Chandigarh, March 2
Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery for heart patients is slowly gaining ground.

Less painful for the patient, ensuring quicker recovery, cosmetically more suited and lighter on the pocket, keyhole cardiac surgery, being performed at the Silver Oaks Hospital, Mohali, scores over the conventional surgery.

This was stated by Dr Amar Nath Ghosh, Senior Consultant, cardiac surgery, Silver Oaks, at a press conference, here today.

Stating that the surgery required a two-inch cut to accomplish complicated surgical procedures, Dr Ghosh said over 10 patients had been treated using this technique.

"The risk involved is as much as that in conventional surgery.

The benefits accruing from this technique are much more in terms of lesser pain, lesser work days lost and quicker recovery.

"However, for use of such a technique, the patient has to be young," Dr Ghosh stated.

Adding that the cost of keyhole surgery is 20 to 35 per cent less than the cost of conventional surgery, he said it was particularly beneficial for diabetic patients since the cut was not large and healed quicker.

"It takes three to four hours for the operation, another five days in hospital if all goes well and the patient is ready to go back home.

"After three weeks of the surgery, the patient can go back to work also. In conventional surgery, the recovery time is about six to eight weeks," Dr 
Ghosh said.

Mohali, March 2
Dr Pankaj Garg, a senior laparoscopic surgeon at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, was given a prestigious award at the Pioneers’ Circle First International Conference held at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, on Tuesday. He was chosen for this honour for his outstanding contribution in the field of coloproctology (piles and related diseases).

The award was presented to Dr Garg by Dr Antonio Longo, innovator and inventor of the MIPH technique and Chief Surgeon, St Elizabeth Hospital, Vienna, Austria.

The Pioneers’ Circle conference was attended by a large number of surgeons from all over the world.

Chandigarh, March 2
Rigorous training sessions in the ongoing National Football Camp at Football Stadium, Sector 17, here have proved to be a great learning experience for 42 under-14 probables.

A team of 18 top players will be selected from the camp for the seven-day Asian Football Confederation Festival to be held in Teheran (Iran) from March 24 to 30.

The probables have been undergoing training under the watchful eyes of coach S. Balan, a diploma holder in coaching from Cuba, and Carlos, assistant coach, in the camp.

“The camp, which is being conducted by the All India Football Federation under the ‘Vision India’ programme to promote the game in all parts of the country, is a step in the right direction as such programmes play a big role in developing and improving the standards of the sport,” said Balan.

He said: “It is very important to imbibe the basics of the game in sportspersons at the right age. So our main focus here is to tell the players about the basics besides honing their skills.”

In Teheran festival, where six teams from different countries participate, the stress will also be on fundamentals, rules and regulations as well as other technical skills.

“In such international festivals, the players not only get the much required exposure but also learn to tackle the pressure of representing the country at big levels,” he felt.

On the dismal status of football in the country, Balan said: “We have enormous talent but the need of the hour is to groom it properly.”

However, he expressed his satisfaction over the progress of the camp, in which seven footballers are from the city.

Besides practical training, the players are also getting video session facility in which they see the video clippings of top football matches as well as techniques of great players. They are being been provided with diet prescribed by the AIFA free of cost.

All arrangements have been made by the Chandigarh Football Association. The final team will be selected by AIFA officials on March 17.

Chandigarh, March 2
Vikas Kumar of BFA (IIIrd year) and Suchi Gupta of BFA (IInd year) were declared best athletes in boys and girls’ sections, respectively, in the annual athletics meet of the Government College of Art, Sector 10, at Sports Complex, Sector 46, here today.

The day witnessed young sportspersons participating in various events.

The results: 50m: girls: Suchi Gupta 1, Shaina 2, Neha 3.

100m: boys: Vikas 1, Nikhil 2, Rajbeer 3; girls: Suchi Gupta 1, Shaina 2, Preeti 3.

200m: boys: Vikas 1, Sanjeev 2, Rajbeer 3; girls: Suchi 1, Navjeet 2, Arti 3.

400m: boys: Vikas 1, Dorje 2, Ranjeet 3; girls: Preeti 1, Neha 2, Shaina 3.

800m: boys: Sanjeev 1, Dorje 2, Rajbir 3.

Long jump: boys: Vikas 1, Narinder 2, Sameer 3; girls: Suchi 1, Shaina 2, Preeti 3.

Javelin throw: boys: Narinder 1, Vikas 2, Hardeep 3; girls: Preeti 1, Navtej 2, Neha 3.

Discus throw: boys: Hardeep 1, Parminder 2, Dorje 3; girls: Neha 1, Preeti 2, Arti 3.

Chandigarh, March 2
Anmol of BBA (Ist year) beat Rajneesh of BPEd (IInd year) 15-8, 15-6 in student section (single) of the 3rd Captain Rohit Kaushal Memorial Badminton Tournament held at Badminton Hall, Government College, Sector 11, here today.

The results: student section (single) Gaurav b Pankaj 15-6, 15-8.

Women (single): Maninder b Rita 11-9, 11-8; Maninder b Aarti 11-6, 
11-5.

Men (single): Jatinder Kumar b Rajinder Singh 15-8, 15-7; Rajesh 
Kumar b Manoj 15-6, 15-8; Baljit Singh b Rohit 15-6, 15-10.

Ropar, March 2
Gurjit Singh of Electronic and Instrumentation Engineering (IIIrd year) was adjudged best athlete in men’s sections on the concluding day of the 7th annual athletics meet of Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Bhaddal, here today.

He won gold in 100m race, long jump and triple jump events.

Ruchika of Computer Science Engineering (final year) was declared best athlete in the women’s section. She won gold in 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay races.

Chief guest T.S. Bawa, former olympian in hockey, distributed certificates, awards and prizes to the winners.

Chandigarh, March 2
Honey Oberoi beat Captain Mohan Singh 2-1 (82-25, 17-87, 72-16) in the first round of snooker (best of three frame) in the 10th Billiards and Snooker Championship at Chandigarh Club Limited, here today.

The other results: Snooker (best of three frame) Gurminder Singh b G S Batra 
2-1.

Billiards: 150 points: Mahesh Chaudhary b Rajesh Jain 152-149.

200 points (quarterfinal): Anandit Joshi b Deepinder Singh 200-117.