SPORTS

Karni Shooting Range sports a new look
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 18
The Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, once a run-down ‘showpiece’ of the Sports Authority of India, now sports a spick and span look with the excellent facilities at the range in top gear.

The participants to the on-going International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup for shotgun were all praise for the world class facilities at the range, as the latest equipment installed there and the green and well-scrubbed surroundings, make it an ideal venue for a competition of World Cup’s stature.

Some of the top guns in trap, double trap and skeet are vying for honours in the World Cup, and the range, situated near the Tughlakhabad Fort, has proved to be an ideal setting for them to revel in.

Administrator of the stadium S S Bains said he and his dedicated band of workers were toiling without any respite for the past one month to make the shooting range in top class condition for the competition. Though most of Delhi was celebrating ‘Holi’ on Monday, the shooting range was reverberating with gunshots and throbbing with activity, as the participants went through their training sessions. Bains and his band will be busy on Wednesday too, though it has been officially declared as a holiday for Holi.

“I cannot relax till the competitions are over”, Bains said. Though the World Cup contests will be over on March 22, the Asian Clay Championship will follow a day later, which will conclude only on March 27.

Till then, it will be a hectic schedule for Bains and his team, to keep the show going at the sprawling complex, which is considered as one of the finest shooting ranges in Asia.

Mool Chand Chowhan gets Olympic Order
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 18
Long-serving secretary-general of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) Mool Chand Chowhan has been conferred the Olympic Order by the Council of the Olympic Order of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Secretary-general of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)Randhir Singh, who is also the lone member of the IOC from India, said IOC president Dr Jacques Rogge has conveyed his “most sincere congratulations to Mr M C Chowhan”, for being conferred the Olympic Order. Octogenarian Chowhan wears many hats on his head, which include the vice-presidentship of the IOA as well as the International Table Tennis Federation, deputy presidentship of the Asian Table Tennis Union, secretary of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation and secretary-general of the South Asian Table Tennis Federation. He was the chef-de-mission of the Indian contingent for the Commonwealth Games 2002 at Manchester.

Rachana Govil felicitated
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 18
The Ryan Foundation honoured Arjuna Award-winning sports administrator Rachana Govil and five others by conferring them the “Women of Substance Award” at a function held at the India International Centre.

The awards were conferred for the achievements and endeavour of the selected women on the occasion of “Women’s Empowerment Year”.

The awards were presented by chairperson of the National Commission for Women Poornima Advani, and senior leader of Samanta Party Jaya Jaitley.

Ms Grace Pinto, director of Ryan Foundation, welcomed the guests. Rachna Govil, who was bestowed on the Arjuna Award in 2001, is a former international athlete and a champion shooter. She is now a deputy director with the Sports Authority of India.

Others who won the award were Jyoti K Naik (papad woman), Pushpa Nagar (youngest woman zila panchayat sadasya), Lilly George (social activist working for women’s welfare and against AIDS), Gayatri Khosla (director of Satya serial)and Deepshikha Khaitan (young woman lawyer and writer).

The award winners were presented a memento, a shawl and a cash award. The Ryan Foundation, a Charitable Trust, was founded in 1993 by Dr A F Pinto, former Sheriff of Mumbai.

Sahara cheer squad leave for SA
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 18
A 19-member celebrity Sahara cheer squad, led by Subrata Roy, has left for South Africa, aboard a chartered flight, to cheer the Indian team, as they take on Kenya in the ICC World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

Those who accompanied Subrata Roy were Smita Thakerey, Anil Kapoor, Boney Kapoor, Sridevi, Dimple Kapadia, Twinkle Khanna, Fardeen Khan, Jeetendra, Manisha Koirala, Mrs Parameshwar Godrej, Raj Babbar, Rani Mukherjee, Raveena Tandon, Subhash Ghai, Sunil Shetty, Suresh Oberoi, Vivek Oberoi, Govinda, David Dhawan and others, who will all be staying at Sun City. Sahara India are the official sponsors of the Indian Cricket team.

Vintage Motorcycle Rally

The first-ever Vintage Motorcycle Rally will be held in Delhi on Saturday, March 22, as part of Cymo India-2003, a comprehensive two-wheeler expo in India, to be held at Pragati Maidan from March 24 to 26.

The Vintage Motorcycle Rally will provide enthusiasts an opportunity to catch a glimpse of old bikes which, if not for their owners, would have been lost for times to come, and an opportunity to appreciate these unique pieces of art, which would take them to the bygone era, where the bikes symbolized freedom and youthfulness.

The rally will be flagged off from the National Stadium on Saturday at 10.30 am, and after covering a distance of 30kms via Connaught Place, will terminate at the foothills of Qutab Minar. Around 30-50 vintage motorcycles are expected to participate in the rally, which has been classified under four categories—Vintage (upto 1940), Classic (upto 1950), recent Classic (upto 1950-1960) and Indian Classic (1960-1970). Entries close on March 20.

Virender helps HDFC Bank win

New Delhi, March 18
Virender Bhoj hit an unbeaten 55 to guide HDFC Bank to a seven-wicket victory against National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and entered the semi-final of the tenth Teri Cup Cricket Tournament at the Teri Oval.

HDFC Bank: 165 for 3 wickets in 22.5 overs (Virender Bhoj 55 n.o, 5x4, 2x6; Muskan Singh 38, 4x4; Rahul Khera 43, 3x4, 2x6; Prahlad Ramrakhiani 1 for 33, A P Talreja 1 for 36). Virender was adjudged the man of the match. OSR