SPORTS

AIFF to conduct international seminar 
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 3
The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) will hold a three-day international seminar on Indian football in Delhi from March 13 to 15, in which over 175 delegates are expected to participate.

The delegates would include ten from abroad, representing the FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), led by AFC president Datu Peter Velappan, representatives of each State football association and the clubs participating in the National League, and the Arjuna Awardees of football.

The three-day seminar would discuss, threadbare, the problems confronting Indian football, and possible remedies to put the game on a pedestal in the country, by effecting necessary changes in the mind-set of the State Associations and Clubs.

Though all the State associations are keen to continue with the National League, the Santosh Trophy and the Federation Cup, not many are willing to shoulder the responsibility of hosting these championships, particularly the Santosh Trophy and the Federation Cup.

Meanwhile, this year’s Santosh Trophy is likely to be allotted to Kerala as Bengal have pulled out of the fray, leaving only Kerala and Goa in the race. It is learnt that the AIFF has decided to allot the Santosh Trophy to Kerala, considering the excellent infrastructure available in the State and the great enthusiasm for the game there.

Blues and Reds share polo title
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 3
Blues and Reds emerged as joint winners in an exhibition polo match held at the Oberoi Polo Ground at Kapashera, New Delhi. A select few distinguished guests watched the game, which signalled the inauguration of the polo ground created at the Oberoi farmhouse ground.

Union Finance Minister Jaswant Singh was one of the guests.

The picturesque Oberoi polo ground is set in 16 acres of lush green surroundings complete with palm trees and mango groves.

Two 17-goal teams, comprising some of the finest polo players in the country, contested for the EIH Cup. After leading by 5-1 in the second chukker, Reds were evenly placed at 7-7 in the fourth chukker. Eventually, the fast-paced game ended in an 8-8 deadlock to enable the teams to share the honours.

Mr Jaswant Singh presented the trophy to the teams. Chairman of EIH Ltd PRS Oberoi presented a memento to Mr Jaswant Singh.

The Oberoi Group’s association with polo is 25 years strong, and the group has also been involved in training and maintaining a fine blend of polo ponies at the Oberoi Farms.

The ponies of the Oberois played in the polo match.

Malhotra lays foundation stone for pool
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 3
All India Council of Sports (AICS) president Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who is also a Member of Parliament from South Delhi, laid the foundation of a park at C. B. Narina, as well as the foundation stone of a swimming pool at Pratap Nagar, Lala Lajpat Rai Krira Sthal.

He said the Krira Sthal, which already has a multi-gym and a parking lot, will now have a swimming pool, two lawn tennis courts, a children’s play area and a multi-purpose play field.

He said the swimming pool, tennis courts and jogging track, would be constructed in eight months at a cost of Rs 1.50 crore. He also laid the foundation stone of a skating rink at Hauz Khas.

Hindu College retain cricket title
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 3
A strokeful half century by Delhi Ranji Trophy player Kuldeep Rawat (50, 3x4, 82b) helped Hindu College defeat Khalsa College by four runs in the final of the Delhi University Inter-College Cricket Tournament at the Delhi University ground.

Ram Lal Anand (Evening) College and Khalsa College (Evening) will meet in the third-place match on Tuesday at the Delhi University ground.

Hindu College skipper Suhail Sharma won the toss and opted to bat. Hindu scored 168 for eight and then shot out Khalsa College for 164. Khalsa College captain Rajiv Uniyal, who claimed three wickets for 39 runs and then slammed 49, put up a fine performance, but could not help his team pip Hindu.

Putting to bat, Hindu College made 168 for 8 in 40 overs.

Scores: Hindu College: 168 for 8 wickets in 40 overs (Kuldeep Rawat 50, 3x4; Sachin Rana 26, 1x4; Deepak Joon 20, 1x4, 1x6; Rajiv Uniyal 3 for 39, Dhruv Mohan 1 for 19, Ajit Chandela 1 for 20, Vivek Khurana 1 for 39, Ashwani Katyal 2 for 27).

