HEALTH

Red Cross to run centre for AIDS patients
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22
The UT Red Cross is all set to run a community care centre for patients suffering from HIV/AIDS. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, said the UT AIDS Control Society had entrusted the project to UT Red Cross.

As no private building was available in the city for the project, a private premises in Khuda Alisher village was hired and upgraded at a cost of Rs 5 lakh for the purpose. The objective of the community centre was to bridge the gap between the hospital and the home care and to train the families to look after the ill, especially terminal cases. The effort was to decongest the hospitals and create awareness on the consequences of HIV infection.

Barbers get tips on AIDS awareness
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22
The Citizens Awareness Group in collaboration with the State AIDS Control Society, UT organised AIDS awareness camp for roadside barbers. The camp was held in two tenements near Shri Sanatan Dharam Mandir, Sector 37. Several barbers from the area attended the camp.

Mr Surinder Verma, Chairman of citizens awareness group, said the objective of the camp was to generate awareness among roadside barbers and motivate them to bring behavioural change through syndrome care management (SCM) of STD in the community. This project was sanctioned by the State AIDS Control Society for a period of one year.

Knowledge of various aspects of HIV/AIDS would certainly reduce the fear and stigma associated with the disease. He said, “Know the facts about HIV/AIDS and inform others too. It is more of a social than a health problem. There is no effective cure or vaccine available at present to fight this deadly disease.

Haji Nafees Ahmad, Proprietor of Popular Hair Dresser and Beauty Parlor, Sector 35, Chandigarh interacted with people and advocated cultural values for the prevention of HIV/AIDS. He motivated the barbers to participate in the AIDS movement for the eradication of stigma in the community.

He also stressed that infected needles, sharp edged tools being used by barbers and transfusion of blood from commercial blood donors were some of the reasons for the spread of AIDS. Mr SC Bhalhacharya, Cultural Secretary of Citizens Awareness group, proposed a vote of thanks and made an appeal to come in large number whenever they were invited for such programmers. 

SPORTS

Punjab raring to take on Rlys in Ranji finals
Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 22
The jubilant Punjab Ranji team arrived after beating the Mumbai team in the semi-finals of Ranji Trophy at Mumbai, here today. The Punjab team took almost 12 years to reach in the finals of Ranji Trophy ties. The last time the team played against Maharashtra in the finals of the reputed trophy was at Ludhiana in 1992-93. Now the final match would be played between Punjab and Railways teams at the Punjab Cricket Association grounds from March 30 to April 3.

Intikhab Alam, the coach of the team, was delighted over the success of his team and gave credit to the self confidence, mental toughness and hard work of Punjab players. Alam, a former skipper and coach of Pakistan team, who has played 47 test matches for Pakistan in which he took 125 wickets and made 1,493 runs, including a century, said Punjab team had better chances to win the prestigious trophy.

“I inculcated self-confidence and ‘never give-up’ spirit in my boys which proved the key to success at the crucial stage, when our team was on the verge of collapse at 145 for four and the partnership between Pankaj Dharmani (86 n .o.) and Gaurav (34) rescued and guided the team to victory”, said Alam.

He also praised the skipper of the team, Dinesh Mongia, who did a good job and showed good captaincy. He also lauded the performance of his bowlers, including Gagandeep Singh and VRV Singh. However, he was excited that the finals would be played at Mohali which happened to be the home ground of some of the top players of the team and could be advantageous for the team on the whole.

AG Punjab lift title
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March, 22
Last year’s semi-finalist AG Punjab registered a 2-0 victory over AG Orissa to clinch the title in the final of the All-India Audit and Account Inter-Zonal Hockey Tournament held at Hockey Stadium, Sports Complex, Sector 42, here today.

AG Punjab who had an unbeaten run in the tournament, out classed their rivals in a one sided affair.

AG Punjab’s Vikram Saini scored the first goal in the 26th minute. At the half time the winners were leading 1-0.

In the second half Ravinder Singh sounded the board in 43 rd minute to seal the match 2-0.

Earlier in the morning, AG Punjab got better of AG Tamil Nadu by 4-3 in a nail biting semi-final.

In the second semi-final of the day, AG Orissa outplayed AG Jharkhand by 2-1.

Olympian and Padamshree awardee Mr Balbir Singh distributed the prizes to winners and runners up while Mr Nand Lal, A.G., Punjab, presided over the function.

Selected: Two members of Panjab University Hockey (women) team - Rajnesh of GGS College for Women, Chandigarh, and Manjot Kaur of Government College for Women, Ludhiana, have been selected to attend the coaching camp for the forthcoming Junior Women World Cup Hockey Tournament. The camp will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, New Delhi from March 24.

Both the players were trained byMs Gurinder Kaur, Senior SAI Hockey Coach posted at Panjab University.

Chandigarh State Games begin
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, March 22
The first Chandigarh State Games began here today. More than 600 participants are taking part in these games which are being organised by the UT Sports Department as part of the 2005 year being celebrated as ‘Year of Physical Education and Sports’ by the United Nations Organisation.

The events were held in wrestling, handball, badminton, table tennis, lawn tennis, basketball, volleyball. The three-day meet was inaugurated by Mr Ravinder Talwar, Secretary General of the Chandigarh Olympic Association.

In the gymnastic (artistic) events held at DAV College coaching centre, Sector 10, Pinki and Gaganpreet Kaur stole the limelight.

Results: individual champion (all round): Pinki 1, Gaganpreet Kaur 2, Gurpreet Kaur 3; apparatus final: floor exercise: Pinki 1, Gurpreet 2, Harjit 3. Balancing beam: Gaganpreet Kaur 1, Pinki 2, Gurpreet Kaur 3.

Uneven bars: Gaganpreet Kaur 1, Pinki 2, Sarita Kumari 3. Table vault Deepika Rawat 1, Gurpreet Kaur 2, Asha 3.

Table vault (men): Y Ibomcha1, Dhan Bahadur, Anil Kumar and Amar 2.

Parallel bars (men): Anil 1, Dhan Bahadur and Vinod 2.

Horizantal bars (men): Dhan Bahadur 1, Amit 2, Y Ibomcha 3.

‘Athletic meet’

The children of Delhi Public School, Sector 40, today took part in an athletic meet termed ‘Tiny tots Olympiad’. Ms Sunita Tanwar, principal of the school inaugurated the meet by releasing colourful balloons. The young ones put up a scintillating show as they danced away with great zest and enthusiasm on their favourite numbers.The kindergarteners displayed their athletic abilities in frog race, basket race and flag race.

  Nagar panchayat passes budget for Rs 7.87 cr
Our Correspondent

Zirakpur, March 22
The Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat has passed a budget for Rs 7.87 crore for the next financial year. Besides, a surplus of the previous two years, Rs 94,78,000, will also be utilised.

The budget was passed here today by the House at a meeting held under the presidentship of Mr Narinder Sharma, president of the civic body.

The House passed a sum of Rs 7,07,61,000 for various development works to be taken up next year. The nagar panchayat members also cleared Rs 39,46,000 for office expenses and Rs 19,50,000 as contingency expenses.

Out of 16 members (14 elected and one MLA of the constituency) of the civic body, 14 were present in the House. Capt Kanwaljit Singh, MLA, Banur, and Mr Bhagwant Singh, municipal councillor, were absent.