The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

Eight HIV testing centres to be set up
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 3
Thirteen years after the first case of AIDS was detected in Delhi, and 167 deaths later, a large cross-section of 1.32 crore population of the Capital continues to remain vulnerable to the disease, if statistics are any indication.

The population of HIV positive individuals today is estimated to be about 22,000. The number of AIDS cases has increased from 219 in 1997 to 646 by November 2001. Contributing to the AIDS scare has been the lack of awareness commensurate with the burgeoning population.

Making these disclosures at a press conference, the Health Minister, Mr A. K. Walia, today said 74 per cent of the HIV positive cases could be attributed to unsafe sex, 5.18 per cent to infected blood transfusion, four per cent to intravenous drug users and less than two per cent to pre-natal transmission from mother to child. Of the AIDS cases reported, 18 persons were in the age group of 0-14 years, 234 in 15-29 years, and 66 above 50 years, he informed.

To confront the spread of the disease, Mr Walia said eight more voluntary counselling and testing centres would be set up in the current financial year. Eight such centres were currently operating in Delhi. Also on the anvil is the Fifth Family Welfare Awareness Campaign, to be observed from February 1 to February 20. By setting up camps in dispensaries, medical rooms and sick quarters of the armed forces and all the 70 assembly constituencies, the minister said that the government would aim at reaching 50 per cent of Delhi with special focus on slums and JJ clusters.

Encouraged by the response of 450 educational institutions, the School AIDS Education Programme had been expanded to 500 more schools. The minister said by the end of the next fiscal year, all higher secondary and senior secondary schools in Delhi would be covered.

The Delhi State AIDS Control Society, Mr Walia said, had been entrusted with the task of checking and reducing the spread of HIV among all sections of the population. A multi-sectoral strategy, he informed, had been evolved by involving public and private sectors, government departments and NGOs to seek their co-operation in strengthening the implementation of the programme.

SPORTS

HOCKEY
Gujarat School chalk out huge win in Girls Hockey
Our Sports Reporter

Gujarat girls	6
MP girls	0

New Delhi, January 3
Prerna Hindi Higher Secondary School, Chandkheda (Gujarat) got off to a flying start when they used Government Bhoj Girls Higher Secondary School, Dhar (Madhya Pradesh) for target practice to chalk out a huge 6-0 victory in the opening match of the eighth Nehru-NDMC Girls Hockey Tournament at the Shivaji Stadium in the Capital on Thursday.

In a virtual massacre of the innocents, the Gujarat girls scored three goals in each half to register a facile victory.

The Gujarat School’s goal-glut started in the sixth minute when Premlata Singh struck a fine field goal. Two minutes later came the second goal when Anuradha Devi banged home a penalty corner goal. Pinky Lakra converted another penalty corner goal for Gujarat in the 22nd minute to complete the first half scoring.

Ten minutes after resumption, Premalata Singh once again found her scoring touch, to score a field goal, while Pinky Lakhra also completed her brace by striking in the fifth goal in the 51st minute. Jyoti Sharma inflicted the last nail on the MP box with a field goal a minute later.

The MP girls could only stand and stare as the Gujarat eves attacked in waves to slot in goal after goal with amazing regularity. The scoreline would been thicker had the Gujarat girls not muffed some easy chances.

Friday’s fixtures: Govt. Girls Senior Secondary School, Dharamjaigarh (Chhatisgarh) vs SJPML Model Senior Secondary School, Yamunagar (1:30 pm), M K Convent School, Mungeshpur (Delhi) vs Govt. Higher Secondary School, Saitual (Mizoram)
(3 pm)–Shivaji Stadium.

Amarneet Singh slams century in Himang's victory
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, January 3
Amarneet Singh struck a brilliant century knock of 108 studded with 14 fours and two sixes to pilot Himang XI to a mammoth 79 runs victory against Sethi XI in a limited overs match organised by the Dronacharya Cricket Foundation in the Capital.

Himang XI, who elected to bat, scored 281 in 78 overs, thanks to the racy century of Amarneet Singh. In reply, Sethi XI were shot out for 202 in 61 overs, with Umesh returning a deadly spell of 4 for 13.

Mayank Sethi and Rahul Bajaj sent down very fruitful overs for Sethi XI, but Amarneet Singh batted with confidence to complete his century, and help his team win.

Scores: Himang XI: 281 in 78 overs (Amarneet Singh 108, 14x4, 2x6, Abhishekh Narang 17, Ankush 18, Mayank Sethi 5/48, Rahul Bajaj 3/17). Sethi XI: 202 in 61 overs (Sahil Gupta 48, 6x4, Rahul Bajaj 29, Lakshay Mohan 20, Lohit Sharma 21, Umesh 4/13).

FOOTBALL
Indian Nationals crush Goans in DSA League
Our Sports Reporter

Indian Nationals Club	5
Nestor Goans Club	0

New Delhi, January 3
Defending champions Indian Nationals Club, sponsored by SAIL, scored a crushing 5-0 victory against Nestor Goans Club in a Group B preliminary league match of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL Senior Division Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Thursday.

This was Indian Nationals' second successive victory to amass six points from two matches. Goans have just one point from three matches.

The star-studded Nationals played with determination and packed too many punches for Goans to cope with.

The mid-fielders Manjeet Singh, Augustine Okoro Ekuma and Inderjeet Singh (Sr.) kept a constant supply of measured passes to the forwards, to keep their attacking and goal-scoring machines well-oiled.

Wingers Cassious Akumu Owino and Pushpender Dhondiyal successfully encashed the scoring chances to help Nationals take a handsome 3-0 lead at half time. Pushpender Dhondial opened the account in the seventh minute while a brace of goals by Cassious in the 33rd and 35th minutes fortified Nationals' lead. But in the process, Cassious also earned his second yellow card from referee Bikramjit Singh, and he will miss the next match of Nationals. In the second half, Pushpender scored the fourth goal in the 55th minute while substitute Abass Babayanju slotted home the fifth goal.

In another match, New Delhi Heroes put up a spirited performance to hold last year's runners-up Hindustan Club to a goalless draw.

Heroes dominated the proceedings in the first half, and missed a golden chance to forge ahead when striker Dilip Bhandari missed the mark from close.

The Heroes' defenders put up an impenetrable wall to foil the designs of Hindustan forwards Hitender Rawat, Karan Singh and Sameer Jung.

The draw enabled Heroes collect their first point while Hindustan have earned four points from two matches.

Friday's fixtures: Moonlight vs Frontiers (1.30 p m); Mughals vs Garhwal Heroes (3 pm)--Ambedkar Stadium.

Seeded players win in DDA badminton

New Delhi, January 3
Seeded players had a field day in ladies badminton while the seeds bit the dust in snooker in the DDA Annual Indoor Games.

In the ladies badminton quarter-finals held at Vikas Sadan, Seema Seth beat Sunita 7-3,7-2 to setup a semi-final clash against Saroj Chaudhary, who, however, had to sweat it out to beat Laxmi Barthwal 6-8,7-4,7-5.In other matches, Vaneja Khurana beat Satinder Kaur 7-3,7-2 and Renu beat Kamla 8-6,7-2.In the snooker matches held at the Saket Sports Complex, Bhaskar Nand upset Suresh Rohilla 60-55, 42-38, Anand Ballabh beat Maharaj Krishnan 62-42, 18-45,76-29 and Suresh Sharma shocked S B Saini 67-45,25-9. TNS