The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

SPORTS

Local lad to lead u-14 team for Asian soccer
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 20
Local midfielder Bikramjit Singh will lead the Indian under-14 team, which will take part in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) under-14 soccer festival to be held in Iran from March 23 to 30. In the final 18 as many as six players hail from the city.

Announcing the team here today at the Sector 17 football stadium, the Chandigarh Football Association president, Principal Ravinder Talwar, said Bengal striker Abhishek Das would be the vice-captain of the team.

A month-long national camp of 40 probables was underway here last month. The probables were selected by the All-India Football Federation after the national under-14 soccer festival conducted here on December 20 last year.

Besides India, the other nations which are competing in the AFC under-14 festival are Iran, Tazakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kryzisthan.

The team: goalkeepers — Sudipta Bannerjee (Bengal), Rajesh S. (Tamil Nadu). Defenders — Tirthankar Sarkar (Bengal), Ashish Chetri (Sikkim), Arashpreet Singh (Chandigarh), Samuel Shadap (Meghalaya), Shalun Pires (Goa), Vikash Gupta (Chandigarh), Sumit Rawat (Delhi).

Midfielders — Bikramjit Singh (captain, Chandigarh), Harpreet Bedi (Chandigarh), Sajandeep Singh (Chandigarh), Gaurav Sharma (Uttaranchal). Forwards — Nikhil Regni (Uttaranchal), Abhishek Das (vice-captain, Bengal), Niswajit Dutta (Bengal), Jonny Kumar (Chandigarh) and Manandeep Singh (Haryana). Coach — S. Balan (Kerala) and assistant coach — Carlos Gomes (Goa).

18-member team announced for handball tourney
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 20
An 18-member team, including two officials, was announced today by the Handball Federation of India (HFI) for the international handball tournament to be held in Hong Kong from April 14 to 17.

Announcing the team, HFI secretary-general S.M. Bali said four standbys had also been selected. These 20 players will remain in the national coaching camp, which is in progress at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala till April 11.

The team was selected after four sessions of trials conducted at NIS. The selection panel comprised S.M. Bali, Veenu Gopal (government nominee), chief coach Mahinder Pal and coach Rajpal.

The teams staking their claim for top honours in the Hong Kong tournament are Germany, Turkey, China, Taipei, Hong Kong and India.

The team: goalkeepers — Sachin Bhaksar, Ratish Pandey, Anand Natraja. The other members are Thomas Aprem, Sukhdev Singh, Firoz Ahmed Khan, Navin Kumar, Beenu Vasu, Sachin Chaudhary, Gaurav Sehgal, Prashid Kumar, Nayachandra Singh, Jain Prasad, Rashid Khan, Kunal Sharma and Zameel Ahmed.

Standbys: Aqueel Akhtar, Prem Kumar, Mohammad Suhail and Khurshid Ahmed.

Chief coach: Mahinder Pal, coach: Rajpal.

Local coach to train rowing team for Asian Games
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 20
Arvind Sehgal, rowing coach of the Chandigarh Rowing Association, has been selected by the Rowing Federation of India for the national coaching camp being held in Hyderabad for the Asian Games scheduled to be held from December 4 to 7 at Doha, Qatar.

Arvind Sehgal has been nominated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on the basis of the consistently good performance of the Chandigarh rowing teams trained by him at the inter-university and national-level competitions.

Three of Chandigarh’s junior rowers Manjeet Singh, Robin Rawat and Kanav Dosajh, who have taken rowing training under Sehgal are already in the national camp in Hyderabad, preparing for the junior Asian rowing championship to be held in Singapore.

Two of his women disciples Munshaidi Kahtun and Saroj Bala of the Chandigarh Rowing Association are also under active consideration of the Rowing Federation of India for the national camp starting from April 1 at Jagatpura, Orissa, for the Asian Games. Both these rowers have won medals in the recently held 26th Open National Rowing Championship in Hyderabad from February 14-19.

Pitch and Putt contest at Golf Range
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 20
The CGA Airtel Chandigarh Open Pitch and Putt Championship will be held at the Chandigarh Golf Range on March 26.

The competition is open to golfers of Chandigarh, Mohali, Chandimandir and Panchkula.

Giving this information to The Tribune Mr G.S. Cheema, Senior Vice-President of the Chandigarh Golf Association, said competitions would be held in the following categories: Open, Ladies and Junior Boys.

Twentyfive young golfers attending the regular golf camp at the Golf Range will compete with the seniors.

These young golfers are being trained by Mr Jesse Grewal, a national coach, under the aegis of the CGA Hero Honda Golf Academy.

Entries for the championship close on Marcxh 24 and the tee-off on March 26 will be at 7.30 a.m.