200 examined at health camp

Panchkula, September 18
A free multi-speciality health check-up camp was organised by the Rotary Club at Rotary House, Sector 12-A here today. Over 200 patients were examined for various ailments at this camp.

Mr Ramakant Bhardwaj, Assistant Governor, Rotary District 3080, inaugurated the camp. Medicines worth Rs 60,000 were distributed among poor patients free of cost. — TNS

SPORTS

Rain plays spoilsport
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 18
Inclement weather again played spoilsport for India and Australia (under-19) teams as both teams could not take to the nets at the PCA Stadium here today. The downpour for the past two days forced the players to remain indoor and do only fitness and routine exercises.

“We have been preparing hard for the series. Despite the rain, we have been doing our routine exercises,” said Venkatesh Prasad, former Indian speedster and presently the coach of the Indian team.

Today, the Australian team visited the stadium in the afternoon and spent some time in the gymnasium.

The first match of the five one-day matches series will start tomorrow. The next match would also be played at the stadium on September 21 while the remaining three of the five-match series will take place at Dharamsala and Delhi.

Vengsarkar for classification of Test teams
Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 18
Former Indian Captain Dilip Vengsarkar has suggested the classification of Test teams into two categories. Vengsarkar, better known as “Colonel” in cricket circles, was in the city to assess talent among the younger lot of Indian players playing the Under-19 India-Australia series.

He said, “The classification should follow the pattern of India’s Ranji Trophy format of ‘elite’ and ‘plate’ groups, in which the Ranji teams have been placed according to their performances in domestic cricket.”

Vengsarkar is the chairman of Talent Research Development Officers of the BCCI. The first match of the one-day match series is scheduled to start tomorrow at the PCA stadium, Mohali. Five matches will be played in the series.

Talking about the domestic cricket structure, he stressed that it should be compulsory for every international player to participate in the Duleep Trophy as it served the purpose of young talent to play with senior players and get exposure. It would also be easy for the selectors to pick young talents from there.

However, he is of the view that there is little chance to pick a player from Under-19 teams as a big gap exists between senior teams and u-19 teams.

On the issue of the ongoing conflicts between Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappell, Vengsarkar refused to comment on. 

Badminton to get faster
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, September 18
Good news for badminton fans and players. The game is now going to be faster with a likely change in the scoring system from this year. Like table tennis and volleyball, which have a rally point system, now in badminton two experiments — one having a 21-point system in best of three and the second having 11 points in best of three — are being made. The basic idea is to make badminton more marketing savvy and appeal the television audience, thus added attraction for sponsors.

According to an intimation received by the Chandigarh Badminton Association from the Secretary, Badminton Association of India, the rules will be experimented at the Mini and Sub-Junior National Badminton championship to be held in Nandyal (Andhra Pradesh) in October. According to Mr T. P. S. Puri, Secretary of the CBA and former Chief National Badminton Coach, the new rules would certainly make game more glamorous. He hoped players would like the new format as envisaged by the International Badminton Federation (IBF).

With the change in the structure of the IBF early this year, the new team is now led by Mr Punch Gunalan, Deputy President, IBF, who was instrumental in making the sport more glamorous in order to pump money as more than 140 countries play the sport.

For this year, the BAI has given a go-ahead for experimentation in 21 x 3 system for both boys and girls categories in under-16 and under-13 age groups. Accordingly the Chandigarh State Badminton Championship, to be held from September 26, will be played according to the new format in both age groups. The changes thus made would be discussed during an IBF council meeting to be held in Kuala Lumpur in December.

In the new system, in play of 21 points, a point is scored when one of the players makes a mistake. At 20-all, the winner is the one who gets two points consecutively. To ensure that the game does not drag on too long, once they are 29-all, the player who scores the next point will be the winner. For doubles, there will be only one service. The back inside line is to be removed, enabling the doubles player to serve high just as singles players do.

In doubles, now only one serve will be allowed to each side instead of two serves being given in the present format. A player of the serving side shall serve from the right service court at the start of the game or when the serving side has not scored or has scored an even number of points in that game.

A player of the serving side shall serve from the left service court when the serving side has scored an odd number of points in that game. The reverse pattern shall apply to the partner.

The players from the receiving side shall not change their respective service courts until they win a point on their service. If the receiving side makes a “fault” or the shuttle ceases to be in play because it touches the surface of the court inside the receiving side’s court, the serving side shall score a point. The server then shall serve again from the alternate service court.

There will be one-minute interval after each game and when both sides are tied at 1-1, then maximum two-minute interval between the first and second game and between the second and third game will be given.

Panchkula schools lay stress on sport
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, September 18
Panchkula schools have now been laying more emphasis on sports, thanks to the concept of allowing coaching in sport after school hours. In Chandigarh, this concept has been going on for the past few years.

