The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

SPORTS

Selectors knock out their brains
India’s best won’t play in Asian Schools Badminton Meet
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, June 23
All is not well at the ongoing camp for the National School Games badminton probables in the Sector 42 hall here. Shuttlers are preparing for the Asian schools championships that are to be held at Selangor (Malaysia) from July 9. Our of the 24 probables, including 12 girls, who were selected in December 2000 at the Bharuch (Gujarat), National School Games only 17 (eight boys and nine girls) are attending the camp that has no player from the North Zone.

Despite the good performance of players of Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi, selectors chose to ignore them and, due to a lack of coordination with the Badminton Association of India, they have also failed to get the top players of the country.

A senior player said, “In view of the strength of the school teams of the other Asian countries, the best Indian squad should have been chosen, but the SGFI did not do its homework”.

When contacted at Shimla on telephone, the President of the SGFI, Mr C.L. Negi said the body had selected only those players who had secured the top three positions in individual and team events at the last National School Games. However, since the Asian meet was for players under the age of 18, some of the probables who had crossed this age limit had not been considered.

After only 17 players had reported for the camp and there was place for 24, seven more shuttlers could have been allowed to join the camp. Mr Negi said he had requested the Sports Authority of India officials for more probables, but the officials had disallowed it. A badminton player said, if selected, the other probables would have funded their own stay at the trials.

The coaches at the camp do not have the experience to conduct such a camp. One of them, Kabir Chauhan, was in the SAI at Shimla and, the other, Ravinder Kapoor, was in the Haryana Sports Department at Panchkula.

The Sector 42 hall has three wooden courts, only one of which is in proper condition. The SAI has synthetic courts, but the players are yet to play on those. Matches in the Asian meet will be played on synthetic courts. Mr Negi said synthetic courts will be made available to the players after June 25.

A sport official said internal politics of the SGFI was responsible for its uncoordinated approach. The Secretary General of the SGFI, Mr P.S. Chhabra is said to be at Sundernagar (HP) for the Punjab schools camp. Meanwhile, the three-day league tournament for the trials began here today. Mr Negi said the final list of players would be out only on July 7, a day before the team’s departure.

The spirit of sport is alive
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 23
As part of a global campaign of the International Olympics Committee, an Olympic Day was celebrated here today by the Chandigarh Olympics Association and District Olympics Association of Panchkula.

Despite heavy rain, more than 100 participants took part in the Olympic Day run organised by the UT Sports Department and the Chandigarh Olympics Association. The race was flagged off by Mr Tarlochan S. Bawa a former Olympian and official of the Lake Club, at the CLTA stadium. Mr Rajan Kashyap, president of the COA who was also there.

Sportspersons, Dr Ajmer Singh, an Arjuna Awardee; D.V. Bhatia, President of the Chandigarh Gymnastics Association and former President of the COA; R. Sharan, Secretary of the Chandigarh Kho-kho Association; Kailash Nath (Rowing), Vijay Pal Singh (volleyball and shooting), K.S. Bharti (basketball), Rajeev Kaushal (table tennis), H.C. Sharma (triathlon), K.S. Thakur (judo) and K.S. Sahota. were honoured on the occasion.

The day was celebrated with much fanfare in Government Senior Secondary School of Barwala, where more than 300 sportspersons of the Panchkula district participated in tug-of-war, kabaddi and volleyball matches. Ms Jyoti Arora, Deputy Commissioner of Panchkula, presided over the function. She urged villagers to donate four acres and Rs 75,000 to the government for creating sports infrastructure in rural schools.

Ms Arora praised Mr Abhay Singh Chautala, MLA and President of the Haryana Olympics Association for his efforts in promoting sport in Haryana. She said Haryana was the first state to announce huge cash prizes for Olympic medalists.

ADMINISTRATION

Encroachments removed from Buddanpur
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 23
In a major offensive against growing encroachments by jhuggi dwellers on public land, the Estate Office mowed down 60 illegal structures in two villages of Buddanpur and Bhainsa Tibba, here today.

