SPORTS

‘Working out’ how to be ‘Mr Universe’
Anil Datt

Ludhiana, July 27
With ‘Mr Commonwealth’ and ‘Mr Asia’ titles already in his kitty, Vitender Singh Panwar is working hard these days to become ‘Mr Universe’.

Vitender is confident of winning this title at the next World Body Building Championship that is to be held in Japan from August 15 to 20. He belongs to Dehradun, but is presently living in Ludhiana where he runs a health club. The Body Building Federation of India has selected him to represent the country at the world meet. In the last world championship in Malaysia, he finished among the first ten.

A picture of a muscleman on the cover page of a health magazine inspired him to become a body builder. Though his parents did not want him approve of his decision, Vitender continued his pursuit with determination.

His hard work was acknowledged in 1994 when he became ‘Mr India’, a title which he retained till 1997. Vitender clinched this title once again in March this year. Vitender was declared ‘Mr Asia’ in 1997 in South Korea and ‘Mr Commonwealth’ in Malaysia the following year.

Vitender said he took a balanced diet, including vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food. He becomes more diet conscious when he prepares for a tournament. At such times, he switches to a low-calorie and low-sugar diet.

On his exercise routine before the big events, he says that his morning excercise schedule includes aerobics, jogging, cycling and brisk walking and the evening schedule includes working on the chest, wings, legs etc. A Gurgaon-based health-food-supplement manufacturing firm ‘Herclues’ is sponsoring Vitender for the world championship. Two Indians, Manohar Aich in 1952 and Prem Kumar in 1988, have won the ‘Mr Universe’ title before and Vitender aspires to be the third one.

Trials for PCA tourney today
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, July 27
The Ludhiana District Cricket Association (LDCA) will conduct trials on the grounds of the Arya College for Boys on July 28 at 2.30 pm to select the team for the inter-district tournament of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA). Players born on or after September 1, 1987, are eligible for the trials.

Trials to select players for the PCA Coaching Scheme (for players under the age of 14) will also be held on the same day at the same place, according to Mr Vinod Chitkara, honorary General Secretary of the LDCA.

New office-bearers

The Ludhiana District Badminton Association (LDBA), has selected its new team of office-bearers for then next 3 years, according to a press note issued here today by Mr R.S. Behal, honorary General Secretary of the LDBA.

The new team is as follows: Patron-in-chief — Mr K.R. Lakhanpal; Patrons — Mr S.K. Sandhu, Mr S.S. Sandhu and Mr D.S. Sidhu; President Mr Chand Kapoor; Senior Vice-President — Mr Surinder Kapoor; Vice-Presidents — Mr Satinder Kapoor, Mr Kedar Malhotra, Mr S.K. Malik, Mr Mohinder K. Chopra, Mr Arun Dhand, Mr Manoj Verma and Mr Ravi Jain; Honorary General Secretary — Mr R.S. Behal; Finance Secretary — Mr Ashok Aggarwal; Executive Secretary — Mr Anupam Kumaria; Joint Secretary and Technical Adviser — Mr Gianinder Singh; and Joint Secretaries — Mr Banwari Lal, Mr Amarjit Singh and Mr Jai Parkash Dhand.

ADMINISTRATION

MC to enforce control over electrical wing
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 27
The Municipal Corporation has mooted several measures to enforce strict supervisory control over the working of its electrical wing and to bring about qualitative improvement in the streetlight system in the city.

Responding to severe criticism of the poor working of the department and slack supervisory control over private contractors, who were entrusted the job of maintaining the available streetlight points from June 1 on experimental basis, the MC administration has decided to systematically monitor the complaints and to cut down the time taken for rectification of faults.

At a meeting of the officials of the electrical wing of the MC convened by Mr S.K. Sharma, Additional Commissioner, directions were issued to set up complaint centres in all zones which would be manned round the clock and all complaints would be entered in a register. Mr Sharma told the officials of the department to inspect streetlight points in all city localities on rotation basis and also made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that strict disciplinary action would be taken for delay in rectification of faults and increasing number of non-functional streetlights.

Later, Mr Sharma told Ludhiana Tribune that officers of the rank of SDO would supervise the working of around 36,000 streetlights points and maintenance work being done by private contractors. The supervisory officers would be personally held responsible for unsatisfactory working. He said he himself along with the senior officers of electrical wing would also conduct random checks of working of streetlights in different city areas.

According to the MC Additional Commissioner, proceedings for termination of the contract of one of the contractors, reported to be working in an unsatisfactory manner, had already been initiated and the MC administration would view the performance of the employees of electrical wing as well as the private contractor strictly in terms of deliverance and any one found to be negligent or unresponsive to the expectation of the people, would be sternly dealt with.