Khalsa College: 164 all out in 40 overs (Rajiv Uniyal 49, 4x4, 82b; Suresh Tanwar 31, 2x4, 41b; Ajit Chandela 19, 2x4, 26b; Jaspreet Narula 18 n o, 1x4; Vivek Khurana 9, Varun Kumar 8, Aprajit Singh 2 for 23, Nitin Aggarwal 2 for 26, Sachin Rana 1 for 21, Shashi Ranjan 1 for 21, Suhail Sharma 1 for 29).

Sonnet sail past FCI in DDCA League
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 3
Sonnet Club defeated Food Corporation of India by six wickets in a Super A Division match of the DDCA League at the Pitampura ground.

Scores: FCI: 165 for 8 in 35 overs (Damanjeet Singh 51, Paras Dogra 30, Arun Singh 2 for 19, Chetanya Nanda 2 for 23).

Sonnet Club: 166 for 4 in 32.3 overs (Devender Sharma 33 n o, Sumeet Barry 31).

State Bank of India defeated R N Colts by 50 runs in an A-I Division match at the Kalindi College ground.

Scores: SBI: 235 for 7 in 40 overs (Ravindar Bhandari 83, Vijay Bahadur Mishra 46, Atul Malhotra 3 for 35).

R N Colts: 185 for 8 in 40 overs (Tin-tin 39, Sandeep Mahajan 33, Hitesh Sharma 3 for 37, Vijay Bahadur 2 for 28).

Hewlett Packard thrash Hudco

New Delhi, March 3
Hewlett Packard defeated Hudco by 15 runs in the Reebok Cricket Tournament. A second-wicket partnership of 133 runs between Sandeep Tikko and Satish Menon helped Hewlett Packard hoist 186 for 4 wickets after they won the toss and opted to bat. In reply, Hudco lost five wickets cheaply but V. K. Shukla and Mukesh Kumar put on 108 runs for the sixth wicket to stem the slide. This helped Hudco save a bonus point.

Scores: Hewlett Packard: 186 for 4 in 25 overs (S. Tickoo 80, 4x1, 71b; S. Menon 49, 4x4, 40b; Rakesh Choudhary 21 n o, 10b, 4x2, 6x1; Yogesh Saxena 2 for 34). Hudco: 161 for 7 in 25 overs (Mukesh 66, 46b, 4x8; V K Shukla 36, 40b, 4x3; Vishal Arya 2 for 34; Rakesh Choudhary 2 for 38). Sandeep Tickoo was named the man of the match. OSR

ADMINISTRATION

Maintain balance between technical feasibility and popular sentiments: L-G
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 3
The Lt-Governor of Delhi, Mr Vijay Kapoor, today urged MCD engineers to maintain a balance between technical feasibility and popular public sentiments.

At present, there is a tendency in the corporation to give priority to public sentiments rather than technical considerations. He stated this while inaugurating a 15-day training programme of junior engineers of MCD conducted by the Central Public Works Department at their regional centre, R.K. Puram.

The Lt-Governor said that there could be no compromise on honesty. This is the first pre-requisite of public service.

The MCD engineers should consider themselves as part of modern metropolitan scenario. Delhi is no longer a small town. Citizens are exposed to the best in the world. Therefore, they will have to come up to the expectations of the enlightened citizens of the national Capital.

He emphasised the need to improve the quality of work.

He called upon engineers to give best value for public money. He emphasized the need for creation of project appraisal board, which could analyze the need to relate projects to social cost benefits.

Meanwhile, the MCD’s Standing Committee Chairman, Mr Ram Babu Sharma, said that transporting garbage from dhalao to landfill site would be privatised to make the Capital clean.

In the beginning, it will be done only in six zones. If it is found to be successful, it will be privatised in all the 12 zones of the corporation. The process will start in June.

At present, transportation work is done by the safai karamcharis of the corporation. Once it is privatised they will be asked to work at the land fill sites. Tenders will be invited from the private agencies for giving them the responsibility of transporting the garbage from dhalao to landfill sites.

He said the corporation has yet to make sanitation arrangement in unauthorised colonies, as the Delhi High Court has banned development work in these localities.

A mobile team of the corporation along with a magistrate and police would move in authorised colonies to inspect the cleanliness. If anyone is found throwing garbage on roads or in the streets, he will be challaned. There are 35 mobile vans for the purpose. The challan amount will range from Rs 50 to Rs 500, said Mr Ram Babu.