HEALTH

Cath Lab seizure: dealers take ownership forms
Tribune News Service

It was not practical on the part of the PGI to buy and keep these various types and makes of stents considering the high costs of the same. Most of the hospitals kept these stents on the shelf on imprest entirely on the responsibility of the firm, said doctors, adding that the more the volume of work, the more was the inventory required.

Health authorities fail to draw samples
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 25
The local health authorities were once again unable to draw any sample from the District Courts canteen as the contractor of canteen was not available here today. A team led by the Local Health Authority, Mr Maninder Singh, along with five food Inspectors raided the canteen about 2 p.m.

The team waited for the contractor for more than half-an hour but when he did not take up it ordered the closing down of the canteen. It also ordered the canteen employees to throw away a number of food items present in the canteen.

Mr Maninder Singh said no one would be allowed to violate law. He added the contractor had been avoiding the department officials for a long time and the department will conduct surprise raids again.

The authorities claimed as all workers present in the canteen were below 18 years of age the department could not draw samples. But the workers who were present there said they were above 18 years of age and the department officials did not seem did not seem serious to take the samples.

When Chandigarh Tribune contacted the contractor, Mr Mulk Raj Arora, at 4 p.m on the court premises, he said that he had gone to meet the Director of Public Health Authority in the morning. He added that the director had assured him that he had all the right to run the canteen. He alleged that the local heath authorities were harassing him without any reason and they had no right to order closer of the canteen.

The President of the District Bar Association, Mr H.S Hundal, said that the department could draw sample any time even in the absence of the contractor as many other workers were present in the canteen. He added that the department could not order the closing down of the canteen.

SPORTS

Contenders, pretenders at Wimbledon 2001
Anurag Kashyap

Departure from tradition is what marks this year’s Wimbledon with play starting on Centre 1 p.m. instead of 2 p.m. 32 seeds instead’ of 16 and new grass on the courts.

In spite of not having won a major title since last year’s Wimbledon, Sampras is still the man to beat. He has lost just one match in the past eight years at the world’s most famous tournament. He is gunning for a record, breaking eighth title. “I am feared more at Wimbledon and get free points”, he says call it modesty or arrogance, but opponents do wince when they find the name Pete Sampras listed against theirs.

Sampras has a comparatively easy draw, until the fourth round, where he is scheduled to meet the upcoming young Swiss player Roger Federer. Widely touted as a prospective Grand Slam titlist, Federer had an excellent showing at the French Open this year. He is likely to be more comfortable on the faster courts of Wimbledon. In case Sampras succeeds in quelling the challenge of the youngster he is expected to face the home favourite and the sixth seed, Tim Henman, in the quarter finals. Henman lost to Sampras twice at Wimbledon, in 1998 and 1999, but he beat the champion last year in a hard-court tournament. Although his serve and volley game is well suited to Wimbledon, there is a question mark over his temperament and his ability to handle pressure at the highest level. Whether he gets weighed down by the expectations of an adulating public or gets banned by a partisan crowd remains to be seen.

Marat Safin, the fourth seed, is also in the top half of the draw. Since crushing Sampras in the final of the US Open last year and claiming the top spot for a while, Safin has done little of note. With his booming serve and solid, if not spectacular volleys, he can be quite a handful on grass. He is highly unpredictable and can switch off suddenly and without notice.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the seventh seed, is every inch as enigmatic as Safin. He can beat the world’s best player in the morning and be a lacklustre also-ran in the afternoon. He has a reasonably clear path with no out-and-out grass court players to challenge him until the quarterfinals, where he is expected to play last year’s runner-up, Patrick Rafter.

Arguably the best serve and volleyer in men’s tennis today Rafter, has not done justice to his potential, save for last year’s final. This year will probably be his last Wimbledon, and he will love to sign off on a winning note.

The last quarter of the draw has two of the biggest personalities — the upcoming Australian, Ileyton Hewitt, and Andre Agassi. Hewitt is on a hot streak, having won back-to-back grass court titles in the past fortnight. Sampras himself has tipped Hewitt as one of the favourities for the crown, after losing to the young Aussie in the finals of Queen’s Hewitt became the first player since Ivan Lendal to successfully defend his Queen’s Club title Lendal. never won the Big W and Hewitt would like to do one better.

The second seed, Agassi has had a mixed year — winning the Australian Open with ease, and subsequently losing the script somewhat. This is where he won his first Grand Slam title in 1992. He is leaner, fitter and probably hungrier than back then and the newer grass is expected to be slower, which will suit his counter-attacking style. Sampras admitted that he was the only player who could beat him on grass when he was playing well.

