The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Working to reduce curable and preventable blindness
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 27
As International Vice-President of the Lions movement, Mahendra Amarasuriya has been at the heart of several public health projects across the world. Just one of the many campaigns he has been inspiring is “Sight First”, Lions Club’s global initiative aimed at the reduction of curable and preventable blindness.

Sparked off by an address that Helen Keller gave to members of the Lions Club in 1925, the campaign began as a formal movement only in 1995 when $ 146 million were raised for the purpose across the world.

“We have been responsible for 4.6 million cataract surgeries, mainly in India. Now we are helping China tackle the problem of curable blindness caused by cataract. In Africa and Latin America, we are responsible for the treatments of river blindness, a peculiar kind of disorder prevalent among populations residing along the river banks in the two countries,” Amarasuriya, who comes from Sri Lanka, told The Tribune today. He was here to attend the installation ceremony of the district cabinet, held at Mohali.

For India in particular, Lions International has plans to control childhood blindness, of which Rubella is the commonest form. A peculiar kind of blindness caused among infants born of mothers infected with the Rubella bacterium, the disease can be cured with early detection and prevention.

“There is little awareness regarding Rubella in South Asia. We are now concentrating on the eradication of this disease which is known to cause premature cataract and blindness among children. But our main programme for India remains cataract surgeries, which we assist through our 186 Sight centres in the country. About 126 of them are being supported by grants from Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF).

As far as preventing blindness goes, Lions Clubs efforts seem to have made a significant difference. Their Sight First project has helped bring the numbers of blind persons down. Recently WHO had stated there are 40 million blind in the world. The numbers are expected to swell to 120 million by 2020,” Mr Amarasuriya says. He adds “the numbers of blind have fallen to 37 million now. I know it is a small difference, but it is still significant considering the extent of blindness in the world.”

600 villagers examined at camp
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 27
More than 600 residents of Kajheri village were examined at a health mela organised by the UT Health Department under the National Rural Health Mission at the village government high school, here today.

Various specialists of the department like physician, surgeon, pediatricians and some others examined the patients and advised them the medicines. Facilities like on-the-spot lab tests, education about precautions of various communicable and non-communicable diseases, immunisation and family welfare were also made available for the villagers.

Dr M.S. Bains, Director, Health Services, UT, inaugurated the mela. He was also accompanied by the Director, NRHM, from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, Dr Usha Bishnoi Kapoor, Medical Superintendent of General Hospital, Sector 16, and some other prominent persons.

SPORTS

SJOBA carnival gets off to rollicking start
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 27
The SJOBA flood-lit tennis ball cricket carnival got off to a rollicking start with SJOBA members coming out in strength to test their skills against one another at St John’s ground, Sector 26, here today.

The teams, six in all, comprising members from 1965 batches onwards, have played two matches each. At this stage of the tournament, the RED team heads the pack with 2 wins from 2 matches followed closely by the PINK team, also with 2 wins from as many matches, but with a slightly lower runrate than the RED team. The third team at this stage is team ORANGE with 1 win from 2 matches.

Among other players, the cricket carnival also saw Yograj Singh putting on the pads for team PINK in its match against team ORANGE.

However, the match of the tournament so far has been the match between team PINK and team GREEN. Despite the tag of the underdogs team GREEN gave the favourites team PINK a real scare when after scoring just 44 runs in their allotted 10 overs the team GREEN managed to restrict the team PINK to a score of 42 runs after 9 overs.

Team PINK somehow managed to scamper home on the last bowl and avoided a big upset.

GOLFERS, the official refreshment providers, have kept the adrenaline of the players pumping with their sumptuous snacks and refreshments.

Subham spins Pkl to victory
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 27
A superb left-arm-spin bowling spell reading figures of 10 - 0 - 29 - 4 by Subham Bharti enabled Panchkula district to record a 9-run victory over the host Chandigarh in the opening match of the Haryana State Inter-District Cricket tournament for u-15 trophy conducted by the Haryana Cricket Association at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex, Sector 3, here, today.

Chandigarh skipper Ashish Rathore after winning the toss put Panchkula to bat first. Harpreet Mander and Naman Prashar started cautiously scoring 33 runs in the first 10 overs. The Panchkula team made 124 runs in 46.1 overs.

