Chandigarh, December 27
Sikkim won the Fair Play Trophy after they rented Pondicherry 5-0 in their last match on the concluding day of the All-India Football Federation Under-14 Soccer Festival at the Punjab Engineering College grounds, Sector 12, here today.

Sikkim secured 60 points from the green cards awarded to their team and individual players during the eight-day competitions and various skill tests. Sanjit Subba, Ashish Chettri, Robin Pradhan, Prakit Pradhan and Sujan Rai scored one goal each for Sikkim.

Hosts Chandigarh, which beat Mizoram by one goal, and Kerala were declared joint runners-up with 55 points each while Delhi and Pondicherry finished joint third with 50 points each.

Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal were tied with 40 points apiece for fourth position. Haryana got fifth position with 30 points. A solitary goal scored by Mandeep Singh helped Haryana defeat Goa 1-0.

Jharkhand, Mizoram and Punjab gave disappointing performances, both on and off the field. They were penalised for fielding overaged players and securing yellow cards during the competitions.

Jharkhand topped the dubious “Merit List” with minus 75 points. Mizoram got minus 70 points. Punjab, which fielded two overaged players, remained on minus 45 points.

Results: Chandigarh bt Mizoram 1-0; Haryana bt Goa 1-0; Sikkim bt Pondicherry 5-0; Delhi drew with Meghalaya 0-0.

Fair Play Trophy: 1 Sikkim 60 pts; 2 Chandigarh and Kerala 55 pts each; 3 Pondicherry and Delhi 50 pts each; 4 Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal 40 pts each; 5 Haryana 35 pts.

Those states who finished with minus points due to yellow cards or fielding overaged players: 1 Jharkhand -75; 2 Mizoram-70; 3 Punjab-45.

Skill tests: Goalkeeper: 1 S. Kamruddin (Orissa), 2 Vivian Singh Sahi (Delhi ); 3 Chewang Bhutia (Sikkim).

Target competition: 1 Sampil P. (Kerala); 2 Ashish Chettri (Sikkim ); 3 Simranjit Singh (Chandigarh).

Football-tennis competition: 1 Uttaranchal (D. Negi, Gaurav Sharma); 2 Bengal (Pahwn Bishwas, Chitta Sen); 3 Chandigarh (Hapreet Bedi and Dharambir Singh).

Penalty competiton: 1 Sikkim (Sujan Rai, Kamal Pradhan, Dawa Shipra); 2 Chandigarh (Baljinder Singh, Vikas Gulia, Manjit Singh); 3 Haryana (Vishal, Ravi, Sonu).

Juggler competitions: 1 Arshpreet Singh (Chandigarh) 12:06; 2 Satpal Singh (Punjab) 9:11; 3 Nikhil Negi (Uttaranchal) 2:11. 

Chandigarh, December 27
The second day of the ongoing The Fort Ramgarh YMCA Total Tennis Championship, being played at YMCA Total Tennis Academy, Sector 11, saw seeded players moving into the next round defeating their respective opponents with ease. Top seeded Akshat Joshi was too good as he beat unseeded Sadeev Kang at 7-3 in under-16 boys’ category.

Second seed Sidharth Singh was ruthless against Darshpal of Ludhiana as he thrashed him 7-0 to reach the semifinal where he will face third seed Raghav Singal of Total Tennis Academy.

In the boys under-14 category, top seed Akshat Joshi and second seed Raghav Singal moved into the quarterfinals defeating their respective opponents with ease.

In the boys under-10 category, top seed Digvijay Naruka, Harmandeep Dhillon, Andrew Pradeep, Inderbir Bains, Srijan Uppal, Aniket, Tanveer Kang and Shubham Vij have moved into the quarterfinals.

All the girls matches along with the quarterfinals will be played tomorrow from 9 am.

The results: Boys under-16 (Quarterfinals): Akshat Joshi beat Sadeev Kang 7-3, Raghav Singal beat Sankalp Sardana 7-0, Siddarth Singh beat Darshpal Singh 7-0,

Boys under 14 (pre-quarterfinals): Akshat Joshi beat Harry Jindal 7-0, Deepak Garg beat Vivek Mehta 7-6 (3), Kunal Bansal beat Sankalp Sardana 7-5, Digvijay Singh Naruka beat Nishal Suri 7-5, Shobit Phutela beat Namanjot Singh 7-0, Sadeev Kang beat Paraminder Singh 7-0, Srijan Uppal beat Vithal Bhardwaj 7-1, Raghav Singal beat Vishawjit 7-2

Boys under-10 (pre-quarterfinals): Digvijay S Naruka beat Parampun 7-2, Andrew Pradeep beat Abhijeet Singh 7-1, Inderbir S Bains beat Akhil Bansal 7-3, Srijan Uppal beat Manav Sekhri 7-1, Tanveer Singh beat Arshnoor Bhalla 7-2, Shubham Vij beat Anshul Chawla 7-1.

