Chandigarh, November 22
She is hardly 16-day-old but has become a “blue eyed’ baby of the doctors of the PGI, after undergoing a rare cardio-vascular surgery successfully, here.

Just hours after her birth at the PGI, she started turning blue and sick due to blockage of blood vessels carrying blood from heart to lungs. Doctors performed a two-and-a-half hours long surgery upon her and saved the baby from the jaws 
of death.

The baby girl was just 60-hours-old when she was operated upon by a team of doctors comprising Dr Rohit Manoj, Paediatric cardiologist, Dr Sourabh Datta, Neonatologist, Dr G.D. Puri, cardiac anaesthetic and Dr Rana Sandip Singh, Paediatric Surgeon, on November 8.

Mrs Harinder Kaur, from Girdharpur village in Kurukshetra gave birth to the baby girl in the PGI on November 6. Before the delivery, she had undergone an echo test done at Sector 19, Chandigarh, based a private nursing home. The test reports had shown some “congenital cardiac anomaly” in the foetus following which the family decided to go in for the treatment and delivery at the PGI.

The wife of Mr Harcharan Singh, a Second Officer in the Merchant Navy, Mrs Harinder Kaur told The Tribune that the PGI doctors had told the couple that the chances of baby’s survival were quite bleak. “Praying to the God we decided to go in for a surgery of the girl,” she said.

“We are thankful to the God and the doctors who saved our daughter,” said Mr Harcharan Singh.

“The baby’s blood pressure started dropping. Detailed echocardiography showed that the defects were quite complex, which included double outlet right ventricle. There was no major artery from left ventricle and her survival chances looked bleak,” said Dr Rana Sandip Singh, paediatric surgeon today. 

Chandigarh, November 22
Hundreds of medicos who have to attend counselling for their admissions to postgraduate degree courses at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and the PGI, Chandigarh, are in a quandary as the counselling dates for both the institutes clash.

The institutes have fixed December 11 as a date of counselling.

The AIIMS and the PGI have recently conducted entrance tests for admission to the MD and MS postgraduate degree courses. Admission to these MD/MS Courses are conducted on all-India basis as all eligible candidates can appear in these degree courses.

A Sector 27 resident, Dr Avneep and his fellow doctors said as the counselling dates were clashing, the candidates would not be able to attend the counselling at the AIIMS, and at the PGI on the same day.

Mohali, November 22
Applauding Brian Lara for equalling Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 34 centuries, former Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly termed him as a player blessed with exceptional ability.

He said, “It is difficult to say how far Lara would go during his carrer. He is a player blessed with exceptional cricketing ability.”

While talking to mediapersons at PCA Stadium here today after a net session, Saurav termed Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Lara as the three legends of cricket. “There is no comparison of these three,” said Ganguly.

On his comeback in the national squad, Saurav, who remained tightlipped on questions about the Indian cricket team and coach Greg Chappell, was terse, “I have been having a good run in domestic cricket since I was left out. I will try to get a lot of runs and wickets.” He was happy with his century in the Duleep Trophy match at Guwahati recently and termed it as a good start for the season.

For tomorrow’s Ranji Trophy match against Punjab, the skipper of Bengal hoped that it would be a good tie as the Mohali pitch was good enough for bowlers. “I have played here and the pitch always proved good for me,” he said.

Chandigarh, November 22
Ankur of Chandigarh beat Nikhil of Andhra Pradesh 21-16, 26-24 in the junior boys singles’ qualifying round matches of XXXI Junior National Badminton Championships started at the Badminton Hall, Sports Complex, Sector-3, here, today. The junior girls Single’s match between Sahil of Punjab and Saurabh Singh (UP) was well fought. Sahil ultimately won in three games with the score of 15-21, 21-16, 27-25.

The brief results: Junior boys singles: Gaurav Sharma b Sandeep 21-2, 21-8, Sahil b Saurabh Singh 15-21, 21-16,27-25, Nikhil b Dinesh Chaudhary 21-8, 21-8, Sanket b Rohit Moorthy 21-15,21-16, Abhishik Bedi b Niranjan 21-07, 24-22, Sridin M b Rohit 21-12, 21-17, Prabjot Singh b G. Mohan Kumar 22-20, 21-16, M. Parshanth b Hardeep 21-12, 21-07, Aman Singh b Sumit Tyagi 26-24, 18-21, 21-17, Pratik Khurana b Tushar 19-21, 21-16, 21-16, Ashish b Vishnu (w/o) B. Sumeeth Reddy b Antriksh Singh 21-14, 24-22, N. Sriram b Rishiket Yolgar(W/O), B.S. Phalgun b Gaurav Sharma 21-07, 21-14, Sahil b Sunit Dahiya 21-12, 21-13, Ankur b Nikhil 21-16, 26-24.

