SPORTS

Hindustan Club emerge DSA League champions
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 15
Hindustan Club played a spirited game to dethrone defending champions Indian Nationals by a lone second half goal, and emerge champions, in the final of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL Senior Division Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Friday.

Sameer Jung despated a powerful shot into the net in the 20th minute of the second half to settle the argument in favour of Hindustan Club, who should have otherwise won the match by at least three goals.

Hindustan Club dictated the terms throughout the match, particularly so in the first half, but their strikers were unable to cash in on the innumerable scoring opportunities they earned.

Parveen Arora was particularly guilty of muffing a couple of easy scoring chances, and ironically, it was after he was substituted by Olowoni Fela Saidi when he got injured that Hindustan Club struck the much-awaited match-winner.

Saidi, as soon as he took the field, ripped through the Nationals’ defence to take a powerful shot at the goal, but the ball rebounded off Nationals’ custodian and skipper Biswa Nath Deb.

The ball returned to play, but a curving pass from the centre was well-connected by Sameer Jung from the right of the box (1-0), to the massive relief of the Hindustan team.

Hindustan controlled the mid-field and then sprayed passes to unsettle the Nationals’ defence. Nationals could only make sporadic attacks, though they too had their chances to score, only to miss the mark at the finishing stage. Cassius Owino squandered the best opportunity to score in the first half when he dribbled down the middle, beating the defenders on his pursuit, only to shoot wide with the custodian at his mercy.

The Hindustan players were fast, and controlled the ball mostly among themselves, but they had really no strategy to beat off the spoiling tactics adopted by Nationals, who did their best to snatch the ball at the nick of time, or crowd the defence to foil the Hindustan strikers from take a clear shot at the goal.

Hindustan Club received Rs 15,000 for their title victory while Nationals got a cash prize of Rs 10,000. Losing semi-finalists City Club and Mughals received Rs 3000 each.

A Division winners Simla Youngs were awarded a cash prize of Rs 2,500 while runners-up Buddhist Blue Stars also received a cash prize of Rs 2,500. B Division winners and runners-up, Glorious and Cosmos, also received Rs 2,500 each.

The Delhi Police team were awarded the fair play trophy. Four best players of the league were also awarded Rs 2,500 each. They were: Goalkeeper Viney Singh of Mughals, defender Manoj Joshi of City Club, mid-fielder Manjit Singh of Indian Nationals and forward Hitender Singh Rawat of Hindustan. Delhi Police Commissioner Ajay Raj Sharma, who was the chief guest, gave away the prizes.

The conclusion of the DSA League has brought an end to the long league season. From March 18, the phase I of the five-team second division National Football League will resume at the Ambedkar Stadium.

Talkatora Swimming Pool renamed
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 15
After hockey wizard Dhyan Chand, it’s now politician Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s name to adorn a sports facility. The Union Government had recently renamed the National Stadium as the Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium, to honour the late hockey legend.

Now, the Talkatora Swimming Pool Complex, constructed for the ninth Asian Games in Delhi in 1982, situated on 12.13 acres land, has been renamed as the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Swimming Pool Complex “in honour of the great nationalist”. Union Minister for Human Resource Development Dr Murli Manohar Joshi was the chief guest at the renaming ceremony held on Thursday. Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the Industries Minister of Independent India in the National Government headed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He also held the position of Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University in 1934, the youngest-ever man to hold this post.

The Talkatora Swimming Pool Complex has an Olympic size main pool, diving pool, warm-up pool, and a kids’ and learners’ pool. The stadium was extensively renovated last year for the inaugural Afro-Asian Games, which, however, got postponed. The swimming pool is equipped with Omega electronic touch pad with an electronic scoreboard. There is also facility to control the temperature of the pool during winter. Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Uma Bharti said the achievements of sportspersons were symbols of national pride and honour. “The nation celebrates their successes as their own which serves as stimuli for them”, she added.

Health Fitness Run

New Delhi: The Health Fitness Trust and Heart Care Foundation of India will jointly organise a health-run-cum-perfect health parade in Delhi on April 7 to coincide with the World Health Day, with a theme "Move for Health". The event will be held in association with the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Indian Medical Association (New Delhi branch), Dabur India and New Delhi Municipal Council. The objective of the run is to create the much-needed health awareness and education for preventive measures among the public. The Director of Health Fitness Run and veteran marathon runner Sunita Godara said over 5000 runners will participate in the fitness run.