Mohali, December 27
Even as political parties today condemned the Chief Minister’s move to hand over the construction of the Mohali Sports Complex to a Dubai-based private developer, a majority of sportspersons from the area welcomed the move.

Expressing shock over the “hijacking” of the project from the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) and handing it over to a Dubai-based developer, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal today said this was the biggest proof that the Chief Minister was “helping” private companies to “loot” precious public assets.

Stating that the SAD had repeatedly asked the Prime Minister to intervene in the way real estate projects were being approved by the Chief Minister, Mr Badal demanded a CBI inquiry into these approvals.

The Phase IX Sports Complex was to be constructed by PUDA, a decision which was taken at the level of the Punjab Chief Secretary over three months back. The Chief Secretary had formed a committee chaired by the Principal Secretary, Department of Sports, Mr R.P.S. Pawar, to start working on the project. Sources said architects had been deployed and the first set of designs were ready.

The Chief Minister, during his visit to Dubai, accompanied by Mr Pawar, decided to rope in the Dubai-based developer to take up the project instead. The Sports Department, which owned the land for the past 10 years, had failed to lay a brick at the site all these years.

When finally the Sports Department showed its inability to start the project due to lack of funds, PUDA was asked to build the sports complex, pointed out a senior official in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“I am surprised. We were under the impression that PUDA would be building the complex. Now it seems the scene has changed. During my time, I recall even the fine details had been worked out with PUDA,” said Mr Kartar Singh, former Director, Sports, Punjab.

The Director, Mr Pargat Singh said, “This is the latest development. I think it really does not matter who builds the complex as long as sportspersons get proper infrastructure and facilities,” he said.

Flying Sikh Milkha Singh said, “My experience with government sports facilities has been abysmal. I think that the Chief Minister has done the right thing in asking a private developer to create a world class facility in Mohali. It is a welcome step and will improve the standard of sports in the region,” he said.

Mr I.S. Bindra, President, Punjab Cricket Association, said it was high time the complex was constructed. “The foundation stone of the stadium and the complex were laid on the same day. But while the stadium became functional in 1994, the complex project never took off. I am not against private capital being pumped in. More important is that a world-class facility will come up and it will give a big boost to sports in Punjab,” he said.

Welcoming the step, Mr Gurbir Singh Sandhu, national shooter said: “Sports infrastructure is grossly inadequate in Punjab whereas the talent is immense. As a result, there is a huge mismatch between the two. Development of a world-class sports facility opposite the stadium here has been my long-standing dream and I welcome the initiative.”

“Whenever private capital is used, commercial interests and the interests of sportsmen are likely to clash. I request the government to ensure that sportspersons have easy and economical access to the facilities and not turn it into just another elitist sports centre.”

Chandigarh, December 27
The Excise Department of Chandigarh has penalised the organisers of the auction wherein sale and purchase of coins and other antique items was held during the 89th conference of the Numismatic Society of India, held at Punjab University’s Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology.

Sources in the department said as per VAT, the toal fine came to around Rs 26,000 as the total sale proceeds was around Rs 2 lakh. As per the VAT rate slab, tax was levied at a rate of 12.5 per cent of the total sale proceeds.

Yesterday officials of the Excise Department, after carrying out a surprise check at the auction, issued a notice to the organisers of the auction.

Sources in the Excise Department here stated that through the notice, the organisers were asked to furnish the complete details of the various transactions that took place at the university in the past two days. These would include information about the Todywalla auctions and the sales that place at the exhibition.

The Punjab University’s Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology yesterday clarified that it was in no way conected with either the auction or the selling and buying of coins and other material that was going on the campus. It was the responsibility of the authorities at the university, said an officer.

Mohali, December 27
Former Municipal Councillors, belonging to the Opposition group, and industrial unit owners today opposed the hike in water and sewerage charges.

They said that he government was acting in an arbitrary manner by imposing the revised rates on the residents of the town compelling them to launch an agitation.

Mr Amrik Singh said that the Director of the Local Government Department, Punjab, had issued orders to the Municipal Council to implement the revised rates. He said residents of the town would be protesting against the hike which was unjustified. He said the water and sewerage rates had already been hiked in 2001. The rates prevalent in Mohali were higher than those in Chandigarh and Panchkula.

He said after the civic body had cleared a proposal to hike water and sewerage rates at a meeting held on July 29, municipal councillors of the Opposition group and representatives of welfare bodies had protested against the decision and ultimately the council had to go back on its decision at a meeting held in October.

He said it was unfortunate that the revised rates were now again being thrust on residents. He said residents would be compelled to launch an agitation. If need be, residents would also take legal help in this regard. A meeting would be held outside the office of the council on December 30 to decide the future course of action.

Mr D.P. Singh, president of the Industrial Welfare Association, Phase IX, said according to the revised rates, sewerage charges of a one kanal house would be equal to the water bill of the house owner. He said the same pattern was being adopted for industrial units which was unfair. Most industrial units in the area were earning only marginal profits and the new rates would be an additional financial burden on them. Already some industrial units were shifting from the area as no tax rebate was being given by the government.