SPORTS

SPOTLIGHT
SAI in a bind over transfer of coaches
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, August 10
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is very keen to uproot some of the coaches who have dug their feet deep into the soil of their operation for the past several years, creating a very vested, vexed kind of situation.

But the SAI cannot touch these coaches, even with a barge pole, as many of them have built up the right kind of connections among politicians and bureaucrats to ensure that they stay put where they are.

“We want to transfer some of the coaches from their present place of posting to usher in a welcome change, but whenever we initiate moves to shift these coaches, pressure is mounted on us from all sides to stall the transfers,” moaned a top official of the SAI.

Though the SAI is well aware of the goings on in some of its coaching centres in Delhi and other parts of the country, and is keen to effect changes in the existing order, it is unable to implement its plans as some of the coaches wield considerable clout due to their proximity to politicians.

It is an open secret that many of the coaches treat the SAI job as a “part time” engagement with an attractive pay packet to boot. Coaches have to work for just three to four hours daily for five days in a week while the administrative staff has to slog it out from morning till evening.

Another anomaly that is creating resentment among the SAI cadre is that while the coaches retire at the age of 60 years, those in the administrative side retire at the age of 58 years.

As a result, many in the administrative side opt to don the mantle of coach in a bid to gain that two extra years in service.

Since the coaches report for duty only in the afternoon, most of them utilise the morning hours to engage themselves in “profitable” activities. Some of the coaches are also associated with leading schools, and in sought-after disciplines like cricket, tennis, table tennis and badminton, expert “coaching” comes with a price.

There was this coach whose first question to any prospective youngster who wanted to join his centre was, Tere pitaji kya karta hai. The child’s sports future depended on the status of his father!

The activities in some of the coaching centres are not above board, and the SAI is well aware of this, though it has not been able to discipline the errand coaches.

The SAI, on its part, is also guilty of helping thrive a handful of “prestigious” disciplines at its coaching centres at the expense of indigenous sports.

Kho-kho, kabaddi, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball etc do not get the kind of attention the disciplines deserve while cricket, tennis, hockey etc walk away with all the goodies.

The SAI is intent on breaking the ‘monopoly’ of some of the coaches, but it has not been able to crack the whip due to external pressure.

Jaspal Kaur, Sachdeva enter semi-finals
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, August 10
Jaspal Kaur and Sachdeva Schools stormed into the semi-finals of the girls section in the Inter-School Table Tennis Tournament at the Talkatora indoor stadium on Sunday. Jaspal Kaur will take on Manav Sthali while Sachdeva will clash against Hans Raj Model School in the semi-final matches.

Sachdeva School, Pitampura and Hansraj Model (Punjabi Bagh) entered the knock round from Group IV in the sub-junior boys section.

Hansraj, composed of Akash Verma, Kartik Kukreja and Kunal Kathuria, topped Pool IV when they beat Sachdeva in a crucial match at 3-1. Sachdeva, assisted by Nikhal Gupta, Pranshu Gupta and Rajat Kumar, took the second position in the group.

Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai, assisted by Delhi-ranked players Sarthak Gandhi, Dhruv Arora and Bhanu Choudhary defeated G D Goenka (Sajal Khandelwal, Mayank Gautam and Siddharth Chhabra) 3-1 in the deciding match in Group II. Both the teams entered the knockout round. The other teams who qualified for the knockout round from Group I were Mount Carmel and Modern School while from Group III, Springdales (Daula Kuan) and Mount St. Mary’s (Delhi Cantt) made the grade.

In the boys team championship, eight teams qualified for the knockout round. They are Manavsthali, G D Goenka (Group I), Sachdeva and Apeejay (Group II), DPS, Mathura Road and Guru Harkrishnan Publis Chool, India Gate (Group III) and N K Bagrodia and Sardar Patel (Group IV).

Results: Sub-junior boys: Hansraj b Modern School 3-0, Sachdeva b Brahamanand 3-2, Springdales b Pioneer Kamal Convent 3-1, Apeejay b G D Goenka 3-1, Modern b Manavsthali 3-2, Modern b Springdales 3-0, Brahamanand b Pioneer Kamal Convent 3-0, Hansraj b Sachdeva 3-1, Springdales b Sachdeva 3-2, Mount St. Mary got walkover from Venkateshwara International.

Girls: Sachdeva, Rohini b Mount St. Mary’s 3-1 Manavsthali b Sachdeva 3-0, Sachdeva A b Apeejay 3-1, DPS, Mathura Road b Guru Harkrishan 3-1, N K Bagrodia b Sardar Patel 3-2.

FCI, CWC move up

Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Central Warehousing Corporation had easy outings in Group I and II respectively in the Inter-Club League Championship. FCI defeated Delhi Public School, Mathura Road 3-0 while CWC outclassed Reserve Bank of India 3-0. The losing teams also qualified for the knock-out round.

Results: FCI b DPS 3-0, CWC b RBI 3-0, Arrowhead Filters b AIR 3-0, N K Bagrodia b DDA 3-0, FCI b Arrowhead Filters 3-0, Copper Field b BHEL 3-0, Hansraj b INTAB 3-0, RBI b EIL 3-0, Indian Airlines b AIR 3-0, Manavsthali b Central Revenue 3-0.

Glorious ground Air Force in DSA League
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, August 10
Glorious scored an upset victory when they grounded Indian Air Force, Palam 2-1 in a Group A match of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL A Division Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium on Sunday.

Glorious forged ahead in the 11th minute through defender Anil Bara who headed in. Inside-left Rajesh enhanced the lead in the 47th minute. Substitute Rowen pulled off the consolation for the Airmen in the 51st minute.

Glorious secured 15 points from seven matches and completed their engagements. Air Force have earned 16 points from seven matches to remain second in the group after Royal Rangers topped the group with a haul of 19 points from seven matches.

Glorious later lodged a protest against Air Force for fielding Kalyan Pal in the match. The DSA has sought an explanation from the Air Force team.

In a Group C match, Youngmen trounced Young Boys 5-0, after leading by 2-0 at half time. Faiz Alam (2) and Suresh (3, no hattrick) were the goal-getters.

Monday’s fixtures: Panchkuian vs Hans (3.30 p m); Youngmen vs Garhwal Heroes (4.45 pm)— Ambedkar Stadium.

Ganga School enter final

Ganga School, Hiran Kudna beat St. Martin School, Meerabagh, 35-18 to enter the Zonal Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Bosco School courts, Paschim Vihar.

Suvidha scored 14 points, while Sikha (8), Shivika (10) and Aditya (3) were the other leading scorers for Ganga.

Asian PGA chief praises Indian Golf Tour
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, August 10
Executive director of the Asian Professional Golf Association Ramian Haroon praised the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour and termed it as one of the best in the region.

Haroon said the Indian tour was a fine example for the region where its hosts an average 20 to 25 tournaments a year. “This has resulted in some very good players like Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal emerging from the sub-continent and achieving success on the Asian PGA Tour and also on the world stage”.

Haroon recently requested the Asian PGA to draw up a new structure aimed at strengthening its local tour. The Asian PGA is encouraging many of the countries, attempting to set up their own full-fledged and regular professional tours, to pick up useful tips from successful domestic tours like the Hero Honda Indian Tour.

President of the PGA Pawan Munjal of Hero Honda is also the president of the Professional Golfers’ Association of India.

The Indian Tour is expected to cross over Rs 2.50 crores in terms of prize money this season. The 2003-04 season began with the Rs 18 lakh Kashmir Open and is now moving to South India for the next six weeks. India also hosts two PGA events.