SPORTS

Sports should be way of life: Azad
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 12
A proper balance between education and sports at the school level is the need of hour and sports should be the way of life if India intend to become a power house in this field. Expressing these views, Desh Prem Azad, Dronacharya awardee and coach of legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, said the sports should be the way of life if India intended to make an impact at the international level.

Azad was of the opinion that in our country, sportspersons were a worried lot about their future and were unable to give their best. The sportspersons could perform according their abilities if they were free of tensions about the jobs and business commitments, he said.

About Indian cricket team’s engagements in the last couple of months, Mr Azad was critical when he said that because of excessive playing, the players got themselves injured. He cited the examples of Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and speedsters Ashish Nehra and Laxamipati Balaji. There should be some limit for playing matches, especially the instant version of cricket, the coach added.

Mr Azad criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for carrying the injured players to foreign tours in the recent past. “When the concerned authorities were aware of the fact that Sachin was carrying a tennis elbow injury for the last couple of weeks, then why he was included into the team in the Videocon Cup in Sri Lanka, Natwest Trophy and ICC Champions Trophy Tournaments in England.”

When asked about seam bowlers' future in India, he was of the firm view that going through the quickies performance in the last decade or so, India should concentrate more on spin bowlers rather than on the medium pacers. He said when Kail Dev quit the scene, Srinath filled the place and after his retirement, the present battery of fast bowlers- Irfan Pathan, Balaji, Ashish Nehra and Ajit Agarkar were proving their mettle.

“The ace spinner Anil Kumble is catching up with his age and when he retires in the near future there would be a vacuum as no other spinner is in the line to fill up the slot. India needs the services of a spinner, particularly the left arm bowler,” he said.

About the mushrooming of cricket academies being run in the country by some individuals, Desh Prem Azad said these centres with half-heartedly approach are serving no purpose but for earning easy money.

The cricket coach, accompanied by Mr Tej Kaul, a physiotherapist of the Indian cricket team, was in the city to inaugurate a showroom.

Abhipsha Thakur is best swimmer
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 12
Abhipsha Thakur of GNIMT, Ludhiana, and Rohit Dhir of SBSCET, Ferozepore, were declared the best swimmers among the women and men, respectively, in the Punjab Technical University Inter-College Swimming Championship which concluded at Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College here today.

Dr Jaswant Singh, Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, distributed the prizes. Dr R P Singh, Principal of the host college, congratulated the position holders.

Second day's results: (men)- 100 m breast stroke- Rohit Dhir of SBSCET, Ferozepore 1, Mastan Singh of IET, Bhaddal, 2 and Puneet Dhir of CTIMT, Jalandhar, 3; 100 m back stroke- Davinder Pal Singh of IET, Bhaddal, 1, Karanpreet Singh of GNDEC, Ludhiana, 2 and Savitoj Singh Gill of GZS, Bathinda, 3; 100 m free style-Devinder Pal Singh of IET, Bhaddal, 1, Dawkirpal Singh of SBS, Ferozepore 2, and Jaspreet Singh of GNDEC, Ludhiana, 3; 400 m individual medley-Mastan Singh of IET, Bhaddal, 1, Jasinder Singh of GZS, Bathinda, 2 and Puneet Dhir of CTIMT, Jalandhar, 3; 4x200 m free style relay-GNDEC, Ludhiana, 1, IET, Bhaddal, 2 and SBBS, Padhiana, 3.

Women-50 m freestyle-Rachna Dhingra of GNIMT, Ludhiana, 1, Ramandeep Kaur of Shivalik College of Pharmacy, Nangal, 2 and Harsimran Kaur of GNDEC, Ludhiana, 3; 50 m butterfly- Abhipsha Thakur of GNIMT, Ludhiana, 1 and Ramandeep Kaur of Shivalik College of Pharmacy, Nangal, 2; 4x25 m free style relay-GNDEC, Ludhiana, 1.

Khanna lads win soccer title
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 12
A.S. Senior Secondary School, Khanna, blanked Spring Dale School, Khanna, 3-0 to lift the trophy in the three-day Ludhiana District Schools Football Tournament organised by the District Football Association at Guru Nanak Stadium here on Sunday.

Amandeep Singh, Hardeep Singh and Manpreet Singh scored a goad each while the boys of Spring Dale School fought a valiant batttle but their repeated raids onto the rival’s territory failed to produce any result.

In the match for hard line cup, Government Senior Secondary School, Sarabha, defeated Nankana Sahib Public School, Kot Gangurai, 3-1.

Earlier, in the semifinal, A.S. Senior Secondary School, Khanna, drubbed Nanaka Sahib Public School, Kot Gangurai, without facing much challenge 6-0. In the second semifinal, Spring Dale School of Khanna prevailed over Government Senior Secondary School, Sarabha, 5-3 in a tie breaker. The two teams were tied one-all at the end of the regular period.

Mr Harcharn Singh Gohlbaria, councillor of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, presided over the prize distribution function and gave the trophy to the winners. He announced a grant of Rs 5,100 for the Ludhiana District Football Association and promised regular annual assistance of Rs 5,000 for the association.

Power lifters do Sangrur proud
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, September 12
Power lifters of Sangrur district have won two medals, including one gold, in World Junior Sub-junior Power Lifting Championship being held at Pretoria in South Africa. Pawan Deep, a Power Lifter of the town, bagged a silver medal while Randip Sharma of Sangrur got gold. Representatives of the various local organisations thronged the residence of the power lifter at Amarpura Mohalla to congratulate members of his family.

Family sources said Pawan Deep won silver medal. He lost gold to Punkit, another Indian from UP. Randeep Sharma of Sangrur won gold medal in 82 kg women category.

Mr Jagtar Singh, head of a family which had rehabilitated here after 84 riots, said it was for the first time since the riots that the joy and happiness had returned to his home. “Had Dr Sanjiv Walia, an NRI, not sent the help timely, Pawan would have missed the championships”.

Pawan had been selected for the championship by the Indian Power Lifters Federation after he had bagged gold medal at a national level meet held at Jamshedpur. Though the federation had asked the Punjab Power Lifting Association to arrange a sponsor for the visit of Pawan, it had not bothered to communicate the decision to him even. He had made up his mind to surrender the chance when he was allegedly humiliated by one of the officers when he approached him to recommend the issuance of his passport.

The NRI sponsored the visit after reading a story published in the Ludhiana Tribune.