The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

EECP a boon for poor heart patients
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 20
Eminent cardiologist from America, Dr S. Ramaswamy, said that now heart patients could avoid heart surgery. This was possible through new revolutionary Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP) system. It is a proven non-invasive out-patient procedure to relieve angina by increasing the oxygen delivery to the heart muscles.

Dr Ramaswamy was speaking at a seminar held at EECP Hospital in Vikas Marg, East Delhi. He said that using the EECP technique without surgery and angioplasty could decrease the severity and frequency of the angina.

Moreover, this treatment could also decrease the need for medication and improve the ability to participate in normal day-to-day activities. He said that more than seven million people suffered from angina in America. Many of them had accepted EECP as an effective option to eliminate their ailment. EECP was widely accepted in European countries also. In China, 1800 EECP centres were running, he informed.

Speaking on the occasion, the Principal of the Meerut Medical College, Dr S. L. Srivastava, said the EECP technique was very simple, had no side- effects, was convenient as compared to angioplasty and bypass surgery and cost much less than the existing procedures, besides being completely non-surgical in nature.

One of the pioneers of EECP in India, Dr Waqar Alam, was of the opinion that in a developing country like India, where health facilities left a lot to be desired and were out of reach for many in far-flung areas, EECP was a technique which could provide a yeoman’s service to economically poor patients.

SPORTS

SAI puts off lights, WWE sponsors fall in line
M. S. Unnikrishnan

New Delhi, November 20
Lights off. Action. A pulsating drama, lasting several hours, was enacted at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium complex on Wednesday when DNA Network, the Bangalore-based event-management group, played ducks and drakes and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), failing to get its quota of complimentary passes for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to be held at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium on Thursday evening, in a desperate bid, resorted to arm-twisting tactics to make DNA fall in line.

The SAI is entitled to ten per cent complimentary passes of the total capacity of the stadium for any event held at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium. But the DNA Network, according to sources, did not comply with this clause till the eleventh hour, and when demand for complimentary passes from various agencies, including SAI’s own staff, reached an unmanageable level, the SAI halted work inside the stadium, switched off the lights, and locked up the gates from inside.

The DNA Network, event managers of the WWE event, saw the writing on the wall, and after a series of confabulations, provided some quantity of passes to the SAI late in the night.

But the SAI staff has threatened revenge, if their demands are not fulfilled, and a hassled and harassed SAI top brass vanished from the scene to avoid facing the wrath of the pass-seekers.

“The normal practice is that whenever such events are held, the SAI is given its quota of passes seven days in advance to fulfil its commitments. But this time, we had the bitter experience of the event managers playing tricks,” observed a top SAI official.

Apex hold Aizawl in Subroto Cup
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, November 20
Defending champions Government Higher Secondary School, Aizawl (Mizoram) were held to a one-all draw by Apex Public School, Sant Nagar (Delhi) in the Under-17 section of the Subroto Mukherjee Cup Football Tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium on Wednesday.

Lalramhluna put the Mizoram School in the lead, which was equalised by Biswanath Sarkar for Apex School.

In the second match, Kodalia Prasanna Banga High School, 24 Parganas (West Bengal), defeated Bagafa Assram School, South Tripura 2-1, Ranikanti Ghosh scored twice in the 12th and 15th minutes while Bananda Reang reduced the margin for Tripura.

An exciting sky diving demonstration was held before the start of the tournament, which held hundreds of school children, brought for the tournament, in thrall. School teams from all over the country are taking part in the tournament.

Thursday’s fixtures: Koddlya Prasanna Banga High School, West Bengal vs Navbharat High School, Bhabhua (Bihar); 2.15 pm; Govt. School, Aizawl vs Sri Ramakrishna Sharadha School, Salem (Tamilnadu); 3.45 pm— Ambedkar Stadium.

FOOTBALL
Anup Bisht to lead Delhi Under-16 soccer team
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, November 20
Anup Bisht will lead a 20-member Delhi team to participate in the Sub-Junior (Under-16) National Football Championship (North Zone) for the Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy, which began at Chamba in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday. Mid-fielder Anand William has been named the vice-captain.

The team: Goalkeepers: Mohd. Shahnawaz, Sandeep Singh Bisht.

Defenders: N Katheril Meetai, Shorab Khan, Tatihir Hassan, Anup Bisht (captain), Porimal Bijoti, Rangesh Kumar.

Mid-fielders: Santan Das Roy, Angom Saran Singh, Satish Kumar, Anand William, Rashid Ali, Diwakar Kaushik and Gaurav Negi. Forwards: Rajiv Karmarkar, Ashish Rawat, Subroto Dey, Rehmat Ali Khan, Adan Rehmtulla.

Standbyes: Yogesh Kumar, Yatharth Sehajpal, Vikram Birla, Pradeep Kadararia, Humair Rehmatulla. Coach: Tarun Roy.

Delhi play their first match against Haryana on November 22, followed by a match against Punjab on November 24.

