The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Health scheme for ex-servicemen
Our Correspondent

Meerut, April 2
Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), providing medical cover to the ex-servicemen and their families, was finally launched here today, with the inauguration of ECHS clinic here on the premises of military hospital, Meerut Cantt.

Maj Gen (retd) K S Solanki launched the scheme amid a gathering of more than 500 retired service personnel. The ECHS provides comprehensive medical cover to the ex-servicemen and their family comprising spouse, dependent parents with income less than Rs 1,500 pm, unemployed sons below 25 years and unemployed, unmarried daughters.

All ex-servicemen can become members of the scheme by filing an application form and submitting an affidavit and payment varying from Rs 1,800 to Rs 18,000 depending upon the pension withdrawn. But all future pensioners will automatically become members on retirement for which the process will be through their records.

These clinics will be found all over the country at 227 locations including 104 military stations and 123 non-military stations.

Colonal Yashpal Yadav Col ‘A’ of HQ Meerut sub-area cleared the doubts raised by the ex-servicemen as regards the functioning of scheme, in a presentation on the ECHS conducted by the MH Meerut.

Speaking on the occasion, commandant of the MH Meerut Brig Surjeet Singh said that the ECHS would benefit ex-servicemen who are away from the military stations and are in remote areas. Brig Surjeet Singh also gave a brief on the medical facilities available at the MH Meerut Cantt.

Present on the occasion were Maj Gen (retd) Jitendra Singh AVSM, Brig (retd) Rambir Singh and many other retired officers JCOs/jawans and their families.

Speaking to the ‘NCR Tribune’, after the inauguration of ECHS clinic, Col Yashpal Yadav Col ‘A’ told that Meerut sub-area is also planning to open more such clinics in the Meerut sub-area region as the area shares a lot in the services, two more such ECHS clinics were also going to be open in Muzaffarnagar and Bulandshahar next month. Col Yadav appealed to the retired service personnel to come forward and take benefit from the ECHS clinic in the area. The country still needs these disciplined soldiers for the uplift of society, he said.

Harinder cards best score
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 2
Promising junior golfer Harinder Singh led the field with a top score of 155 on day two of the first National Golf Championship at the Noida Golf Club course on Wednesday. Harinder Singh of Chandigarh scored 72, which was the best card among all categories.

Varoon Parmar of Haryana (0-9 handicap) emerged the overall leader with a score of 153 with Shrikant Nagraj (10-18 handicap) topping the men’s section. In the women’s section, Shrishti Dhaon carded 171 to take the top position.

In the men’s section 0-9 handicap, Varoon, who carded 73, heads the field followed by Sabir Ahmed of Jammu and Kashmir, Dinesh Kumar of Chandigarh and A P Singh of Haryana.

In the men’s 10-18 handicap, Col Sundaram carded 79 to take the lead, followed by Y Yadav of Maharashtra, Atul Dhir of Delhi and R K Giri of Andhra Pradesh.

In the women’s section (0-24 handicap), S Dhaon of Uttar Pradesh led the field with a scored of 82, followed by J Chaudhary of Madhya Pradesh, Indumati of Andhra Pradesh and Usha Wasan of Uttar Pradesh. Harinder Singh of Chandigarh heads the junior boys (0-24 handicap) field with Mohinder Singh, also of Chandigarh, at second place, followed by Pradeep Kumar of Madhya Pradesh and Abhinav Lohan of Haryana. The tournament will conclude on Thursday.

Shooter Ankur Singh felicitated
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 2
Ankur Singh, who won a silver and a bronze medal in the World Cup for shotgun and the Asian Clay Shooting Championship held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi last week, was felicitated by Satyawati College (Evening) principal Dr Satender Singh Joshi. Ankur Singh is an undergraduate student of Satyawati College (Evening).

Dr Joshi congratulated the promising shooter for bringing laurels to the country, Delhi University and his college.

Ankur made his debut for India when he represented the country in the International Shooting Sport Federation

World Junior Championship at Suhl (Germany) in 2002. He won a bronze medal in the All-India Inter-University Shooting Championship. Abhishek Vashisht, another undergraduate student of Satyawati College, had represented the country in the World Cup Shooting Championships in Atlanta and Milan (Italy).

Shastri Club, Sonnet sail into semis
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 2
A deadly bowling of 4 for 20 by Amit Mishra and a rapid knock of 50 by Sumit Dogra helped Lal Bahadur Shastri Club defeat Collage Sports by three wickets and enter the semi-final of the Davinder Singh Memorial Cricket Tournament for the Tara Devi Mathur Trophy at the Central Secretariat ground.

