SPORTS

India a priority country: Special Olympics
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, July 2
Special Olympics, an international organisation dedicated to enabling individuals with mental retardation through sports training and competition, has declared India a priority country. The India chapter will train 800,000 athletes and 4000 coaches in five years. The programme is being run by Special Olympics Bharat, the India chapter of Special Olympics Inc.

Special Olympics Bharat, currently working in 21 Indian States, has been given the mandate to extend this programme throughout the country and train 800,000

athletes and 4000 coaches in the next five years. The programme offers children and adults with mental retardation year-round training and competition in 11 sports. These include aquatics, athletics and cycling, and games such as cricket, basketball, bowling, football, tennis and volleyball. The organisation has already conducted several State-level programmes through which more than 21,000 athletes have benefited. Special Olympics Bharat is headquartered in New Delhi and provides administrative and operational support to the accredited sub-programmes in each of the States in the country.

Dr Tom Songster, a special envoy to India from Special Olympics, Inc., USA said, “Working in around 160 countries worldwide, Special Olympics Inc. has helped over a million people with mental retardation gain social confidence and acceptance through participation in various sports and games. We have declared India a ‘priority’ country and hope to extend this programme to all individuals with mental retardation across the country”.

Special Olympics Bharat Chairman Air Marshal Denzil Keelor (Retd.) said, “There is no cost to participate in Special Olympics. Among our immediate tasks is the preparation of a contingent of 88 Indian athletes for the Dublin Special Olympics meet in 2003, requiring intense training of the athletes as well as recruiting additional coaches. This will be the largest contingent from India ever and will also be the biggest from the entire Asia Pacific region”.

In order to further expand the programme, Special Olympics Bharat is in the process of identifying more special schools, institutions, rehabilitation centres, regular schools with special sections, and community organisations that work with the intellectually challenged. It has set itself the target
of working with 10 slum and 10 village communities each year within each State.

Alongside, to influence policy-making and larger social initiatives that would be more supportive of people with mental retardation, Special Olympics Bharat plans to compile data on potential athletes, with the involvement of schools and institutions and also conduct assessment of the potential athletes.

Special Olympics Inc. has helped millions of people with mental retardation, by providing them with opportunities, proper guidance and encouragement to be physically fit and learn, enjoy, and benefit from participation in individual and team sports. The organisation works mainly through volunteers, and aims as much to involve the families and communities in which it works as the athletes themselves.

Special Olympics is an international year-round programme of sports training and competition for individuals with mental retardation. More than one million athletes in more than 160 countries train and compete in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with mental retardation continuing opportunities to develop fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy as they participate in the sharing of gifts and friendship with other athletes, their families and the community.

Manas, Abhishek help DAV School victory
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, July 2
A strokeful unbeaten knock of 71 by Manas Malhotra and fierce bowling of 3 for 18 by Abhishek Sakuja and 3 for 21 by Danish Kam Bali helped DAV School, Shalimar Bagh defeat Ramjas School No 2 by five wickets in the Maharaja Agarsen Under-19 Cricket League at the Bharat Nagar ground in the Capital.

Batting first, Ramjas School struggled against the fierce and sustained bowling performance of the DAV quickies, and folded up for 190 all out in 34.5 overs.

Rahul Yadav (52) and Sawej Khan (36) tried to defy the DAV bowling, but succeeded only to a limited extent. For DAV School, the modest total of Ramjas School was not difficult to chase. Helped by the fine knock of Manas Malhotra, DAV raced to 191 for 5 in 34.3 overs to record an emphatic victory.

Manas hit strokes all around the wicket to baulk the bowling of Ramjas School though Ajit Ranjan and Ramit Gill did a fine job to claim three and two wickets each.

His swashbuckling knock was applauded by the crowds there. Manas found an ideal partner in Saurabh Jain as the duo hoisted a solid partnership to put DAV on the road to victory. The good understanding and the running between the wickets made them to put a solid knock.

Tapan Jain also contributed a valuable 30 runs as DAV easily coasted to victory. His blistering knock helped DAV to put a solid knock for their win.

But above all, the havoc played by the batsman duo Manas and Saurav was the limelight of the DAV's win.

The Ramjas batsmen should blame themselves for not applying well to tackle the bowling of DAV.

Scores: Ramjas School No 2: 190 all out in 34.5 overs (Rahul Yadav 52, Sawej Khan 36, Abhishek Marwah 3 for 32, Danish Okambal 3 for 21, Abhishek Sakusa 3 for 38).

DAV School, Shalimar Bagh: 191 for 5 in 34.3 overs (Manas Malhotra 71 n o, Saurabh Sain 35, Tapan Jain 30, Ajit Ranjan 3 for 27, Ramit Gil 2 for 97).

Sonnet-Young Friends match ends in tie
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, July 2
Sonnet Club and Young Friends played a tied match in the first Gyan Bharti South Delhi Under-13 Cricket Tournament at the Gyan Bharti School (Saket) ground in the Capital. Both the teams got one point each.

Sonnet Club, opting to bat, scored 178 in 34.5 overs with Nakul Chopra top-scoring with 53. Young Friends also made 178 for eight in reply in 35 overs to tie the match. Samarth Singh’s crafty knock of 73 was the highlight of their innings.

Scores: Sonnet Club: 178 all out in 34.5 overs (Nakul Chopra 53, Mohit Vanjani 30, Jayant Yadav 4 for 31). Young Friends: 178 for 8 in 35 overs (Samarth Singh 73, Karan Khanna 30, Manan Sharma 3 for 25).

ADMINISTRATION

3 DJB employees suspended
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 2
Three Delhi Jal Board officials were suspended after a chlorinator was found non-functional during a surprise check.

A Junior Engineer, chlorinator operator and a beldar-cum-operator were suspended, Health Minister Dr A. K. Walia told a review meeting here today.

The Delhi Jal Board had installed over 2,000 tubewells in different parts of the city in view of the increasing water shortage, Dr Walia said in a press release. Stating that diseases like gastroenteritis and cholera were under control, Dr Walia cautioned that special attention had to be paid during the rainy season.

Park in memory of Kargil martyr

The Delhi Assembly Speaker, Ch. Prem Singh, inaugurated a park in memory of a Kargil martyr, Shaheed Anusuiya Prasad Dhyani, today to mark his death anniversary.

The Speaker has sanctioned money from his MLA Fund for the beautification and development of the park in Dakshinpuri Ambedkar Nagar area.

He, along with area residents, parents and widow of Shaheed Dhyani planted saplings in the memory of the warrior who sacrificed his life for the cause of the motherland.

Remembering the supreme sacrifice of Shaheed Dhyani, Ch. Prem Singh said he laid his life for the cause of the motherland and whole country would never forget his great sacrifice and his name would be written in the golden letters in Indian history.

He also announced that that a road would be named after Dhyani.