SPORTS

Assam, UP Police record wins
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 6
Assam State Electricity Board (Assam) and Uttar Pradesh Police scored fluent victories in the Phase-I Cluster-II matches of the 2nd Division National Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Wednesday.

Assam State Electricity Board Sports Club recorded their second straight victory when they defeated Jobra Durga Club, Orissa 2-1 to collect six points. They had beaten Hindustan Club of Delhi in their first match.

The Assam Club opened their account through inside-right M.K.Candid Marin, whose angular shot found the net in the 38th minute. Jorba Durga, who attacked in waves, were let down by their forwards, who messed up their chances inside the shooting range.

Assam enhanced their lead on resumption when Abraham L. Mhar scored in the 75th minute while Jobra Durga reduced the margin through Laxman Chatterjee in the 81st minute (1-2). The Orissa team have collected three points from as many matches.

In another match, Uttar Pradesh Police scored a handsome 3-0 victory against Boys Athletic Club of Sikkim, after leading by 2-0 at half time. Nasim Khan scored the first goal in the 34th minute while Ramesh Rawat made it 2-0 in the 39th minute.

Nasim Khan completed the scoring in the 82nd minute. UP Police have garnered six points from three matches while the Sikkim team are yet to open their account after two matches.

Referee A.M. Ashraf of Kerala booked three UP players—Mukesh Kumar, Chandan Singh and Ramesh Rawatt—and two Sikkim players—Tseten Bhutia and custodian Balaram Pradhan—for indulging in rough and tough tactics.

Manhas to lead North Zone 
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 6Mithun Manhas of Delhi will lead the 15-member North Zone team for the Duleep Trophy match against South Zone to be played at Faridabad from March 12 to 15 According to Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) sports secretary Sunil Dev, the selected players will have to report to manager of the team Sushil Kapoor at the Nahar Singh Stadium in Faridabad on the morning of March 11.

The team: Mithun Manhas, Gautam Gambhir, Akash Chopra,

Kanwaljit Singh, Pankaj Dharmani, Yuvraj Singh, Sangram Singh, Amit Mishra, Sarandeep Singh, Vishal Bhatia,Vijay Dahiya, Reetinder Sodhi, Amit Bhandari, Ashish Nehra and Vaneet Sharma.

Daksh.com win

Daksh.com defeated Pepsi Foods by eight wickets in a league match of the Reebok Cup Cricket Tournament played at the Palam ground.

Scores: Pepsi Foods: 85 in 21.5 overs (Anjan Patole 23, Anupam Sanghi 5 for 13, Varun Bassi 3/12). Daksh.com: 86 for 2 14.1 overs (Kunal Rekhi 26, Chandan Kumar 24 n.o). Anupam Singh was adjudged the man of the match. In an earlier match, Spectramind E-services defeated NDTV by 32 runs in a league match of the Reebok Cup Cricket Tournament played at the Palam ground.

Scores: Spectramind E-Services: 158 all out in 25 overs Kasif 27, Vikram Kumar 22, S.V.Raman 3/27, Deepak Sharma 2/10).NDTV: 126 all out in 25 overs (Ravi Kumar 58, Deepak Sharma 22, Murli Mohan 5/15).

Bhalotia brand ambassador

Indrajit Bhalotia, one of the longest hitters of the golf ball, signed a one-year contract with Mayor International as their brand ambassador on the domestic tour. Bhalotia won the ‘longest drive’ competition held at the Hero Honda Masters 2002 with a scorching 339-yard effort. Bhalotia has five career titles on the Golf Tour, including one at the HT Pro Golf, Kolkata in November, 2001.

IOCL annex title

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) defeated Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) 2-1 in the final of the 21st Petroleum Sports Control Board Tennis Tournament, hosted by Engineers India Ltd, at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association courts in the Capital on Wednesday.

IBP beat Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) 2-0 to take the third position.

Results: IOCL beat GAIL 2-1: P Srinath beat Vinod Sridhar 6-3,6-3; Vasudev Reddy lost to Vishal Uppal 2-6, 3-6; P Srinath/Vasudev Reddy b Vishal Uppal/Vinod Sridhar 6-7,7-6,6-3.

IBP beat ONGC: Saurav Panja b Prem Prakash 6-1, 6-1; T S Bhandari b S K Palani 6-0,7-5.