The Sector 3 sports complex in Panchkula, which came into being only a few years ago, has emerged as one of the favourite sports centres. Apart from that schools also provide more sport facilities to their students at their respective centres.

The Gurukul in Sector 20, Panchkula, has provided double benefits to its children. It has provided bus service free of cost to its students who have joined the sports complex to take coaching in the sports which are not available on the school premises. Ms Kavita Soni, Principal of the school, says after school hours they encourage children to play table tennis, cricket, basketball, table soccer and skating.

She said the school also played host to All-India tournaments in table soccer. Shortly they would also introduce artistic skating which was not being held anywhere in Panchkula and Chandigarh.

Manav Mangal school, Sector 11, has also started laying more emphasis on sports, including table tennis, yoga, karate. These sports are being conducted in their indoor hall. The school has also produced many national players in table tennis and international ones in yoga.

Blue Bird High school, Sector 16, Panchkula, has a full-fledged skating rink of international specifications besides a basketball court where evening practice is conducted daily.

DC Model School, Sector 7, has an indoor hall located on the first floor where badminton and other indoor sports are also held. Then CL DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 11, Panchkula, has its own centre giving coaching in tennis, basketball, cricket and table tennis. Satluj Public School, Sector 4 and 2, Panchkula, too has a massive ground catering to cricket, soccer, pool and basketball facilities.

Panchkula has now become self-sufficient in terms of sports facilities with many other private schools such as Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 15, Hansraj Public School, Sector 6, trying to provide maximum sports facilities to their students.

KVS sports meet results
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 18
The KVS regional athletics meet continued for the second day today at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex, Sector 3, here.

The results are:

800 mts U-17: Shilpa (KV-4, Ambala) I, Priyanka (KV-4, Ambala) II, and Parul (KV1, Bhiwani) III.

800 mts (U-19): Alka (KV-4, Ambala) I and Paramjit (KV-1, Bathinda) II.

Shot put (U-14): Veerpal Kaur (KV, Budowal)I, Sanjoli Arora (KV, Budowal II), and Richa (KV, Kapurthala)III.

Shot put (U-19): Mohini Bisht (KV Zirakpur)I, Rachita (KV-3, Ambala) II and Preeti (KV-3, Patiala) III.

100 mtrs (U-17): Rushika (KV-3, Ambala) I, Manjot Kaur (KV, Barnala) II and Shalini Divedi (KV-2, Ambala) III.

100 mtrs (U-19): Arshdeep (KV-4, Ambala) I, Manju Yadav (KV-1, Ferozepore) II, and Niti Sharma (KV, Kapurthala) III.

400 mtrs (U-17): Rushika (KV-3, Ambala) I, Tanvir Kaur (OCF/29, Chd) II, and Nancy (KV, Zirakpur) III.

Hurdle 80 mtrs: Pooja (KV-I, Bathinda) I, Neha (KV-2, Patiala) II, and Komal (RCF, Hussainpur) III. 

Vikas Ghai wins carrom tourney
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 18
Vikas Ghai clinched the title under the individual championship of the second Inter-Media Carrom tournament held at the Chandigarh Press Club here today. Vikas gave Lovkesh Kumar a straight set defeat in the finals of the tournament. Vikas continued his winning spree in the doubles also.

Pairing with Vinay Choudhary, they beat Sanjay Kalia and Rohit Awasthy in a well-contested tie. The tournament was organised by the Press Club and was held under the supervision of a lecturer and carrom players from the Government College for Boys, Sector 11.

PU team enter final of badminton meet
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, September 18
Hosts Panjab University campus made it to the finals (men) in the Panjab University Inter-College Zonal Badminton championship today. They defeated Government College, Talwara, 3-0.

The meet is being held at the Gymnasium Hall, PU campus, Sector 14.

In the women quarter-finals, MCM DAV College, Sector 36, Chandigarh, entered semi-finals by defeating GGS Khalsa College for Women, Kamalpura, 2-0 while Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, beat SGHRS, Chabbewal, 2-0.

The following are the results.

Men: SF: PUC b GC, Talwara, 3-0 (Yogesh b Arun Kumar 11-15,15-7,15-9; Gurjeet b Davinder 15-1,15-6; Robin and Prateek b Davinder and Arun Kumar 13-15,15-6,15-1).

CLTA lad wins Nike meet
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 18
Shiva Sangwan, a CLTA trainee, has won Nike Junior Tennis Tournament held at Kolkata recently. In the finals, Shiva Sangwan defeated Bibasan Dev of Kolkata in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.

The winners and runners-up of the tournament would be selected for Nike Masters Tournament to be held at Bangalore from October 3. Now Shiva Sangwan will be ranked No.1 in the Under-14 group of the All-India Tennis Association’s fresh ranking list.