Carried out amid heavy police deployment to ward off any trouble, the anti-encroachment drive began around noon. While the JCB began the task of demolishing the illegal structures, the residents of Buddanpur village, near Sector 16, alleged that HUDA officials were “playing foul” by demolishing their residences.

The HUDA officials, however, stated that unauthorised settlements had come up in the area after the rehabilitation of those shifted from the Indira Colony. The drive was aimed at removing these encroachments to prevent the creation of another colony.

The DSP, Mr Sultan Singh, accompanied by the Estate Officer, Mr DP Singh, stayed at the site during the entire demolition operation. The police had come armed with anti-riot equipment and a force of over 50 personnel to ensure the demolitions did not create a law and order problem.

Meanwhile, the residents claimed that after rehabilitating them in Buddanpur following demolition of their houses in Indira Colony in January this year, HUDA had assured them permanent settlement in the area but had gone back on its word.

A rehabilitated resident, Chandrika Prasad, said that they had left the colony on the assurance that they would not be touched by the HUDA staff in Buddanpur. He claimed to own a one marla plot in Buddanpur given to him by the government.

“The officials, in consultation with our president, chose the spot for rehabilitating us and even helped us shift to the new place. Surprisingly, these very officials who were party to the decision of rehabilitating us at a new place. Surprisingly, these very officials who were party to the decision of rehabilitating us at a new place to facilitate construction of a wall in Indira Colony got our houses demolished today,” Ram Lakhan added.

The residents alleged that the demolition, too, was carried out by deceit. “The officials descended at our settlement and told us they had come to demolish a few unauthorised shops but gradually came towards our houses. When we protested, they led us to a waiting bus on the pretext of taking us to officials and left us at the Sector 5 police station. Contrary to claims, there was nobody to listen to us there. We were not even allowed to go even as the staff demolished our homes in the village,” alleges Raju, a labourer.

Though the residents offered resistance to demolition initially, the operation went off smoothly once it began. Agitated, the residents said that they would meet the Deputy Commissioner in this regard and apprise her of the “fraud” HUDA had played with them.

They added that besides demolishing their houses without giving them time to remove their belongings, the officials had failed to hand over one marla plots for which one installment had already been paid by them.

Later, encroachment in Bhainsa Tibba in the Mansa Devi Complex was also removed where 10 unauthorised structures were demolished. Also, construction which had come up in violation of the HUDA bylaws at a Sector 16 petrol station were also demolished by the enforcement staff.

Six bids successful
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 23
Prequalification bids of seven firms have been evaluated by the Tender Evaluation Committee and six have been found to be qualified for the next round for opening of technical and commercial bids.

M/s Miaect Private Limited did not fulfil the eligibility conditions for making bids for the contract. The firm stands ineligible on the basis that it is not ISO 9001 certified on the date, which is an essential condition, according to sources in the UT Administration .

The Tender Evaluation Committee has found six tenders to have qualified for the next round for opening of technical bids on June 25 at 3.30 pm. The companies include M/s Aptech Limited, Compucom Limited, M/s Electronics Corporation of India Limited, M/s Global Info Systems Limited, M/s IEC Softwares Limited and M/s Tata Infotech Limited.

Miaect was one of the seven companies where in the race for the contract of conducting computer courses at school level. The technical bid will be opened on June 25.

22 rickshaws impounded
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 23
The enforcement staff of UT Estate Office today removed four jhuggis which had sprung up recently near the upcoming Sector 39 grain market. Besides this, 17 banners and 11 advertisement boards were also removed from various parts of the city, particularly along the roadside and shopping areas. A total of 22 rickshaws were impounded for plying without proper licences.

The MC enforcement wing, issued as many as 96 challans. These include 20 challans of the rehri and phari vendors in Mani Majra, 41 in sectors 12, 14, 15, 16, 9, 19 and 29 and about 35 in the southern sectors. The staff also seized their goods lying on the MC land and in the public verandahs.

32 trucks challaned
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 23
The traffic police has challaned 32 trucks and tractor-trolleys in different parts of the city for making wrong entry. It may be recalled that the administration had issued a notification on May 24 regarding ban on the entry of heavy vehicles carrying agricultural products in different parts of the city.