Chasing the modest total of 125 runs, Karan Khosla and Pranav Nanda for the Chandigarh side began on a sound note registering 50 runs in the 11th over of the innings.

Chandigarh was all-out for 115 runs in 38.1 overs. Shubham Bharti claimed 4-wicket for 25 runs whereas Sahil Mahajan chipped in with 3 for 14.

Brief Score

Panchkula: 124 all out in 46.1 overs.

Harpreet Mander 12, Naman Prashar Ankush Dhaliwal 24, Himanshu Sharma 5 for 35, Sumit Agnihotri 3 for 15.

Chandigarh: 115 all out in 38.1 overs.

Karan Khosla 24, Parnav Nanda 20, Charanpreet 19, Shubham 4 for 29, Sahil Mahajan 3 for 14.

SD, Khalsa College in Sam trophy final

Chandigarh, August 27
A fine ton by Ravi Inder (102) of Khalsa College, Patiala went in vain as his team lost to S.D. College, Sector 32, by four wickets in the semifinal of the Punjab State Inter College Tournament for Samuel Banerjee Trophy at DAV Sr Sec School, Sector 8, here today. With the win, the S.D. team has set up a final clash with DAV College, Jalandhar on August 29 at the same venue.

Having elected to bat first after winning the toss, Khalsa College were bundled out at 163 in 40.1 overs. In reply, S.D. College scored 168 for 6 in 30.1 overs and won the match.

Score: Khalsa College: 163 all out in 40.1 overs (Ravi Inder 102, Vipul 4 for 16 and Naresh Gogian 3 for 33).

S.D. College: 168 for 6 in 30.1 overs (Vipul 45, Karanveer 42 n o, Vishwas Bhalla 44, Mandeep Singh 2 for 36).

Takraw championship results
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 27
Defending champion St. Joseph’s Coaching Centre-44, Runners-up Mount Carmel School-47 (A) team in the men’s category and in girls’ section defending champion St Joseph’s School-44 (Blue) and St Joseph’s School-44 (gray) team entered the final of the fifth Chandigarh Senior State Sepak Takraw Championship. They were playing for the “Rev Samuel John and Ms Samuel John Trophy at Mount Carmel School, Sector 47-B, here, today.

Results: Semifinal ( Boys)

St Joseph C.C-44 b GMSSS-19 (B) by 21-16, 21-16; Mount carmel-47 (A) b Mount carmel-47 (B)by 21-10,21-14;

Semifinal (Girls): St Joseph’sl-44 (blue) b Mount Carmel-47 (B) by 21-9, 21-13; St Joseph’s-44 (gray) b Mount Carmel-47 (A) by 21-19, 21-13.

Boys (Pool League Matches)

Pool (A): St Joseph”s C.C-44 b Mount Carmel-47 (B) by 15-17, 15-8;

Mount Carmel-47 (B) b Chandigarh Club by 15-5,15-6

St Joseph’s C.C-44 b Chandigarh club by 15-3,15-4

Pool (B): GMSSS-19 (B) b St Joseph’s-44 (B) by 15-9,15-10

Mount carmel-47 (A) b GMSSS-19 (B) by 15-12,15-13

Mount carmel-47 (A) b St Joseph’s-44 (B) by 15-5,15-6

Pool (C): DAVSSS-8 b GMSSS-19 (A) by 15-12,15-9

GMSSS-19 (A) b Flankers Club by 15-10,15-7

DAVSSS-8 b Flankers Club by 15-7,15-5

Pool (D): St Joseph’s-44 (A) b GHS Khudda Lahora by 15-6,15-7

City star club b St Joseph”s-44 (A) by 15-13,6-15,15-12

City star club b GHS Khudda Lahora by 15-7,15-9

Round Robin Girls League Matches: St Joseph’s-44 (blue) b Mount Carmel-47 (B) by 15-7,15-7

