HEALTH

Apollo ICU for patients with liver disorders
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 23
The Indraprastha Apollo Hospital has commissioned a state-of-the-art dedicated Liver ICU that will provide super specialised support to the patients for liver disorders.

The hospital also demonstrated the revolutionary MARS therapy that can be utilised to provide critical artificial liver support to the patients with acute and chronic liver failure.

The Apollo Hospital is the first in North India to introduce MARS therapy for its patients and now has dedicated Liver ICU where patients with liver disorders can be treated in one of the four ICUs—Liver, Transplant, Pediatric and Newborn..

Dr Anupam Sibal, Pediatric Liver Specialist and Director of Medical Services said, “Our liver programme has received wide acclaim the world over for the sheer number of successful transplants and the complexity of procedures conducted. The commissioning of dedicated liver ICU and introduction of new technology in this filed is only a natural progression to complement the programme.”

He said, “Having pioneered liver transplantation in India with 25 successful transplants, there was a need for us to have a dedicated Liver ICU with an additional liver support system. With the initiative taken today, the hospital’s liver unit is now the most comprehensive centre for liver disorders in the entire nation.”

SPORTS

Samsung sets up Olympic Fund, to support 5 Indians
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 23
Samsung India, sponsor of the Indian contingent, has set up an ‘Olympic Fund’ through which it will provide scholarships to five top Indian athletes as they prepare for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

The Samsung Olympic Fund was kicked off at a function organised by the electronic giant in association with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The five ‘Samsung Olympic Ratnas’ who have been identified are shooters Abhinav Bindra and Anjali Ved Bhagat, athletes Anju B George and K M Beenamol and weightlifter Karnam Malleswari. IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said the fund has been patterned on the Olympic Solidarity Fund.

The Samsung Olympic Fund will support the training expenses of these five sportspersons between August 2003 to August 2004. Bindra had won a bronze medal in the World Cup Shooting Championship at Munich while Anjali and Beenamol had shared the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award this year.

Beenamol is also an Asian Games gold medallist. Anju George had struck a bronze medal in the World Athletic Championship at France recently. Karnam Malleswari, the champion weightlifter of India, had won a bronze in the 2000 Olympic Games at Sydney.

IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh said Samsung’s gesture of this will help the best sportspersons of India to prepare for the Olympic Games fully focussed, without any worry.

“Samsung’s gesture is a welcome initiative and a natural extension of the company’s ongoing involvement with the Olympic Movement in India,” Randhir Singh, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee, said.

Kalmadi said Samsung’s “support and encouragement would yield strong and positive results in the form of a richer medal tally for the country.”

Samsung India also became the official sponsor of the Indian team for the 2004 Olympic Games. Director of Samsung R Zutshi and Mr Kalmadi signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday. Mr Zutshi noted that “our Olympic programme this year seeks to not only support the entire contingent in terms of their preparations but also in a very focussed manner, supports the training needs of these five very high potential, high calibre athletes who we hope can return from Athens with medals. Hence, the term ‘Samsung Olympic Ratna’ for them.”

Samsung’s association with Indian sports began with the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, and it has been continuing ever since. Randhir Singh expressed the hope that Samsung’s help will give a shot in the arm to Indian sports, and sustain it for years to come.

Air Force to meet Tarun Sangha in final
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 23
Defending champions Indian Air Force, New Delhi will take on Tarun Sangha in the final of the Delhi Soccer Association-ONGC Senior Division Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium on Wednesday.

The kick-off is at 3.30 pm. Speaker of the Delhi Assembly Subhash Chopra will be the chief guest.

Tarun Sangha, consisting of players from various districts of West Bengal, have made their maiden entry into the final. Sangha play attacking soccer with a solid defence to match, which may repel the raids of the Airmen.

Captain Tajuddin Ali, Ekra Ali Mallick, Tanmoy Ghosh and Joginder Singh Rawat are all seasoned and solid players in the Sanga defence, but the Airmen have a trump card in their custodian Aurobindo Bandhopadhyaya, whose two brilliant saves in the semi-final shootout had felicitated their entry into the title round.