In another match played at the Harbaksh Singh stadium, defending champions Sonnet Club trounced South Delhi by nine wickets.

Mayank Sidana struck a dashing 65 with eight fours and Shikhar Dhawan hit an unbeaten 63 with seven fours for Sonnet.

Mayank and Shikhar shared a 126-run stand for the opening wicket.

Scores: Collage Sports: 163 for 9 in 45 overs (Mayank Tehlan 52, Amit Mishra 4 for 20, Sanjay Rawat 2 for 28).

Lal Bahadur Shastri Club: 164 for 7 in 39 overs (Sumit Dogra 50, 6x4; Gaurav Chabra 38, 4x4, Rodney Charles 3 for 29). Sumit Dogra was named the man of the match.

South Delhi: 148 all out in 44 overs (Kesar Choudhary 26, Arun Singh 3 for 32, Saurav Virmani 3 for 27, Suhail Sharma 2 for 29).

Sonnet: 151 for one in 28 overs (Mayank Sidana 65, 8x4; Shikhar Dhawan 63 n.o, Sant Ram 1 for 38). Mayank Sidana was named the man of the match.

Shubhneet hits century

An unbeaten 130, studded with six sixes and 13 fours, by Shubhneet Kohli and an all-round performance by Manmeet Singh (30 and 2 for 14) enabled Richa Exports beat Alitalia Airlines by 147 runs and entered the final of the second Turf Corporate Cricket Challenge at the Sri Guru Gobind Singh College ground.

Scores: Richa Exports: 229 for 3 in 25 overs (Shubhneet Kohli 130 n.o, Manmeet Singh 30, Ishneet Singh 32).

Alitalia Airlines: 82 all out in 14.5 overs (Gaurav Uppal 2 for 22, Manmeet Singh 2 for 14, R Rakesh 2 for 0).

Vivek, Jitender help Youngsters win
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 2
Fiery bowling performances by left-arm spinner Vivek Khurana (3 for 25) and Jitender Solanki (3 for 43) helped Youngsters Club beat Malviya Club by 12 runs and entered the quarter-final of the 13th SAIL Trophy Cricket Tournament at the Mohan Meakins ground, Mohan Nagar. Jitender Solanki was adjudged the man of the match.

Scores: Youngsters Club: 187 for 9 in 40 overs (Deepak 43, 2x4; Jitender Gulia 30, 4x4; Sunil Rawat 37, 2x6; Kuldeep 3 for 38; T Anand 2 for 25, Puru Singh 2 for 35, Manoj Goel 1 for 29).

Malviya Club: 175 all out in 38.3 overs (T Anand 51, 1x4; Sachin 29, 1x4, 2x6; Gagandeep 21, Kuldeep Dewan 23, Vivek Khurana 3 for 25, Jitender Solanki 3 for 43, Sunil Rawat 1 for 27, Savit 1 for 40). Thursday’s fixture: Sonnet vs Subhania.

Shera Pandit Cricket

Sixteen prominent teams will participate in the 12th Shera Pandit Memorial Cricket Tournament, to be organised by the Subhania Club, from April 15 at the Mohan Meakins ground, Mohan Nagar.

The teams who have confirmed their participation include Sonnet, Subhania, Delhi Administration, Mohan Meakins, Delhi Police, South Delhi Colts, Pelicans, Youngsters, Lal Bahadur Shastri Club, Malviya Club, Air Force and K N Colts. Detailed information can be had from Mr Radhey Shyam on phone 98680-83314 till April 7.

Sunil Dev hails Sehwag

Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) sports secretary Sunil Dev congratulated dashing batsman Virender Sehwag on his appointment as the Indian cricket team’s vice-captain for the triangular series to be held in Dhaka (Bangladesh) from April 10 to 20.

Sunil also hailed the inclusion of two other Delhi players—Gautam Gambhir and Sarandeep Singh—in the team.

DDCA vice-president Chetan Chauhan also hailed the inclusion of the three Delhi players in the Indian team.

Sukhija shines for Shastri Club

A deadly bowling spell of 5 for 15 by A Sukhija helped Lal Bahadur Shastri Club defeat Citizen XI by eight runs in a limited-over cricket match played at the Khalsa College ground.

Scores: Shastri Club: 181 (Shrey Chaudhary 65, Tarun Chaudhary 43, R Saini 24, Dinesh Yadav 4 for 24). Citizen XI: 173 in 28.3 overs (Gurjinder Singh 50, Deepak Puri 43, Dinesh Yadav 36 n o, A Sukhija 5 for 15).