The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

SPORTS

Fitness key to sporting excellence
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 13
With the winners “take home all” becoming the norm rather than an exception, and the second best getting no second look, sports medicine and fitness have acquired an altogether different connotation among the sports fraternity. This is so because the increasing number of Indian sportspersons getting caught in the doping net has made sports medicine a vital organ in sporting excellence. No wonder, the special session on “fitness medicine in India” hogged all the attention when the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recently organised a seminar on fitness panacea-cum-sports medicine at the CII headquarters at Lodi Road.

Dr P S M Chandran, head of the Sports Authority of India Medical Centre at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and an expert in sports medicine, gave a detailed presentation of the fitness medicine scene in India. Speaking with the aid of slides, Dr Chandran, a founder-member of the Indian Association of Sports Medicine, said fitness gene was present in all human beings, it was just a matter of activating the gene in a proper manner. He said in modern sports’ scheme of things, there was no place for the second best, and therefore, India must strive to achieve sporting excellence in the international arena, with systematic planning and scientific training methods, by giving utmost priority to sports medicine. The session was chaired by Mr Shoeb Ahmed, executive director of Steel Authority of India Ltd.

Chairman of CII’s National Committee on Sports B Muthuraman, who is also the managing director of Tata Steel, made the candid observation that today’s was a competitive world in all walks of life, including sports, where only the fittest could emerge successful. He said there has to be an organised, systematic and planned approach in the fitness-sports medicine regimen.

Veteran Planning Commission member Dr K. Venkatasubramanian assured that funds will not be a constraint in making India “fit and sports-strong”. Rowing Federation of India president K. P. Singh Deo, who is also a Member of Parliament, stressed the need for at least the sports-minded to get themselves fit and stay fit.

Ace shooter Jaspal Rana and SAI director-general Shekhar Dutt also advocated the need to make sports medicine an integral part of Indian sportspersons’ training programmes.

Among those who participated in the deliberations were Lt-Gen M S Khullar, associated with a number of Sikh schools in Delhi, Air Marshal (retd) Keeler, hockey Olympian R. S. Bhola and former national weightlifting champion Wg Com (retd) P. K. Mahanand.

Former director of SAI A. K. Pandya said physical education should be introduced as part of the school curriculum, sports medicine as a subject in the MBBS course and three disciplines—athletics, gymnastics and aquatics, considered as the mother disciplines of sports — should be introduced in Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Schools.

Dr R L Bijlani, professor and head, department of physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, stressed the need to take natural foods with a predominantly vegetarian Indian diet as the “ideal” as a basic balanced diet for budding sportspersons.

DDA to hold athletic trials
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 13
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will hold selection trials to pick athletes in the under-16 and under-18 age groups (boys and girls) for its Athletics Promotion Scheme for 2003, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, on May 4 (Sunday) at 7 am.

Boys and girls in the age group of 14 to 16 years (cut off date of birth is December 31, 1987) and 16 to 18 years (cut off date of birth is December 31, 1985) are eligible to participate in the trials.

The trials will be held in sprints (100m, 200m, 400m and 800m), jumps (long jump and triple jump) and throws (shot put and discuss throw).

The first Arjuna Awardee in athletics G. S. Randhawa will head the selection committee. The winners and runners-up of the competitions will be given cash prizes, after they meet the qualifying standard. The selected children will be given coaching under professional coaches, and a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000.

The trainees will also be given athletic kits, free travel and accommodation while participating in outstation meets.

Registration for trials will be held from April 15 to 27. Registration forms are available at various schools in Delhi and all the DDA Sports Complexes. The completed registration forms can be deposited at any of the DDA Sports Complexes along with birth certificates and attested passport-size photographs. The DDA started the Athletic Promotion Scheme in November 2000 to nurture budding talent.

A number of promising athletes have already benefited from this noble scheme of the DDA.

Nine teams for U-21 North Zone soccer tourney
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 13
Nine teams from Northern States will vie for top honours in the 12th Under-21 National Football Championship (North Zone qualifying round) to be held at Ballia in Uttar Pradesh from April 27 from May 7.

Defending champions Punjab, runners-up Delhi, Railways, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh will take part in the tournament.

The qualifying rounds will be held at East, West, North, South and North East zones. The zonal qualifying round matches will be played on a league-cum-knockout basis. The zonal winners will qualify for the quarter-finals. The champion team from each zone, along with defending champions Goa, runners-up IFA (Bengal) and hosts Uttar Pradesh will be divided into two groups and will play a single leg league.

The final round will also be played at Ballia from May 9 to 19. The semi-finals are slated to be held on May 16 and 17.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Soccer Association is holding a trial-cum-coaching camp at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (East) ground to select the Delhi team for the North Zone qualifying round. Delhi will play their opening round match against Chandigarh on April 27, and take on Jammu and Kashmir on May 1.

