SPORTS

BVM swimmers emerge champions
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 27
Bhartiya Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, garnered 21 points to emerge champions in the boy's under-17 year category in the two-day Ludhiana District Inter-School Swimming Championship.

The championship was organised by the District Education Department at the Punjab Agricultural University swimming pool here today.

A. S. Senior Secondary School, Khanna, secured 13 points and finished runner-up while the Government Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, Ludhiana, with 11 points had to remain content with the third spot.

In the boy's section (u-17 years), Smile of Bhartiya Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Udham Singh Nagar, bagged three gold medals ( 100 m breast stroke, 100 m back stroke and 50 m breast stroke) and Bikramjit Singh Kamboj, also from the same branch, clinched three silver medals ( 400 m free style, 200 m breast stroke and 200 m individual medley).

Other medal winners of this school were: boys (u-14 years) — Kishanjit Singh of Udham Singh Nagar branch won one gold, one silver and one bronze medal ( 100 m free style, 50 m free style and 200 m back stroke); Sukhjit Singh of Udham Singh Nagar branch won two silver medals in the u-19 years category ( 200 m individual medley and 100 mbutterfly stroke) and one broze medal (100 m back stroke); Bharat Sood of Kitchlu Nagar branch in the u-11 years category, won two silver medals ( 50 m butterfly stroke and 50 m back stroke).

In the girls section, Twinkle of the Chandigarh Road branch bagged three silver medals ( 100 m back stroke, 200 m free style and 50 m free style).

Sports fest in Kalpana’s memory
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 27
The Chahal Welfare and Sports Club, Uchi Daud village, about 40 km from here, orgnised a three-day Kalpana Memorial Humane Sports Festival which included games of volleyball and kabaddi in different weight groups. Former union minister and MP Maneka Gandhi was the chief guest and the late astronaut Kalpana Chawla’s father, Mr Banarsi Lal Chawla, presided over the function.

Ms Gandhi released Mr Paramvir Batth’s book “Gallan Khed Maidan Diyan” on this occasion. Addressing the gathering, she emphasised the need for planting more and more trees as forest cover in Punjab had almost been wiped out. She also expressed views about providing shelter to birds and animals and finding ways to stop participation of birds and animals in the rural games.

Mr Banarsi Lal Chawla, father of Kalpana Chawla inaugurated the newly built “ Kalpana Chawla Sports Stadium”. He expressed happiness over the construction of sports stadium after his daughter’s memory. He also released a website of the club which explained Kalpana Chawla and her family’s relations with this village . He also brought with him many CDs and photographs of Kalpana Chawla, working in NASA and in space.

Other prominent persons who visited this festival were Mr Gurkirat Singh Kotli, secretary, Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee, Mr Tej Parkash Singh MLA from Payal, Mr Maheshinder Singh Grewal, a senior Akali Dal leader, Mr Vijay Kumar of Ber Kalan and Mr Jatinder Sharma.

Mr Tej Parkash Singh announced a grant of Rs. 2.25 lakh and Mr Maheshinder Singh Grewal announced an assistance of Rs 1 lakh for the development of the village. Mr Harvinder Singh Chahal, president of the club and Sarpanch Jagtar Singh spoke on the occasion and expressed gratitude towards the gathering.

Gourish makes it to national badminton camp
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 27
Gourish Singla of the local DAV Public School, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, has been selected for the national badminton camp to be held at the end of this year.

Gourish, a Class VIII student and trainee of a senior badminton coach and District Sports Officer, Ludhiana, Mr Gianinder Singh, has been performing consistently for the past two years. He started playing badminton about three years ago and ever since he made his presence felt during all tournaments.

He has been a regular member of the Gill zone team which is competing the Ludhiana inter-zonal tournaments, besides taking part in the CBSE cluster tournaments and representing his school in the annual Maharaj Hans Raj Tournaments organised by the DAV Education Institutions.

Gourish’s name has figured on the list for shuttlers for the forthcoming national camp.