CRICKET
Salwan Boys lift Sistani cricket title
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, November 20
Deadly bowling of 4 for 18 by Vinay Sheel Banwan and a fine knock by Shikhar Dhawan helped Salwan Boys School defeat hosts S S Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Lajpat Nagar by nine wickets and retain the Sardar Harbans Singh Sistani Memorial Inter-School Cricket Tournament at the S S Khalsa School ground.

Vinay Sheel Baniwal was adjudged the Man of the Match while Sandeep Yadav got the best batsman of the tournament award. Gurbhoj Singh was adjudged the best bowler and Nitin Kumar the best wicket-keeper.

Delhi Finance Minister Mahender Singh Saathi gave away the prizes. Indian women’s team skipper Anjum Chopra was also present.

Scores: S S Khalsa: 95 all out in 20.4 overs (Amardeep Obrai 40, Vinay Sheel Baniwal 4 for 20, Ashutosh Sharma 2 for 21, Rani Dixit 2 for 10). Salwan Boys: 96 for one in 14.2 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 45, Ratan Rawat 37 n o).

Sonnet in semis

Sonnet Club beat Delhi Blues by 31 runs to sail into the semi-final of the sixth M S Trophy Triveni Devi Srivastava Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Mohan Meakins ground.

Scores: Sonnet Club: 166 for 9 in 35 overs (Kshitij Rohtagi 70 n o, Rajat Bhatia 33, Mukesh Diwan 2 for 33, Sachin Jain 2 for 17, Himanshu Manik 2 for 25). Delhi Blues: 135 all out in 32.2 overs (Nitin Goel 37, N S Negi 4 for 18, Rajat Bhatia 2 for 33, Chetanya Nanda 2 for 23).

Apollo Tyres win

Apollo Tyres defeated JRA by 15 runs in a league match of the second Eventus Cup Cricket Tournament at the Airport Authority ground.

Scores: Apollo Tyres: 168 for 7 in 25 overs (Gagan Sharma 57, Neeraj Kathuria 27, Rajesh Natrajan 3 for 32, Ashish Sharma 2 for 25). JRA: 153 for 8 in 25 overs (Sampath Krishnan 39, Piyush Tiwari 31, Gautam Bhalla 4 for 27, Anil Prakash 2 for 29). Gagan Sharma was adjudged the Man of the Match.

MRF India Rally from Dec 6
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, November 20
MRF India Rally, the biggest rallying event to be held in the country, will be held from December 6 to 8. The MRF Rally, being organised by the Himalayan Rally Association, under the aegis of the Motorsports Association of India, will be held in Bangalore, and will be a candidate event for the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

Nearly 15 foreign entries from countries like Australia, Malaysia and China are expected for the MRF India Rally, besides the Indian drivers, as it will also count as a round of the Indian National Rally Championship (NRC). The Indian drivers can either compete only in the INRC, whose special stages will comprise about 175kms, or they can run the entire event in the national category. If they choose to compete in the entire event, their cars will be sealed in parcferme after Day 2 of the event.

ADMINISTRATION

Only structures built on public land razed: DC
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, November 20
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr S N Roy, today defended the anti-encroachment campaign to give a face-lift to the town of Sonepat and claimed that the district and civic administration had demolished only those unauthorised structures and concrete platforms which had been built on the municipal and public land by the residents, particularly the shopkeepers.

Talking to this correspondent here, he said that the question of giving prior notices to the shopkeepers and others did not arise as the land belonged to the Sonepat municipal council and the state government.

He also said that he has not received any complaint of harassment to the shopkeepers by the officials of the demolishing squad. Instead, most of the shopkeepers demolished the unauthorised structures and concrete platforms on their own and extended full cooperation to the district and civic authorities.

The DC disclosed that the district and civic administration has already widened the main roads and crossings in different parts of the city for a smooth flow of traffic in the city. The work on the widening of Purkhas road was in progress and would be completed shortly at a cost of Rs 14 lakhs.

According to the DC, the PWD (B and R) has drawn up an ambitious scheme for the construction and repair of roads falling under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Division No. 1 and an amount of Rs 6.46 crore would be spent during the current financial year. The department, he said, had spent Rs 36.79 crore on the development of roads during the past three years.

He said that there are 956 kms metalled roads in Sonepat district, out of which 161.30 kms state highways, 24.97 kms major district roads and 769.73 kms other district roads.

Under the P.M.G.S.Y. Scheme, at least 29.29 kms of roads would be constructed. They include Sonepat to Rathdhanna Narela Road up to Delhi border, Jharot to Narela Road up to Delhi border and Gohana Baroda Julana Road.

Under the NCR Loan Scheme, a 21.15 km Beeswan Mile to Jakhauli Pabner, Manoli Aterna Nangal Kalan to Narela up to Delhi border road would be built. Similarly, a 29.75-km-long Gohana-Sisana Road and 21.40 km Sonepat Mehlana Farmana Jasrana Pollangi Road and 6.70-km-long Kharkhauda Assoda Road would be constructed.