Men’s singles: V N Premprakash (ONGC) b J Mishra (ONGC) 6-3,6-3; S K Palani (ONGC) b Thakuria (OIL) 6-3,6-4; Novendeonath (HPCL) b D J Bhorpujari (ONGC) 6-2,6-0. Men’s doubles: R Dutta/A Hakim (OIL) b D Thakuria/K Das (OIL) 6-2,6-4; V N Premprakash/S K Palani (ONGC) b A K Nath/P

Rajbanshi (OIL) 6-0,6-1. Veterans singles: V Kas Gupta (EIL) b R Rao (HPCL) 6-0,6-0; D J Dutta (ONGC) b M J Bordoli (OIL) 6-1,6-2; Dr Abbas (IOCL) b A K Shastri (OIL) 6-1,6-2; M P Srinivasan (CPCL) b YPS Bisht (ONGC) 6-4,6-0.

Hudco beat IBM

Hudco beat IBM by nine wickets in the 9th Teri Cup Cricket Tournament at the Central Secretariat ground.

Scores: IBM: 127 (S Batra 53, R Chopra 17, V K Shukal 3/31). Hudco: 128 for 1 in 14.3 overs (Sashi Bhushan 65, Mukesh 42 no). Shashi Bhushan was adjudged the man of the match. In another match, American Express beat Adidas by seven wickets.

Scores: Adidas: 164 for 8 in 25 overs (Rakesh Mohan 33, Harish Doraiswamy 29, Vipin Bhasin 29, Shiraz Khan 2/26, Rajeev Kumar 2/26).

American Express: 118 for 4 in 18.2 overs (Ritesh Soin 62, Alok Garodia 57, Rakesh Mohan 3/26). Ritesh Soin was adjudged the man of the match.

India out to improve its dismal record at Faridabad
Our Sports Reporter

Rohtak, March 6
Haryana’s only venue for international cricket, Faridabad, hosts the first one-day international cricket tie of the current series between India and Zimbabwe at Nahar Singh Stadium. This will be the sixth one-day international match to be played on this venue and second between these two teams. Faridabad’s Nahar Singh Stadium has a history of nearly two decades. Previously known as Mayur Stadium, it was developed into a ground in 1981. The maiden first class fixture held here was a Ranji Trophy match played between Haryana and Services in November 1982.

The process of transforming this ground into an international stadium started when the then Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Bansi Lal, laid its foundation stone on 14th September 1986.

The stadium got its present name after the great freedom fighter from Haryana- Nahar Singh.

Besides five one-day internationals, Nahar Singh Stadium has hosted several first class matches involving visiting teams from Pakistan, New Zealand and England. The visitors from abroad played three-day matches here. In domestic cricket, several vital matches of Deodhar Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup have been organised here. The stumps were pitched on the Nahar Singh Stadium for the first international tie in 1987-88 when India played hosts to West Indies. The visitors emerged victorious. The stadium has also served as neutral venue of the Australia versus South Africa one-dayer played in 1996-97 for the Titan Cup. Out of the five matches played so far on this ground, West Indies and South Africa have won two matches each whereas India, who lost three out of the four matches played at Faridabad, tasted it’s only success when it played against Zimbabwe a decade ago in 1992-93. Australia and Zimbabwe are yet to register a victory at this ground. 

Saurav, Kumble visit Gyan Bharati School
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 6
It was a dream come true for trainees of the Gyan Bharati School Cricket Academy in South Delhi when Indian cricket captain Saurav Ganguly and ace bowler Anil Kumble visited the school, and provided valuable cricketing tips to the young players.

Both Saurav and Kumble were all praise for school principal R.C. Sekhar for making available excellent facilities for cricket at the school ground, to help talented player bloom to their fuller potential.

The academy at the school is being run under the guidance of former Test player Gursharan Singh and his team of coaches comprising Vivek Razdan, Asjit Jayaprakash, Tilak Raj, Kuljeet Singh and V.K. Garg.

Eco-Retreat Trophy match ends in deadlock
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 6
The Indian Women’s XI and the Pachauri XI were involved in a tied contest in the Eco-Retreat Trophy Cricket match at the Teri Oval. Indian women’s cricket captain Anjum Chopra, who gave a fine all-round performance (25 n.o and 2 for 21), was declared the player of the match.

Scores: Indian Women XI: 121 for 5 in 22 overs (Jaya Sharma 30, 4x4; Anjum Chopra 25 no, 3x4; Mamta Mebass 25, 2x4; R K Pachauri 1/30, Pradeep Kumar 1/8, Sunil Bhalla 1/6). Pachauri XI: 121 for 5 in 22 overs (Vijay Dahiya 26 n o, 4x4, 1x6; Jaya Prasad 23, 1x4, 1x6; K P Eashwar 11, 1x4; Anjum Chopra 2/21, Deepa Kulkarni 2/43). Former Indian player Surinder Khanna gave away the prizes.