	OM NATH TOURNEY Umesh spins Sahara to victory Our Sports Reporter New Delhi, April 13 Left-arm spinner Umesh Chaudhary spun a deadly web around Gush Club to guide Air Sahara to a thrilling two-wicket, last-ball victory in the 13th Om Nath Sood Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Kalindi College ground. Umesh Chaudhary was rewarded with the Pepsi man of the match award for his fine bowling spell. Chief guest Sarabjit Singh presented the award to Umesh. Gush Club won the toss and elected to bat. A defiant 56 by Gursharan Singh helped them make 187 for 9 in 40 overs to put up some resistance in the face of the deadly bowling by Umesh Chaudhary. The Air Sahara batsmen batted with confidence, despite losing wickets at regular intervals, to reach the victory target in a thrilling finish. Batting first, Air Sahara hammered 190 runs in 40 overs after losing eight wickets. But Gush Club made 187 for nine in 40 overs. Scores: Gush Club: 187 for 9 in 40 overs (Gursharan Singh 56, Amardeep 35, Randeep Singh 29, Umesh Chaudhary 5 for 20). Air Sahara XI: 190 for 8 in 40 overs (Dinesh Yadav 33 n o, Sunil Sharma 30, Ravi Kant Sharma 30, Anoop Rana 26, Aprajit Singh 2 for 28, Amardeep 2 for 34). DSJA win Sona Cup Delhi Sports Journalists Association (DSJA) defeated Sona Jewellers by one run in an invitation cricket match at the Pitampura ground. Scores: DSJA: 148 for 9 in 20 overs (Jaswinder Sidhu 36, Anupam Thapa 23, Anil Mehra 3 for 22, Mayank Aggarwal 3 for 22, Pradeep Aggarwal 2 for 14). Sona Jewellers: 147 for 9 in 20 overs (Sanjay Gupta 25, C L Arora 23, T R Kataria 20, Madan Sharma 35 n o, Rakesh Thapliyal 3 for 25, Jaswinder Sidhu 2 for 25).
	S B Youth down Sunheri Club Our Sports Reporter New Delhi, April 13 S B Youth trounced Sunheri Club by 52 runs in a Group A League match of the Rajiv Gandhi Smriti NDCA League at the Siri Fort Sports Complex ground. Virender Bisht produced a devastating spell of 5 for 22 to star in S B Youth’s victory. This was S B Youth’s second successive victory in the tournament. S B Youth won the toss and batted first. Despite Yogesh Bhardwaj’s deadly spell of 5 for 29, S B Youth managed to post 171 all out in 35 overs. In reply, Sunheri Club were bundled out for 119 in 24 overs, thanks to the fierce bowling spells of Virender, Sunder Singh and Keshav Saini. Scores: S B Youth: 171 all out in 35 overs (Ajay Saini 40, Surinder Singh 23, Keshav Saini 19, Yogesh Bhardwaj 5 for 29). Sunheri Club: 119 all out in 24 overs (Yogesh Bhardwaj 27, Naveen 24, Virender Bisht 5 for 22, Sunder Singh 2 for 20, Keshav Saini 2 for 2).
	Chandan, Firasat shine Our Sports Reporter New Delhi, April 13 Deadly bowling of 6 for 35 by Chandan Kumar and a century by Firasat Ali helped RCN Club beat Essex Farms by 39 runs in an A-II Division match of the DDCA Super League at the Jamia Milia ground. Scores: RCN: 198 for 9 in 40 overs (Firasat Ali 100, Ravish Gulati 37, Chandhal Sharma 3 for 3, Rajesh Kumar 3 for 35). Essex Farms: 159 all out in 35 overs (Mukesh Marwah 41, Ashish Verma 30, Chandan Kumar 6 for 35). HCL beat Lucent HCL Technologies defeated Lucent Technologies by four wickets in the Reebok Cricket Tournament. Scores: Lucent Technologies: 113 all out in 25 overs (Karan Singh 18, Gaurav Anand 17, 4x3; Mohit Kanchan 2 for 18, Yogesh Mehra 2 for 21, Abhishek Sharda 2 for 18). HCL Technologies: 114 for 6 wickets in 14.3 overs (Yogesh Mehra 35, 4x6; Sandeep Ahuja 15 n o, 4x2, 6x1; Rajesh Kaushal 3 for 21, Rajesh Singh 2 for 29, Dev Prasad 2 for 23). Yogesh Mehra was named the man of the match. Summer League Cricket The first Summer League Cricket Tournament for Under-19 boys will be organised by the Cambridge Foundation School from May 1 at the school premises. Boys born after 1-1-1985 are eligible to take part in the tournament. Entries close on April 29. Details can be had from organising secretary Venugopal on 98911-49824 or Kamal Juneja on 98180-59273.
	Saurabh bowls Dogra Academy to victory Our Sports Reporter New Delhi, April 13 A devastating bowling spell of 6 for 13 by Saurabh Srivastava and a dashing knock of 92 by Eklabya Divedi enabled East Point Sumit Dogra Academy defeat Hans Raj Academy by eight wickets in a league match of the first All-India GMCA Under-14 Cricket Tournament at the Nehru Stadium ground. Saurabh was named the man of the match. Hans Raj Academy scored 149 all out in 40 overs. Scores: Hans Raj Academy: 149 all out in 40 overs (Tarun Chaudhary 33, Mohit Sharma 28, Gurpreet Singh 22, Saurabh Srivastava 6 for 13, Surender Bansal 2 for 33). Sumit Dogra Academy: 150 for 2 in 27.2 overs (Eklabya Divedi 92, Balinder Singh 18 n o, Vinod Chugh 1 for 10).