SPORTS

India pin hopes on Kunjarani
M. S. Unnikrishnan

New Delhi, July 25
Ace weightlifter Kunjarani Devi is expected to play a pivotal role in India’s medal hunt in the Commonwealth Games Weightlifting Championship, as past records speak highly of her medal-lifting ability.

Kunjarani has some nostalgic memories about Manchester, the venue of the Commonwealth Games, as in 1989, she had lifted three silver medals at the same venue in the World Championship, despite losing her baggage and lifting kit.

According to former national champion P. K. Mahanand, who has been closely following the career-graph of Kunjarani, then national coach Shyam Lal Salwan borrowed the costume, the belt etc, and “much to the surprise of the rest of the world, she lost only to the Chinese lifter, when she totalled 135 kg.”

Kunjarani encountered a lot of sweet and sour moments ever since as she had a serious knee operation, which kept her out of action for several months, and then staged a tremendous comeback, thanks to the expert treatment provided by the reputed Delhi-based knee surgeon, Dr Ashok Rajgopal. She suffered further heartbreaks when she was dropped from the Indian squad for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and later had the ignominy of facing a six-month ban for having tested performance-enhancing stimulant in her system, which she later claimed, had resulted following the intake of an Ayurvedi preparation. But she had also the sweet experience of being ranked “fifth among the greatest lifters of the century”.

Mr Mahanand feels that if Kunjarani lifts 185-kg to 190-kg, she can lay claim to not less than three golds. Olympian Sanamacha Chanu looks a sure winner in the 53kg class on the basis of her excellent track record. And then there is Sunaina, in the 58kg class, who was the sole medal winner in the last World Championship. Sunaina is currently ranked 11th in the world.

Pratima Kumari has high stakes in the 63 kg, as she is considered a very strong lifter. But in the 1998 Asian Games and the Asian Championship, she had suffered unexpected reverses. Neelam Laxmi looks a very strong contender for the gold in the 69-kg.

The omission of Nansita Devi in the 63 class, in which she had won three bronze medals, and Nandani Devi in the 53-kg class in which she had upstaged Sanamacha Chanu in the Nationals at Visakhapatnam immediately after the Sydney Olympic Games, and Romi Devi, winner of a silver medal in the Junior World Championships and who was also part of the Indian squad for the World Championship at Athens, will rob India of some sure medals.

In the 75kg, India have a medal prospect in Sailaja of Andhra Pradesh, who had struck a gold in the Junior Asian Championship. Though India are expected to lift a clutch of medals in the Commonwealth Championship, the real test for the lifters will come in the Asian Games at Busan in October this year, as the Chinese and other top Asian lifters would be there to pose formidable challenge to the Indians.

Sponsorship deal signed for Golf Tour
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, July 25
The Indian Professional Golf Tour will be continued to be supported by Hero Honda for another season as an agreement to renew the contract has been signed. The sponsorship deal will include three main events — West, South and the Chandigarh Open championships. Each tournament will carry a prize money of Rs 10 lakh.

The 2001-02 season Golf Tour had broken all records of prize money. It offered the players a staggering amount of prize money, to the tune of Rs 2.23 crore, from 24 events, thus making it the richest domestic Tour of the country.

Order of Merit leader Mukesh Kumar smashed the previous earnings record in a single season by over Rs four lakh as he earned Rs 17.51 lakh.

In its first season as Tour sponsors, the company made several valuable contributions in helping raise the profile of the Tour, by instituting awards like Golfer of the Month, and hole-in-one. It has also supported Tour Talk, the monthly newsletter of the Indian Golf Tour. Other sponsorship deals include the Masters Tournament of the country, which is part of the Asian Professional Golf Association Tour, and also the backing of Jeev Milkha Singh.

Modern School edge past Gyan Bharti
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, July 25
Modern School, Barakhamba Road edged past Gyan Bharti School 2-1 in a junior division league match of the Bro Mahony Inter-School Football Tournament at the Mount St. Mary’s School ground, Delhi Cantt.

Modern School scored their goals through Anubhav Jha and Tashi Dorjee. Divakar netted the consolation goal for Gyan Bharti.