ONGC win in SAIL trophy
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 6
Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) defeated Subhania Club by 34 runs to enter the quarter-final of the SAIL Trophy Cricket Tournament at Mohan Nagan on Wednesday. Ravi Seghal, who played a fine all-round role for ONGC (57, 2 for 26) was declared the man of the match. Subhania won the toss and decided to field.

Scores: ONGC: 189 for 9 in 40 overs (Ravi Sehgal 57, 4x4; Md. Saif 36, 3x4; Radhey Shyam 34, 2x4; Rupesh Ahluwalia 3-29, Jatin Khanna 3-41, Promod Bhati 2-18).

Subhania: 155 all out in 38.2 overs (Manish Chawla 48, 2x4; Joginder Singh 27, 2x4, 1x6; Anjeev Lohia 24, 3x4; Amit Bhandari 4 for 33, Ravi Sehgal 2 for 26, Pradeep Jain 2 for 21).

Mohd Salim leads

New Delhi
Mohammed Salim of Kolkata, who drives luxury buses during off season to earn enough money to play golf, continued to be in the driver’s seat as he retained a two-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Rs 6 lakh DHL Open. Lucknow’s Jumman was second with his second successive card of level-par 70. Akbar Ali, Rezwan Ali and Ashok Kumar shot one-under 69 each to join Mukesh Kumar in tied third place. OSR

Exposed eatables banned to check cholera outbreak
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, March 6
To prevent the outbreak and spread of cholera, the District Magistrate here has banned the sale of overripe fruit, vegetables, and ‘ice golla’ under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1997. The order also bans aerated mineral soda water manufactured from water without a certificate that it was fit for human consumption by either the State Bacteriologist, Haryana at Karnal or the Public Analyst Haryana, Chandigarh or from the Professor of Microbiology, PGIMS, Rohtak. The order comes into force with immediate effect and will be in force till December 31.

According to official sources, the order also prohibits the sale of sugarcane juice, exposed sweets, meat, cakes, biscuits, breads and other eatables, including watermelon and fruit kept in the open unless properly protected from flies and dust with wire-cage or showcase made of glass. Similarly, the sale of unwholesome meat, fish, poultry and piggery products in the open shops without having fly-proof and dust-proof doors has also been banned near the pumps, ponds, tanks, schools, railway stations, market places and government offices.

The order also authorises the Civil Surgeon, District Health Officers, Medical Officers, District Programme Officers, doctors of the Health Department, Government Food Inspectors, Assistant Unit Officer (Malaria and Small Pox),

Assistant Malaria Officer, Senior Malaria Inspectors, Health Inspectors, Multipurpose Health Supervisors and the workers of the Health Department posted in the district to enter the buildings, market places or premises used for the sale, storage and free distribution of any article of food and drinking water and seize or destroy or dispose of the eatables and drinking water unfit for human consumption.

The order states that the Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Officers and Secretaries of the civic bodies, sarpanches and panches of the villages, lambardars and chowkidars of the villages are liable to report the occurrence of one or more cases of cholera and suspected cholera.

Gurgaon postal circle tops in business growth
Abhay Jain

Gurgaon, March 6
The Haryana circle topped among other circles of the Postal Department in India by achieving 106 per cent growth in business in 1998-99, 216 per cent in 1999-2000 and 126 per cent in 2000-2001.

According to highly placed sources, the Postal Department introduced the Rural Postal Life Insurance in 1995 for the benefit of the rural populace. Haryana surpassed the target of Rs 15 crore in 2001-02 and had already executed business worth Rs 35.85 crore.

The department had started opening Panchayat Sanchar Sewa Kendras (PSSK) in villages having no post office branch so that the postal services. Seventy PSSKs were to be opened in Haryana during the current financial year of which six had already been made functional in the Gurgaon Division.

Speaking about the IT revolution in the postal services, sources revealed that despite the rural status, Haryana had taken steps to computerise counter operations, transmission of money orders through satellite, savings bank operations, booking and delivery of speed post offices etc. More than 60 multi-purpose counter machines were in operation in various post offices in the state.

The customer care centres functional at the Divisional Headquarters had been computerised to streamline and address the public grievances.

In the 10th Five Year Plan, the department had planned to construct new buildings for 25 post offices in Haryana. Out of these, six new buildings were to be constructed in the Gurgaon Division comprising Gurgaon, Rewari and Mahindergarh districts.

The building which is being constructed in Sector 14, Gurgaon would cost Rs 15 lakh and would be completed within eight months. The shifting of the post office from the present rented building to a new building would not only improve the work environment for the staff and but also would definitely lead to customer satisfaction.