Awareness camp on AIDS
Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 13
An awareness camp giving information on AIDS and drugs was arranged by the NSS unit of Chandigarh Engineering College, Landran. Persons from nearby villages, students and staff of the college attended the camp. The chairman, Mr Satnam Singh Sandhu, and the general secretary, Mr Rashpal Singh Dhaliwal, welcomed the speakers, Dr Ajeet Sidana and Dr Neeraj Aggarwal, both lecturers of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh.

The doctors explained to the audience about the magnitude of the problem at the national and international levels. They highlighted the problems faced by society in general and the family of HIV-infected patients and the drug-addicts. Chances of HIV infection were greater in the case of drug-addicts, the students were told.

Speaking on the reasons for taking drugs, Dr Sidana pointed out that most of the time a beginning was made just for the sake of experimentation, but then it developed into an occasional use drug and later it was used on special functions or parties and thereafter it led to regular use and finally resulted in dependence on it.

Finally the doctors advised that since AIDS did not spread by handshake, sharing of towels or bathrooms, etc. an AIDS patient should not be socially discarded. On reducing cases of drug-addiction, they suggested various methods like organising awareness camps, media campaigns, etc. and to curtail supply and reduce availability of drugs.

The Principal, Col S.P. Sharma (retd.) and the Vice-Principal, Dr G.D. Bansal, exhorted the students to take a pledge to never take drugs.

SPORTS

Paramjeet adjudged best athlete
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, February 13
Paramjeet Kaur was declared best athlete in the 22nd annual athletics meet of the Government College for Girls, Sector 42, held today on the college premises. Mr V.K. Bhardwaj, Chief Engineer, UT Administration, was the chief guest. In other events, Mohinderjit Kaur won 400 metre race, while Paramjeet won the 100 metre and discus throw event. She was second in 400 metre race.

Boxing championship

The XI All-India A.K. Misra Memorial Boxing Championship began here today at the Sector 10 Skating Rink. Those who won in various weight categories are: Dinesh Singh, Diaphele, N. Kumar, Dilip Negi, Ravinder Singh, H.K.S. Belwal, Navpreet Singh, S.K. Thapa, Rohit Thapa, Gautam Debnath, Pardeep Kumar, Kamaldeep, D. Kannan, Sidharth Verma, Jai Prakash, Michel Neitle, CA Kadam, Deepak Kumar, C Bura and S.B. Tanang.

Earlier, the four-day meet was inaugurated by Ms Indu Misra, wife of late A.K. Misra.

Athletics meet

Harpinder of BA second year was declared best athlete in the annual athletics meet of the Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45, held today. Earlier, Mr I.S. Sandhu, Director Sports, UT, who was the chief guest gave away the prizes to the winners. Ms V. Bhargava, Principal of the college, read the annual sports report of the college. Other winners in various section were: Sarabjeet (100 metres), Shalini (200 metres), Naheed (400 metres), Harpinder (shot put), Harpinder (Discus throw, Harpinder (javelin throw), Shalini (long jump) and Kavita (High Jump).

AG Punjab wins title

The third wicket partnership of 89 runs between Manoj Rajan (45) and Randhir Nair (51) not out enabled defending champion, AG Punjab, to retain the title for the third time in a row by beating AG, Uttar Pradesh, in a one-sided affair by seven wickets in the final of the North Zone Indian Audit and Accounts Cricket Tournament being concluded here at Sector 16 Cricket Stadium today.

Brief scores: A.G. Uttar Pardesh 142 all in 38.4 overs (Askari Abbas 46, Salman Masood 35 Arun Tuli 4 for 29, Amit Kakria 3 for10); A.G. Punjab 143 for 3 in 34.3 overs (Randhir Nain 51 n.o. Manoj Ranjan 45, A. Gupta 2 for 34).

Mr Nand Lal, Accountant General (A&E), Punjab and UT, Chandigarh, was the chief guest on the occasion and distributed prizes to the winners and runners-up teams.

Sports meet

A two-day district-level panchayat sports competition began here today at Chaudhary Devi Lal Sports Complex, Sector 3, Panchkula. In this meet, rural boys and girls from different parts of the district would compete in various events. The winners would participate in state-level panchayat competition to be held at Bahadurgarh from March 1.

CLTA to train children of Army men
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, February 13
A residential academy for young tennis players was inaugurated by Lieut-General J.J. Singh, PVSM, AVSM,VSM, GOC-In-C, Western Command, here at the CLTA Tennnis stadium, Sector 10.

The General was impressed with the kind of facilities created by the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association under the leadership of Mr Rajan Kashyap and his team. Incidentally, he was here to watch his nephew Navdeep Singh who played finals and later won double crown.

In the programme, a joint venture between the Army and the CLTA, the latter would be responsible for the trainees’ development and education. The Army has provided the services of a junior commissioned officer to serve as warden of the hostel.

Mr Rajan Kashyap said this was a unique project as it aimed at creating champions from the children of serving soldiers Army men. He said 10 boys in the age group of 9-11 years would be selected to join the hostel on March 15. The association would impart rigorous physical conditioning and sytematic training in tennis skills to these raw youngsters.

This is an opportunity to convert the latent quality of what it considers ‘uncut diamonds’ into sporting excellence, he added.

Mr Kashyap said the programme had two basic ingredients for success, quality genes (supplied by the Army) and scientific training (provided by CLTA.

The new trainees will be part of the Chandigarh Academy for Rural Tennis (CHART) whch has produced several international players, including Sunil Kumar who won a national title at the age of 16.

Mr Kashyap said the CLTA was now in a position to provide residential and advanced training for outstation players on its campus. He said India’s former Davis Cup Captain, Ramesh Krishnan, who was here during the ITF Junior meet would conduct a special coaching camp for Indian and foreign players in May.