St Joseph’s-44 (red) b GHS Khudda Lahora by 15-13,17-15

St Joseph’s-44 (blue) b Blue Star Club by 15-8,15-6

Mount Carmel-47 (B) b St Joseph’s-44 (Red) by 15-9,15-12

Mount Carmel-47 (A) b Blue Star Club by 15-10,15-7

St Joseph’s-44 (blue) b Mount Carmel-47 (A) by 15-5,15-9

St Josephs-44 (Red) b Blue Star Club by 15-5,15-9

Mount carmel-47 (A) b GHS Khuda Lahora by 15-11,15-12

St Joseph’s-44 (blue) b St Joseph’s-44 ( red) by 15-12,15-8

Mount carmel-47 (B) b GHS Khuda lahora by 15-10,15-13

St joseph’s-44 (Blue) b GHS Khuda Lahora by 15-7,15-6

Mount carmel-47 (A) b St Joseph’s-44 (red) by 15-13,8-15,17-15

GHS Khuda Lahora b Blue Star club by 15-11,15-10

Mount Carmel-47 (A) b Mount Carmel-47 (B) by 12-15,15-9,15-12

Mount Carmel-47 (B) b Blue Star Club by 15-7,15-6

Shefali Garg rules the roost in TT meet
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 27
Shefali Garg of Bhawan Vidyalaya, Sector 15, went home with triple title — sub-junior girls (under-14), junior girls (under-17) and women’s singles — on the final day of the Panchkula District Table Tennis Championship that concluded at Manav Mangal School, Sector 11, today.

Shashwat Somani and Anu Saini of Manav Mangal School, Sector 11, Panchkula, bagged the kids (under-10) boys’ and girls’ titles.

Mr Maheshwar Prasad Sharma SDM, Kalka, was the chief guest. He gave away prizes to the winners.

The results: sub-junior girls (under- 14): final: Shaifali (BV-15) b Anu (MMS), 13-11, 11-4, 11-7; sub-junior boys (under-14): final: Vaibhav (BV-15) b Shubham Sharma (MMS), 13-11, 11-5, 5-11,11-8; junior girls (under-17): final: Shaifali Garg (BV-15) b Anu Saini (MMS), 11-8, 11-9, 11-6; junior boys (under-17): final: Vaibhav (BV-15 ) b Archit (BV-15), 13-11, 11-8, 11-9; women singles: final: Shaifali Garg (BV-15) b Anu Saini (MMS), 8-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9; men’s singles: final: Manikant b Vijay Garg, 9-11, 14-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7; kids (boys, under-10): Shashwat Somani (MMS) 1, Divyankar Somani (BV-15) 2; kids (girls’ singles (under-10): Anu Saini (MMS) 1, Samridhi Handa (Gurukul) 2.

Jyoti Nashia lifts badminton trophy
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 27
Jyoti Nashia beat Jyoti Rawat, 22-20, 15-21, 21-17, and lifted the trophy in the girls’ under-16 singles category of the Ashwani Gupta Memorial District Badminton Championship at the Tau Devi Lal Complex, Sector 3, here today.

Other results:

Girls’ under-13 doubles: Daksha-Jyoti b Taneya-Jisha, 21-12, 21-11; women singles: Pallavi Aggarwal b Kannu Aggarwal, 14-21, 21-16, 21-15; girls’ under-13 singles: Daksha b Jagriti, 21-17, 21-18; boys’ under-10 singles: Sacit b Abhijot, 21-19, 21-12; boys’ under-13 singles: Mohit Arora b Ketan Chehal, 22-20, 18-21, 24-22; boys’ under-13 doubles Ketan-Mohit b Ravinder-Anchit, 21-18, 18-21, 21-19; boys’ under-16 singles: Ravi Singla b Gaurav Pahwa, 17-21, 21-17, 21-15; boys’ under-16 doubles: Prateek-Puneet b Gaurav-Akshit, 21-14, 18-21, 21-9; men’s doubles: Adhiraj-Vikas b Sachin-Munish, 19-21, 21-9, 21-16.

Cycle rally by GCG-42
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 27
A 30-minute cycling for a year can help in increasing the fitness, besides decreasing the risk of heart failure and the heart strokes.

This was the message spread by over 25 students of Government College for Girls, Sector 42, during a cycle rally organised by the Community Medicine Department of PGIMER in collaboration with the sports wing of the college today.

The rally marked the ongoing awareness drive launched by the department under the Chandigarh Healthy Heart Action Project (CHHAP).