise for Woods performance. “He’s a friend and what he has achieved is amazing. It is one of the great sporting achievements ever,” he said. “For myself I played very well today. I had a few opportunities coming home that I wish I could have capitalised on. I just came up short,” he added. The homeward nine yesterday is considered where the Masters is won or lost, and Duval and Mickelson showed why. For Mickelson, the infamous Amen Corner was to be his undoing. In the blink of an eye the 30-year-old saw himself go from one off the lead to three behind Woods. It was the defining moment for Mickelson, who knew then that another chance had slipped him by. Mickelson’s downfall was caused by a poor drive on the 455 yard par-four 11th, the beginning of the trio of holes known as Amen Corner. He was forced to play his second right and short of the green to avoid the lake guarding the left side. Meanwhile playing partner Woods saw his second into the long narrow green brush the edge of the hole before stopping only two feet away. Woods tapped in to move to 15-under. Mickelson missed his five-foot par putt and with it another chance to end his Majors drought. “I’m disappointed right now,” a clearly stunned Mickelson said after completing a 70 for 275. “This was a great opportunity and I really thought I was ready for it. I can’t afford to keep throwing away shot after shot. Duval finished with a 67 for 274, while Woods, showing his greatness, birdied the 18th to underline his superiority.
AFP |
|
|
Tollygunge hold ITI Kolkata, April 9 With this draw, Tollygunge have logged 21 points from 19 matches while ITI have managed 17 points from 18 encounters. The visitors turned on the heat from the word go by moving ahead in the second minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse. Striker Kenneth Ugwo, fed by a pass from medio Naushed, lobbed the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper Hemanta Dora while the Tollygunge defenders stood their ground expecting an off-side ruling from the referee. Leading by a solitary goal at the interval, ITI tightened their grip scoring their second goal in the 58th minute through a solo effort from the hard-working George Ekeh. Displaying deft ball control and speed, Ekeh ran down from the half line after collecting a pass from medio Gyan Prakash before placing the ball into the goal with none of the defenders in position. Tollygunge custodian Hemanta Dora could do very little as he stood alone helplessly with all the defenders being slow to react.
PTI |
|
|
PSEB withdraws promotion orders Patiala, April 9 At the time of promotions, all the three were termed “international level” sportsmen in the discipline of tug of war — a discipline which is not among the list of 15 disciplines identified by the PSEB in its sports policy for purpose of recruitment. All the three — Sultan Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Satpal Singh — were directly recruited by the Superintendent Engineer (Suburban), Ludhiana from work- charged employees to the post of Assistant Linemen (ALM), in the process by passing the post of Regular Team Mate (RTM). Interestingly, all cases of promotion are routed through the office of the Secretary, PSEB, but in this case even the Secretary, an IAS officer, was kept in the dark. The case was not even referred to the Sports Promotion Committee, which is headed by the PSEB Chairman. At that time, the board management had vehemently denied these promotions and Mr D.K. Tiwari, Secretary, had even gone to the extent of saying the promotion orders, if any, would be immediately withdrawn. Intriguingly, the board top brass slept over the case and all the three sportsmen continued to draw their salaries for nearly nine months. However, now as things stand it seems that the management has withdrawn the controversial promotion orders.
|
|
Bindra for Atlanta meet Chandigarh, April 9 The other plans of Bindra for this year include ISSF World cups at Seoul (Korea) from May 10 to 19, at Milan (Italy) from May 28 to June 4 and at Munich (Germany) from June 4 to 11. Then he will take part in Warsaw cup at Warsaw (Poland) in July, Commonwealth Shooting championships at Bisley (Great Britain) from August 23 to 30, Plezen Shooting Championship at Czech Republic in October. |
|
Northern Railway win Ludhiana, April 9 Northern Railway went on the offensive right from the beginning. Right-back Amandeep Kaur opened the account by converting a penalty corner in the eighth minute. In the 15th minute, right-out Neha Singh took the lead to 2-0 by scoring a field goal. After 10 minutes, Neha Singh again struck a field goal. Seven minutes before the breather, left-in Kamal Dalal sounded the board to make it 4-0 for the Northern Railway. After the lemon break, the winners continued striking hard. They got a penalty corner in the 36th minute which could not be capitalised. But left-out Bindu made the tally 5-0 in the 38th minute through a field goal. Left-out Kamal Dalal increased the lead by scoring a field goal in the 44th minute (6-0). |
|
NJPC enter
final Shimla, April 9 While Rajeev Aggarwal of (NJPC) thrashed Ashok (CEA) 15-1, 15-6, Bipin Sharma trounced J.S. Jawa 15-1, 15-1. In the doubles Surinder Pal and Neeraj of (NJPC) outplayed. Ashok and H.C. Narula (CEA) 15-0, 15-4. In the semifinal the NJPC defeated Power Finance Corporation (PFC) 3-0. Rakesh Bansal (NJPC) thrashed Sharad Jain (PFC) 15-1, 15-0 and Surinder Pal (NJPC) trounced N.K. Kohli 15-0, 15-0. In the doubles S.K. Mahajan and Neeraj (NJPC) defeated N.K. Kohli and Sharad Jain 15-0, 15-1. National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) also entered the semifinal beating Delhi Vidyut Corporation 4-1. While Kulwant (NHPC) defeated Alok (DVC) 15-6, 10-15, 15-10, Shashikant (NHPC) outplayed Prabir Roy (DVC) 17-16, 16-15. Kulwant and Salil of NHPC lost to Alok and Prabir (DVC) in the doubles 15-9, 12-15, 7-15. In third singles Salil (NHPC) defeated Anand Mohan (DVC) 15-9, 15-1.
|
|
Chand-Khanna Club in final New Delhi, April 9 Put into bat, Chand-Khanna openers Rakesh Singh and the left-handed Ranji player Gautam Gambhir put on 88 runs for the opening wicket, while Haryana Ranji discard Safiq Khan and Sunil Joshi also swung their bats around to come up with useful contributions. In reply, the Madras Club batsmen could not cope up with Sunil Joshi (3\26) and Tony Singh (3\38). Brief scores: Chand-Khanna: 240 for 7 (Rakesh Singh 54, Gautam Gambhir 33, Safiq Khan 33, Sohail Rauf 27, Sunil Joshi 34 n.o, Amit Bhandari 21, Satish Salwan 3\21). Madras Club: 161 (Rajesh Puri 29, Pitamber Dutt 25, Subodh Yadav 21, Hemant Dogra 28 n o, Sunil Joshi 3\26, Tony Singh 3\38). Bhopal, April 9 The winners, who led 6-0 at the breather, could have won by bigger margin had they been more on target in the second half. It was in the 16th minute that the cops started scoring and took the lead through Praveen Kumar. Two minutes later, they increased the lead when Sher Singh scored the second goal for his team. Gurpreet Singh gave Punjab Police its third goal in the 18th minute and Praveen Kumar scored again in the 31st minute to help his team take 4-0 lead over Manipur boys. The fifth and sixth goals came from Vijay Pal and Gurpreet Singh in the 40th and 43rd minutes, respectively, and the policemen went for the break leading 6-0. After change of ends, the Manipur boys made many attempts to produce a goal but they appeared to have been bogged down by the intense heat and looked a bit tired. The cops also failed to maintain the rhythm which had enabled them to muster six goals in the first half.
PTI |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Harbhajan Singh today said he would remain indebted to
the countless readers for showering him with so much love and affection,
which was a source of strength for him during his dark days.