Junior girls doubles: Kadambari Chedah and P.Veda b Muskan and Anuradha 21-12, 18-21, 21-13, M. Shrutha and Ashurathy b Sheetal Swati 21-11, 21-10, P Jyotsna and A Priya b Varda Dixit and Prajakta Sawant 21-13, 18-21, 21-16.

Chandigarh, November 22
The Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association’s product Harry Singh Amor beat top seeded Inderjot Singh of Punjab 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 in the quarter final match of Boys Under 18 Singles category of AITA Talent Series Tennis Tournament being held at CLTA’s court here today.

Boys Under-18 (Singles): Quarterfinal: Harry S. Amor (CHD) bt Inderjot Singh (PB) 4-6,6-0,7-6, Mandeep S. Gill (CHD) bt Digvijay S. Mehta (HP) 6-4,6-0, Santosh Ghatge (MAH) W/o Karanvir Singh (CHD), Chandam Shaolin (CHD) bt Gaurav Inder Singh Toor (CHD) 6-0,2-0 (CONCD.).

Boys Under-12 (Singles): Quarterfinal: Digvijay S. Naruka (CHD) bt Shailender Kataria (RAJ) 6-4,6-0, Pankaj Kumar (CHD) bt Harmeet Singh (CHD) 6-7,6-4,6-2, Kamal Kishore Maderana (RAJ) bt Ayush Mintri (PB) 6-3,6-4,Nischay Rawal (CHD) bt Ishaan Hooda(HAR) 5-7,6-1,6-2 .

Girls Under-18 (Singles): Quarterfinal: Noor Paul (CHD) bt Harnoor K. Mann (CHD) 6-0,6-0, Prabhamrit Kaur (CHD) bt Parminder Kaur(CHD) 6-0, 6-0, Baljinder Kaur (HAR) BT Ankita Singh (CHD) 6-2, 6-3.

Girls Under-12 (Singles): Quarterfinal: Parminder Kaur (CHD) bt Saumta Choudhary (CHD) 6-0, 6-1, Simran Kaur Sethi (DEL) bt Gneeve Kaur (CHD) 6-3, 6-1.

Chandigarh, November 22
St John’s School, Sector 26, outplayed St Xavier’s School, Sector 44, by 3-0 in a Pool B encounter of the second St Kabir Trophy Chandigarh State Football Tournament for boys Under-12, here, today. The matches were today shifted to St John’s School as morning rain rendered the St Kabir School ground unplayable.

St John’s opened their account during 10th minute through Rajatdeep Singh Deol. Maintaining the rhythm, St John’s added another goal in the 19th minute through Aamir Khan. Pasrich Oberio rounded of the winners’ tally in the 35th minute.

It was St John’s second successive triumph and from two matches they have so far secured six points to brighten their chances to qualify for the next stage.

Last year’s runners-up, St Peter’s School, Sector 37, suffered a jolt from Ryan International School, Sector 49, and lost the match by 0-1 in a hard-fought Pool C outing. Rajat scored the match-winning goal in the 40th minute.

Mohali, November 22
The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) earned over Rs 14.57 crore at an auction held for freehold commercial sites here today.

All 16 booth sites in Phases I VI and the bulk material market put to auction were sold by the GMADA. Most of the bidders present at the auction were interested in purchasing booths sites and showed very little interest in buying SCOs, SCFs and SSSs . Out of a total of 25 such sites, the authorities concerned were able to sell only six SCF sites. This was the first auction held after the formation of the GMADA more than three months ago.

For a change, bidders preferred sites located in Phases I and VI. These areas were not much in demand by buyers in the past years. All booth and SCF sites that were put to auction in these two phases were sold out. GMADA was able to sell three of the five SCF sites in Phase XI. The maximum price offered for one site here was Rs 1.64 crore against a reserve price of Rs 1,34,46,125.

Mr M.S. Narang, Additional Chief Administrator, GMADA, said that against a total reserve price of Rs 3,60,7,000 for all 16 booth sites, the authority was able to earn Rs 5,36,70,000. In the case of six SCFs that were sold out, a revenue of Rs 9,20,55,000 was earned against a total reserve price of Rs 7,16 ,11,000.

GMADA witnessed a sharp increase in the prices offered by bidders for booth sites. Today the maximum price that a booth site in Phase I fetched was Rs 40.25 lakh. In the auction held in March this year booth sites were sold for between Rs 26 lakh and Rs 28 lakh.

Eight booth sites were put to auction in Phase I and four each in Phase VI and the bulk material market. Two booth sites in Phase VI were sold for Rs 33. 25 lakh and Rs 27.50 lakh against a reserve price of Rs 12, 47,950. However, a corner booth site in the same area fetched Rs 39.75 lakh against a reserve price of Rs 23, 20,000.

Three SCF sites in Phase I were sold between Rs 1,41,50, 000 and Rs 1.46 crore against a reserve price of Rs 1,04,24,150.

GMADA failed to attract bidders for bigger commercial sites located in Phases III B 2, IX, X and Sector 70.