In a Junior Division match, St. Columba’s School recorded a 4-0 victory against Vasant Valley School. Daryal struck a brace of goals in the first half while Edwin and Amid netted a goal each on resumption.

Hosts Mount St. Mary’s School outclassed Shri Ram School, Gurgaon 5-1. Avinash Tirkey (2), Aditya Singh (2) and Alistair Cruz were the goal-getters for Mount St. Mary’s. Prashant Passi scored the consolation goal for the losers.

In a Senior Division match, Vasant Valley School beat Modern School, Barakhamba Road 2-0. Rohan Kacker and Dhananjaya Chek were the marksmen.

Fancied Saini School, Rewari trounced Mont Fort School 5-0. Phool Preet (2), Mehesh (2) and Hemant were the goal-scorers of Saini School.

In the last match of the day, Tagore International School defeated Modern School, Vasant Vihar 4-2. Tagore International took the lead when Mfon George Akpan struck in the very second minute of the match. Lienyonsein Gngte, S. Dong and Khan Lian accounted for the other three goals. Abhinav Grover and Akshat Mishra scored one goal each for Modern School.

Friday’s fixtures: DPS, R K Puram vs Vasant Valley (9 am); MSM School vs Modern School, Barakhamba Road (10.15 pm); SMA Meerut vs SCS School (11.30 a m), SCS School vs Vasant Valley (1 pm); SMA Meerut vs Modern School, Barakhamba Road (2.15 pm).

Ten elected to DDCA Sports Committee
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, July 25
In keenly-contested elections, ten club representatives were elected to the Working Committee of the Sports Committee of the Delhi and District Cricket Association at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground on Thursday.

According to DDCA sports secretary Sunil Dev, out the 112 clubs affiliated to the association, 101 voted.

One vote was declared invalid. The election was a sharp contest among ten representatives of the club.

Following are the ten elected: Vinod Tihara (Lal Bahadur Shastri Cricket Club), Ashok Sharma (Ravi Brothers Club), M.K. Sharma (Inborn Cricketers), P. S. Chauhan (Pusa Youngsters Club), Anil Kumar Chaudhary (Darling Club), P. K. Soni (ICC Cricket team), Brij Mohan Gulati (Delhi Police Club), Praveen Jain (Pahari Dhiraj Gym), Ramesh Sachdeva
(Friend Club) and Ajit Singh Madhok (Tilak Nagar Colts).

ADMINISTRATION

Finger Print Bureau chief transferred
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 25
The Director of the Finger Print Bureau of the Delhi Police, Randhir Singh Bhardwaj, was transferred to Security following the recommendation of the vigilance branch as an inquiry of sexual harassment case was being conducted against him. He has been replaced by Assistant Commissioner of Police Jagjit Kumar Kaushik.

Mr Bhardwaj was transferred last week to Security Lines. The sexual harassment case was registered against him by an Assistant Sub-Inspector, Sushma, in 1995. The Delhi Police had set up a committee under the chairmanship of Ms Kiran Bedi, the then Additional Commissioner of Police, which reportedly gave a clean chit to Mr Bhardwaj.

Since the complainant was not satisfied with the committee report, she approached the National Commission for Women (NCW). Besides, she had filed a case in the Delhi High Court.

The NCW, the then Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), Garima Bhatnagar, and a few others officers had discussed the complaint and requested the Delhi Police for further probe. The second inquiry is being conducted by Deputy Commissioner of Vigilance S. K. Gautam.

I-T camp held for govt staff
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, July 25
A special `income tax’ camp was organised by the district administration and the Income Tax Department to enable the government employees to file their IT returns and apply for the permanent account number (PAN) at 'Bachat' Bhawan here today. The last date for filing the IT returns is July 31.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil Malik, who inaugurated the camp, asked the employees to take the benefit of the occasion, as filing of IT returns and getting the PAN number had become necessary now. He said a majority of the staff had no or little knowledge of this aspect and had to depend on others to get the work done, which, he said, was quite simple and easy.

Mr Malik said depositing income tax and returns in time was not only the responsibility of a citizen but, he said, the funds collected through IT were used for development purpose finally.