SPORT CORNER
Sachin Rana hits 160 for R P Academy

New Delhi, March 15
A fine unbeaten knock of 160 by Sachin Rana and a well-struck 50 by Mohit Vadera helped R P Cricket Academy beat Indian Air Force by 69 runs in the first Krishna Verma Memorial League-cum-Knockout Cricket Tournament at Palam II ground.

Electing to bat, R P Academy scored 273 for 4 while Air Force were bundled out for 204. The highlight of the victory was a 179-run fourth-wicket partnership between Sachin Rana and Mohit Vadera.

Scores: R P Academy: 273 for 4 in 40 overs (Sachin Rana 160 n o, Mohit Vadera 50, J P Pandey 2/52, R K Sharma 2/33). IAF: 204 all out in 39.1 overs (J P Pandey 48, Mohd Imtiyaz 38, Pankaj Kumar 34, Sachin Rana 4/60, Kamal Bhakuni 3/30).

Agarsen Club to play in Pepsi Cup

New Delhi: The Maharaja Agarsen Sports Club will play in the All-India Pepsi Cup Cricket Tournament in Bangalore. The Club’s under-19 team will play five matches in Hyderabad, six matches in Bangalore and three matches in Mumbai, starting from May 10.

The Under-16 team will undertake a 15-day cricket tour. Special coaching will be imparted to the selected players from March 6 to May 5 at the Vivekanand Sports Complex, Vivekanand Puri. More information can be had from Mr Tajinder Malhotra (Ph: 7056199) or Mr Yogesh Sharma (Ph:7919102), or with the club at D-15/253, Sector-3, Rohini, Delhi-85.

Rakesh Shukla is match referee

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed former Test cricketer Rakesh Shukla as match referee for the Duleep Trophy match between Central Zone and South Zone to be played at Jaipur from April 9 to 12, according to BCCI vice-president C K Khanna. OSP

TYCA to meet Airlines in SAIL Trophy final
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 15
The Trans Yamuna Cricket Association (TYCA) will clash against Indian Airlines in the final of the SAIL Trophy Cricket Tournament at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground on March 17 (Sunday).

In the semi-finals, TYCA beat hosts SAIL XI by four wickets while Indian Airlines defeated Chand Khanna Club by seven wickets. Devender Singh (33 n o, 3 for 25) played a fine all-round game to star in TYCA’s victory and earn the man of the match award, while Rashmi Ranjan Parida (63 n o) of Indian Airlines won the man of the match award in the other semi-final.

Scores: SAIL XI: 165 all out in 39.4 overs (Rajeev Rathore 41, 3x4; Saurabh Shukla 38, 3x4, 1x6; Randeep Singh 22, Devender Singh 3 for 25, Rajinder Madan 2 for 36).

TYCA: 171 for 6 in 39.1 overs (Ashish Sharma 37, 5x4; Jaswinder Singh 42, 2x4; Devender Singh 33 n o, 1x4, 2x6; Oniel Wilson 1 for 15, Saurabh Shukla 1 for 25, Sandeep Angurala 1 for 38).

Chand Khanna: 177 for 8 in 40 overs (Pankaj Joshi 69, 5x4, 2x6; Sandeep Rana 28, 2x4; Abdul Qayum 3 for 29, M Bisla 2 for 32, Sukhwinder Singh 2 for 20; Subhash Choudhary 1 for 37).

Indian Airlines XI: 180 for 3 in 37.1 overs (Ravneet Ricky 69, 3x4, 2x6; Rashmi Ranjan Parida 63 n o, Sidharth Verma 2 for 21 and Gautam Gambhir 1 for 25).

Deepak Bhatnagar hits century
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 15
Deepak Bhatnagar hit a blazing century but his knock went in vain as Little Master lost to National Stadium Cricket Club (NSCC) by one wicket in a Super Division match of the DDCA League at the National Stadium ground.

Scores: Littler Master: 253 for 6 in 40 overs (Deepak Bhatnagar 118, Mudasir 37 n o, Vikas Chandan 50). NSCC: 255 for 9 in 39.2 overs (Tariqurrehman 61, Randeep Singh 46, Sanjay Kumar 41 n o, Mohd Javed 3/48). Bright Club beat Central Warehousing Corporation by 54 runs in a Super A Division match at Kotla I.

