68-yr-old gets knee implant after gruelling surgery
Our Correspondent

New Delhi, September 3
Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research has recently reported a case of Howmedica modular resection in a 68-year-old woman. The operation was made successful by a team of surgeons led by Dr Ashok Rajagopal.

The surgery, which lasted for about three hours, the first ever surgery of its kind in India. The process involved replacing six inches above the knee and four inches below the knee with an implant. In effect, the entire knee has been replaced with an implant. Sitaram Bhartia Institute holds the distinction of doing the largest number of knee replacements in Asia and has one of the lowest infection rates in the world. The patient, Mrs Garg, had undergone four previous surgeries and had been bedridden for the past six years after her right knee was severely affected due to earlier operations.

Speaking after the operation, Dr Rajagopal said, “Both the knees of Mrs Garg were infected with a major bone loss in the upper and the lower segment.”

During the course of the two stages of the surgery large amounts of bone cement were used to seal the gaps and large doses of antibiotics were injected to prevent infections.

SPORTS

Delhi Audit to meet FCI in final
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 3
Defending champions Delhi Audit will meet Food Corporation of India (FCI), North Zone, in the final of the Delhi Soccer Association Senior Division Institutional Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium. The final will be played on Friday (September 6) at 4 pm.

In the A Division league, Punjab National Bank (PNB), Delhi Administration, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Urban Development Ministry qualified for the semi-finals.

In the first semi-final, PNB will take on Delhi Administration on Wednesday at 2 pm. RBI will meet Urban Development Ministry in the second semi-final at 4 pm.

Delhi Audit and FCI, North Zone played a one-all draw.

Both the teams collected 17 points each from seven matches, and qualified for the final. Amit Sharma of FCI put his side in the lead with a 15th minute goal. Delhi Administration got the equaliser in the 55th minute.

In another match, Central Secretariat defeated Food Corporation of India (Headquarters) 1-0.

The all-important goal was scored by Ravinder Waldai in the 45th minute.

IGPCL/BSES defeated Bharat Sanchar Nigam 3-0. Vikram Bhandari (2) and Mohd Aslam were the goal-getters. Railway Board prevailed over Indian Airlines 1-0. Rajesh scored the match-winner in the fifth minute.

Wednesday’s fixtures: PNB vs Delhi Administration (2 pm); RBI vs Urban Development Ministry (4 pm)—Ambedkar Stadium.

Veterans’ tourney: The Delhi Veterans Football Club, an affiliate of the Delhi Soccer Association, will hold a preparatory football tournament for A and B Division clubs from September 7 to 14 as a warm-up tournament for clubs participating in the Annual DSA-SAIL Open Clubs League Championship, starting on September 15 at the Ambedkar Stadium.

Entries will close on September 5 with Mr Hemchand or Mr Abdul Aziz at the Ambedkar Stadium. Phones: 3351604/3792058.

The DSA has constituted a League Sub-Committee with Mr Mohd Khalil as chairman, Mr Magan Singh Patwal as convenor and Mr Bachi Ram as co-convenor along with five other members.

A club secretaries’ meeting has been convened on September 10 at the DSA office to decide the league groupings and fixtures.

Special Olympics Bharat Games from Sept 11
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 3
Special Olympics Bharat, the India Programme of Special Olympics Inc., announced the schedule for National Games 2002. The nation-wide sports event for individuals with mental retardation will be held across seven cities in the country, beginning September 11 and continuing till October 26, 2002.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will light the ceremonial torch at Raj Ghat in New Delhi at 10 am on September 7, marking the beginning of the longest Special Olympics Torch Run in the 35-year-old history of Special Olympics International.

Special Olympics athletes will carry the “Flame of Hope” to the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium where special children, other children from schools of Delhi and distinguished people from all walks of life will receive it.

The Torch Run will continue to light the way through 18 cities, covering a distance of 25,000 km, and will arrive in time to open the National Games at each of the venues.

The run will culminate at the athletic meet in Delhi on October 22, 2002.

In each of the cities, an eminent athlete will use the torch to light the Flame of Hope at the venue of the national games.

The games will be hosted at Pondicherry, Chennai, Cochin, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh.

