SPORTS

Education Dept amends sports policy
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, May 8
To give added impetus to sports in city schools, the UT Education Department has made few amendments to its previous policy on sports. Stating this, Mr Daljit Singh Mangat, Director, Public Instruction (Schools), UT, said the annual sports activities of the UT Education Department would begin from July.

It may be recalled that last month Chandigarh Tribune had highlighted the problems being faced by UT school sportspersons, who wanted that matches should be held in morning and evening hours and selections of the UT teams should be done once only.

Mr Mangat said both public and private schools of the city interested in holding various events had been asked to send their offers, so that final dates could be decided. He said all matches would now be held in morning and evening hours at respective venues.

Another significant decision was to select probables at the time of the event. For those sportspersons who could not get a chance to play in the inter-school matches, would be given seven days after the said event to appear for trials. The team would be selected few days prior to the National School Games. On the holding of any discipline of the 49th edition of the National School Games in Chandigarh, he said the annual calendar of the these games was yet to be finalised by the School Games Federation of India, but still they would bid to host hockey events in under 14 and roller-skating events. For hockey, they would have Sector 42 hockey turf ready by then, he said. “Already the city has a skating rink at KB DAV Centenary School, Sector 7, rinks in Sector10, Guru Harkishan Public School, Sector 38, were also good enough to hold skating events in the National School Games.

He said this year three new disciplines would be added to the UT inter-school matches. These were archery, netball and boxing. He said the diet money to be given per day to each player had been enhanced to Rs 25 from Rs 15.

Meanwhile, the UT school sport activities would be held from July 24 to July 27, when the Pre-Subroto Mukerjee Cup Football Tournament for sub-juniors (11 to 14 year category) and juniors (15 to 17 year category) would be organised. In the month of August, inter-school gymnastics, swimming, carrom, judo and roller skating (both boys and girls) events would be conducted. The competition for girls would be held on August 22 and 23, while for boys the contest would be held on August 25 and 26.

The Pre-Nehru Cup hockey events for boys and girls in below 15 and 17 sections would be conducted in September. Events like lawn tennis, badminton, table tennis, yoga, archery, ball badminton (under 14, 17 and under 19) would also be held. Competition for boys would be held from September 18 to 20, while for girls from September 24. Basketball, handball, hockey, kabaddi, cricket and kabaddi events would be held in October. Competitions for boys would be held from October 6 to 9 and girls’ events would be held from October 13 to 16. Boys’ under 14, 17 and under 19 football events and under19 girls’, volleyball, kho-kho, softball events would also be held in the same month. The boys’ events would be held from October 20 to 23, while girls’ events from October 28 to 31.

November would see cricket (under 14, 17 and 19) and girls’ (under 19) events. Boys’ competitions in karate, fencing, throwball, netball and ball badminton would be held from November 11 to 13 and girls’ competitions from November 17 to 19. The Primary School Games for children below 11 years would also be held from November 24 to 29.

Mr Mangat said they would try to finish the inter-school athletics meet for both boys and girls between December 16 and 20.

Billiards

Anandit Joshi made it to the semifinal in the billiards event of the Fourth Saurabh Khattar Memorial Snooker and Billiards Championship played here on Thursday at the Chandigarh Club, Sector 2. Anandit beat Ajay Gupta, 201-180, while Sandeep Duggal defeated Ravi Mohan, 150-83. In the snooker events, Rajesh Jain upset Nitin Trehan, 2-1, Gurminder Singh defeated Rishi Vahi, 2-1, Dipinder Singh beat Manjul Sood, 2-1, Pranav Jain beat Vikram Chaudhary, 2-0, while Sandeep Kochhar defeated Pankaj Gulati, 2-0.

Carrom meet

The Chandigarh Carrom Association will hold the Vith Raj Kumar Babuta Memorial Prize Money Carrom Ranking Tournament from May 24 to 26. This three-day tournament will have men and women singles event. Winners in man’s section will get Rs 2,500 and women Rs 1,500, while runner-up in men’s will get Rs 1,500, and women Rs 1,100.