Scores: Bright: 206 for 8 in 40 overs (Sandeep Mahajan 45, Sanjeev Saini 36, Tarun Ahuja 34, Ashwani anand 2/32). CWC: 152 (Lalit Yadav 56, Nischal Gaur 3/17). Central Bank beat Kishan Gunj by 13 runs in an A-I Division at the RSC ground.

Scores: Central Bank: 226 for 6 (Uddat Bhatia 77, Joginder Sharma 43, Dinesh Yadav 2/46). Kishan Gung Gymkhana: 213 (Jagjit Singh 59, Manvinder Singh 62, Joginder Sharma 4/35). S.B. Youth beat Engineers India Limited (EIL) by 78 runs in an A-I Division match at the Yamuna Sports Complex. Scores: S B Youth: 279 for 4 (Rakesh Rawat 69, Manoj Yadav 57, Ravi Uniyal 47 n o, Sandeep Kumar 37, Paras Prajapati 30, Sunil Kumar 2/22). EIL: 201 for 4 (Manish Jolly 69 n o, Chattar Singh 59, Naveen Kumar 2/29).

SAR Group enter Teri Cup last eight
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 15
SAR Group beat Orient Craft by 35 runs to enter the quarter-final of the ninth Teri Cup Cricket Tournament at the Central Secretariat ground. Rajeev Rana of SAR Group, who cracked a stroke-filled 81, was adjudged the man of the match.

In a match on Thursday, Railway Officers' Cricket Association had beaten Orient Craft by four wickets. Bhupinder, who scored 81 for the winners, was named the man of the match.

Scores: SAR Group: 187 for 6 in 25 overs (Rajeev Rana 81, 9x4; Amresh Pradhan 36, 2x4, 1x6; Rohit 3 for 41). Orient Craft: 152 for 9 in 25 overs (Rajeev 51, 2x4; Manoj 24, 2x4; Amit Kumar 2/19, Rajesh Brown 2/38).

Orient Craft: 173 all out in 25 overs (Rajeev 60, 7x4; Ved Raj 4/22, Vinod Sharma 2/32). Railway Officers' Cricket Association: 177 for 6 in 24.4 overs (Bhupinder 81, 12x4).

Annapurna team flagged off
Jatinder Sharma

Rohtak, March 15
Chief of Army Staff Gen S. Padmanabhan flagged off the Indian Army Annapurna – 1 Expedition team from New Delhi today. The expedition team, constituted from the gallant mountaineers of Army Adventure Wing, is led by Lt-Col S. C. Sharma.

The deputy leader of the team, Major Satya Pal Malik, said over phone that Mount Annapurna was situated at a height of 8,091 metres in the interior of Nepal and was considered to be the 10th highest mountain of the world and regarded to be almost invincible because of its arduous approach.

Major Malik disclosed that Maurice Herzog, a French mountaineer, was the first to scale this peak in 1950 followed by a British in 1970 and since then no mountaineering had ever been attempted. Now this team of 17 members, including two climbers from the Royal Nepal Army, is trying to scale the peak. The team, after the successful completion of the expedition, might return to Delhi by mid June, Major Malik added.

Landlords told to give details of tenants to police
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, March 15
The District Magistrate, Mr Anil Malik, has directed landlords and house owners of residential premises in the district to provide full particulars of their tenants immediately to the Station House Officers (SHO) concerned within seven days.

The orders were issued in exercise of the powers conferred upon the Deputy Commissioner under Section 144 of the CrPC in order to keep a check on anti-social elements who take houses on rent to commit crimes.

He said the antecedents of all new tenants in the district be verified and warned that persons found guilty of violation of the orders would be liable for punishment under Section 188 of the IPC.

Charges for home delivery of LPG cylinders fixed
Our Correspondent

Panipat, March 15
The District Magistrate, Mr M. R. Anand, has fixed the additional transport charges for supply of refilled LPG (cooking gas) cylinders over and above the prevalent retail price for making home delivery to consumers beyond municipal limits.

Under the order, there will not be any additional transport charges for supply within and up to a distance of 3 km from municipal limits. However the additional charges per cylinder beyond the distance of 3 km from the municipal limits up to 15 km will be Rs 9 and beyond 15 km up to 30 km will be Rs 12.

In cash and carry delivery (ex-godown) supply, there will be a rebate of Rs 8 per cylinder on the prevalent retail price. It has been made clear in the order that the LPG dealers will also issue correct cash memo to every customer indicating the price and additional transport charges.