The games will see participation in all the 11 Olympic-type sports, including aquatics, athletics and cycling, cricket, basketball, bowling, football, tennis and volleyball.

Approximately 25000 athletes are expected to compete in these games which will finally conclude in New Delhi on October 22.

Angad Walia helps Ramjas School advance
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 3
Angad Singh Walia played a brilliant all-round role (42 and 4 for 17) to help Ramjas School Day Boarding register a handsome 70 runs victory against Bal Bharti Public School, Pitampura, in a league match of the first Ramjas Inter-School Under-17 Cricket Tournament at the Ramjas Sports Complex ground. Angad Walia was declared the Man of the Match.

Batting first, Ramjas Day Boarding made 176 all out in 35 overs. Angad Walia scored 42 runs with the help of five fours. For Bal Bharti, Rajat Mathur (3 for 45), Abhay Arora (4 for 20) and Arun Taneja (2 for 38) shone with the ball.

In reply, Bal Bharti Public School were shot out for 106 in 30.2 overs. Kunal Wadhwan, with 22, was the top-scorer for Bal Bharti. The destroyers of Bal Bharti’s batting were off-spinner Angad Walia (4 for 17), Anubhav Deewan (2 for 19) and Shakhar Suman (2 for 3).

Scores: Ramjas School Day Boarding: 176 all out in 35 overs (Angad Walia 42, Shakhar Suman 28, Divya Girdhar 23, Abhay Arora 4 for 20, Rajat Mathur 3 for 45, Arun Taneja 2 for 30).

Bal Bharti, Pitampura: 106 all out in 30.2 overs (Kunal Wadhwan 22, Angad Walia 4 for 17, Anubhav Deewan 2 for 19, Shakhar Suman 2 for 3).

Haryana TT from Sept 5
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 3
Over 250 paddlers from various districts of Haryana will participate in the Liberty Haryana State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament, to be organised jointly by the Haryana Table Tennis Association and the District Kurukshetra Table Tennis Association, from September 5 to 8 at the University Hall, Kurukshetra.

This was stated by Haryana State Table Tennis Association president Ajay Singh Chautala, who is also the president of the Table Tennis Federation of India.

Organising secretary Mahender Khanna said competitions will be held in the men’s and women’s section, boys and girls, juniors, sub-juniors, cadets and kids.

Top players of the State like Ganesh Ahuja, Nalin Somani, Jitender Jain, Vikas Saini, Monika Singhal, Vandana Singh and Reema will participate in the tournament.

Kshitij hits century
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 3
A dashing century knock of 124 off just 70 balls with seven fours and 11 sixes, and a devastating bowling performance by medium-pacer Charles (4 for 21) helped Turf Sports Management defeat Morepen by 175 runs in the Challenge Cup cricket match at the Modern School ground. Kshitij Rohtagi was declared the Man of the Match. His swashbuckling knock was appreciated by the crowd.

Scores: Turf Sports Management: 243 for 5 in 25 overs (Kshitij Rohtagi 124, Deepak Rajput 33, Sanjay Kumar 3 for 36). Morepen: 68 all out in 14.5 overs (Sanjay Khatree 23, Deepak Kumar 21, Charles 4 for 21, Aviral Himmat Ramka 2 for 17).

Luminous tourney: Sar Group will organise the first Luminous Cup Cricket Tournament for Corporates in the last week of September. The tournament will be organised in a league-cum-knock out basis on turf wickets.

Entries close with Amaresh Pradhan, Sar Silicon Systems, Sar House, WZ-106/102, Rajouri Garden Extension, New Delhi-27.

Hansraj School cricket team honoured
Our Sports Reporter

The Hansraj Model School cricket team with the BDM bats, presented to them for their excellent performance, in the presence of former India players Chetan Chauhan and Surender Khanna.

House tax

The Rohtak Municipal Council has collected a revenue of Rs 1.22 crore in the form of house tax from April 1 to August 31. Stating this here today, Mr Om Parkash Bagri, officiating president of the council, said nearly Rs 2 crore was pending as house tax in 2001-02. He claimed all the 6,580 complaints registered by the house owners regarding fixation of their house tax had been settled.