Sangha’s midfield is also safe in the hands of Azad Ali Mallick, Debabrata Ghosh and Prabir Roy who will be doing the spadework for forwards Ram Hasda, Haradhan Kora and Pushpender Dhondiyal to display their scoring wizardry.

But Air Force have got a good bunch too, and the final is expected to provide a lot of fireworks.

The winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 10,000 while the runners-up will be awarded Rs 7,500. The losing semi-finalists will be awarded Rs 2500 each. A and B Division champions IAF, Palam and Paschim Heroes will receive Rs 2500 each. The best four players of the tournament will also be awarded a cash prize of Rs 2500 each. The best disciplined team will be awarded the Dharamvira Trophy.

16 teams for Governor’s Cup
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 23
Sixteen top teams, affiliated with the Delhi Soccer Association, including holders Shahdara and runners-up City Club, will vie for top honours in the prize money Lt. Governor’s Cup DDA Football Tournament to be held from September 25 to October 3 at the Ambedkar Stadium.

Moonlight will take on Indian National in the opening match at 1.30 pm. While Delhi Police will clash against Goan Sporting in the second match at 3.30 pm. The title winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 75,000 while the runners-up will pocket Rs 45,000. The losing semi-finalists will receive Rs 15,000 each and the four best players of the tournament will be given a cash award of Rs 2500 each.

Don Bosco record big victory
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 23
Don Bosco School, Alaknanda, registered a handsome 4-0 victory against Ramjas Public School, Anand Parbat 4-0 in the Fr. Peter Mermier Memorial Invitational Football Tournament at the St. Francis De Sales School ground on Tuesday.

Two goals each came in either half. Bijay Baby, Pronoy Roy, Noel James and Amit Babu were the goal-scorers.

In a Pool C match, St. Francis De Sales A team defeated St. Francis De Sales B team 2-0. Gagan and Udit scored the goals. The A team qualified for the semi-final of the tournament.

In Pool A, CRPF, Rohini and N K Bagrodia School, Rohini were locked in a goalless draw.

Wednesday’s fixtures: N K Bagrodia vs Sumermal Jain School (9 am); General Raj School vs Birla Vidya Niketan (10.30 a m); Don Bosco vs Modern School, Vasant Vihar (11.30 a m).

Lov, Vishu star for DAV Shalimar Bagh
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 23
A fine knock of 79, studded with 11 boundaries, by Lov Sherawat and a strokeful 73 by Vishu Tomar helped DAV, Shalimar Bagh beat Mount Abu School by 127 runs in the fourth Parle Cup Inter-School Cricket Tournament at the Bharat Nagar ground.

Scores: DAV: 234 for 9 in 40 overs (Lov Sherawat 79, Vishu Tomar 73, Shyam Singh 3 for 43).

Mount Abu School: 107 all out in 31 overs Vikas Dalal 28, Abhishek Sakuja 3 for 16, Pawan Chauhan 2 for 19, Nilesh Aggarwal 2 for 30).

Ramjas Senior Wing School beat ASN School, Mayur Vihar by 112 runs. Scores: Ramjas Senior Wing: 208 all out in 33.5 overs (Rishabh Kumar 63, Abhishek Kumar 47, Sahil Singh 4 for 42). ASN School: 96 all out in 23.3 overs (Rahul Sharma 24, Puneet Kumar 3 for 10).

Ram Krishna School, Vikaspuri beat Kalka Public School by three wickets at the Vikas Puri ground. Kalka School: 148 all out in 35.1 overs (Arjun Singh 36, Sonu Singh 3 for 26).

Ramakrishna School: 151 for 7 in 39.3 overs (Rohit Kumar 37, Jatin Pal 34, Anil Kumar 3 for 31).

Ramjas, R K Puram defeated Bal Bharati, Pitampura by 39 runs at the Ramjas No 2 ground. Scores: Ramjas:107 all out in 32.2 overs (Arjun 33, A. Taneja 5 for 13). Bal Bharti, Pitampura: 68 all out in 22 overs (Parag Sareen 18, Rohit 5 for 14, Varun 3 for 13).