Apart from the contenders, there are the pretenders, players who are likely to cause an upset or two, but probably do not have enough to last two weeks and seven matches. Americans Andy Roddick and the Michael Gambill, who are playing together in doubles, are dangerous floaters. Roddick, is eligible to play the juniors’ event too, but has caused enough ripples on the men’s circuit to make people sit up. The British player Greg Rusedski is another dark horse who has recently been in good form. With the fastest timed serve ever, Rusedski can be a dangerous opponent on grass.

Two other left-handers Goran Ivanisevic and Wayne Arthurs, are likely seed-killers Ivanisevic, a finalist at Wimbledon thrice, has got into the draw as a wild card, but is likely to cause some damage in the top half of the draw. Arthurs, with a wicked swinging left-handed serve, will be just as lethal in the lower half. To complete the list is the graceful Frenchman, Cedric Pioline, a finalist here in 1997. With a solid all court game, Pioline can pose a serious challenge to some of the seeded players.

The distaff side is probably more predictable with a clutch of players dominating the circuit. The comeback girl, Jennifer Capriati is aiming for her third Grand Slam of the year, and on current form seems likely to get there. Venus Williams will be defending her title, and two other former champions, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis, will be hoping to reassert their dominance.

Indian hopes will be resting on Leander Paes in the singles’ event, for which he has qualified after winning three tough qualifying matches. He faces a German clay courter, Daniel Elsner, in the opening round and he will be attempting to break the jinx of never having won a singles match at Wimbledon. In the doubles, Paes and Bhupathi are seeded sixth and hopefully will be able to match their performance in 1999, when they won back-to-back titles at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Sunil Kumar, Prakash Amritraj and Sania Mirza will represent the country in the junior events. Much is expected of Sunil and he will do well to emulate his illustrious senior, Leander Paes, who won the junior title in 1990.

Efforts to promote women cricket
Our Sports reporter

Chandigarh, June 25
The Chandigarh Women Cricket Association affiliated to the Women’s Cricket Association of India at a meeting decided to popularise cricket among women. It was decided to encourage girl students in schools and colleges to take up cricket. The meeting was held last evening.

It also discussed other ways and means to promote cricket among women by organising seminars, to seek help of respective institutions and also to help poor girls possessing requisite talent to take up cricket seriously. The association also took the decision to organise a state-level women cricket tournament in the near future.

Under-16 cricket

The St Joseph’s Cricket Coaching Academy, Sector 44, has selected as many as 20 probables for the forthcoming under-16 cricket tournament to be held at the PCA grounds, SAS Nagar, from July 1. The trials were held at St Joseph’s School, Sector 44. Fifteen probables will be selected after a week-long conditioning camp.

Those selected are: Harpreet Singh, Vivek Devgun, Shashi Sharma, Rishi Sharma, Nikhil Arora, Akash Bhalla, Sahil Arora, Akashdeep Singh,Vikas Yadav, Shalinder Singh Chauhan, Abhishek Kaushal, Sunny, Bharat Lamba, Gurpreet Singh ‘Tari’, Kunal Dhawan, Gurwinder Singh Bal, Amarveer Singh, Yatin Sharma, Gurpreet Singh and Arjun.

ADMINISTRATION

55 sites fetch over 13 cr for PUDA
Tribune News Service

In case of commercial sites, three shop-cum-office (SCO) sites in Sector 70 were sold for Rs 52.40 lakh each against a reserved price of Rs 51.30 lakh. Of the total 16 SCO sites, eight were withdrawn in face of few takers. An SCF site in Sector 65 ( Phase XI) attracted a bid of Rs 37.70 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 33.85 lakh.Another SCF site was sold for Rs 37.50 against a reserved price of Rs 33.85 lakh.

Unauthorised building’s walls pulled down
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, June 25
Walls of an unauthorised structure comprising 13 rooms raised in violation of the Periphery Act was demolished by the PUDA enforcement wing here this evening.

The structure owned by Mr Rajinder Singh Kahlon had been raised near the Industrial Area, Phase 8, on agricultural land falling Sohana village.

Permission for change of land use from agricultural to residential or commercial as per Section 11 of the New Punjab Capital ( Periphery) Control Act, 1952, had not been sought by the owner of the land. The drive that started at around 6.30 p.m ended after a portion of the structure (as seen in the pic) was pulled down by a JCB.

An official supervising the demolition said the violator had been issued a show-cause notice in May.