Punjab eves win overall trophy 
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, January 24
Punjab eves gave a stupendous performance to bag the overall trophy in the 28th National Sports Festival for Women organised by the Sports Authority of India which concluded at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, on January 21. Competitions in three groups I, II and III were conducted at Pondicherry (volleyball, kabaddi, athletics and handball), Ambala (basketball, kho-kho, hockey and gymnastics) and Gandhi Nagar (badminton, lawn tennis, table tennis and swimming). Punjab eves did not participate in swimming. The Punjab teams received the overall trophy from Mr S K Nanda, Secretary, Health, Gujarat.

Giving details about the trophy winning performance, Mr Gian Inder Singh, senior badminton coach of the Punjab Sports Department, currently posted at Ludhiana, who accompanied the team (group-I) to Gandhi Nagar as contingent leader along with Mr Rakesh Kaushal, table tennis coach from Jalandhar and Mr Gobind Ram, lawn tennis coach from Amritsar, said in badminton, Punjab bagged the silver medal. The team comprising of Navita of Jalandhar and Aarti of Ropar lost to Delhi 0-2.

Earlier, Punjab beat Jammu and Kashmir 2-0,, defeated Karnataka 2-0 and in the semifinal, Punjab shuttlers prevailed over Goa 2-1. However, in the final, Punjab failed to cope up with Delhi girls, Gayatri and Parul who drubbed them 2-0 to lift the gold.

In the individual doubles, Navita and Aarti scraped through Upma Singh and Priyanka of Chhattisgarh 11-6, 5-11 and 13-11 to clinch the gold. In the team championship event, Punjab team consisted of Navita Thakur, Aarti Verma, Anju Verma and Heena Kapoor.

In lawn tennis, Punjab eves had to contend with the bronze medal. In the match to decide the third position, Punjab team of Shubhneet Sandhu, Roshni Batra, Mrinalini Mahajan and Roman beat Orissa.

Punjab paddlers, Anu, Tejinder Kaur, Rajni and Rishu helped their team to win the bronze medal. In the hard line match, Punjab table tennis players got the better of Orissa women to win the bronze medal.

Khanna
Boxers excel: Boxers of Khanna have won one gold and one silver medal in the Inter-College Boxing Championship held at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Chandigarh, from January 20 to 22.

According to Mr J.S. Garewal, Sports Authority coach at Khanna, Hans Raj won the gold medal in light flyweight category, Satwant Singh Bhatti won silver medal in the heavyweight section, while third boxer failed to participate in the final of middleweight category due to injury. All boxers are students were of the local A.S. College. Hans Raj and Rajbir Singh have been selected members of the Punjab team and would participate in the All-India Inter-University Boxing Competition.

Stadium named after Olympian
K.S. Chawla

Ludhiana, January 24
The academic council of Punjab Agricultural University today named the astro hockey turf ground on the campus as Prithipal Singh Hockey Stadium to perpetuate the memory of hockey Olympian Prithipal Singh. The academic council met with Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, in the chair.

Prithipal Singh, who was the Director, students welfare, Punjab Agricultural University, was shot dead in May, 1988, in the wake of groupism among the students.

Prithipal Singh, who was adjudged the best world fullback in the 1964 Olympics held at Rome, had represented India in three Olympics. In the 1968 Olympics held at Mexico, he captained the Indian hockey team. He was the top scorer of all the three Olympics in which he participated. He was known as the world’s best short corner specialist.

The astro-turf hockey ground was laid on the PAU campus two years ago at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore and has a life of 10 years, according to Mr M.S. Toor, Director, Students Welfare. The astro-turf was laid by a Holland firm.

The academic council further decided to name the sports complex on the campus as indoor gymnasium.