Ludhiana, February 24
Snatchers beware! Next time you target a woman, you may fall in a trap as the “victim” could turn out to be a police official in plainclothes. To keep a check on the increasing incidents of snatching in the city, the police has set up an anti-snatching cell.

The police has been busy with regard to the DSP murder case and the number of snatching cases have been on the rise. The cell will consist of two teams that would be formed with police officials drawn from the CIA wing. The teams will patrol various parts of the city to keep a check on anti-social elements.

Over the past few days, snatchers have targeted several residents, with the latest one being a woman from whom gold jewellery and cash worth nearly Rs 6 lakh was snatched by two motorcycle-borne youths from near Fountain Chowk yesterday.

On Wednesday, two snatchers had snatched Rs 7 lakh from a dairy employee in the Dashmesh Nagar area. A clean-shaven man and a turbaned youth are reportedly behind both the incidents.

Harjinder Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), said it would be a dedicated cell. “Both men as well as women police officials will patrol the city in plainclothes. They will be equipped with weapons and identity cards. We hope that in the coming days, there will be a decrease in the number of snatching incidents,” he said.

Ludhiana, February 24
Thieves struck at a factory near Sahnewal late last night and decamped with industrial goods worth around Rs 10 lakh. The thieves entered the factory located at Nandpur village near Sahnewal by breaking a portion of the boundary wall.

The police visited the factory premises today and said the matter looked fishy as around half-a-dozen factory employees as well as the security guard were present on the premises at the time of the incident and none of them came to know about it.

It was around 8 am today when Aman Mehra, owner of the factory, received a call from a factory worker, informing him about the theft.

“I suspect that the theft might have taken place at around 2 am as I had left the factory at 9.30 pm last night and was shocked to hear that a theft had taken place,” he said.

Mehra said the thieves decamped with dyes, electric motors, fixtures and other industrial goods worth around Rs 10 lakh. “All these goods were lying in an open shed located in a corner of the 3,500-sq yard factory. Maybe that is why the workers did not hear any noise. I suspect it to be the handiwork of an organised gang, which has been active in the area for a long time,” he said.

Arvind Puri, SHO of the Sahnewal police station, said the police had not received a written complaint in this regard. “Once we get a complaint, we will start investigation,” he said.

Ludhiana, February 24
The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) seems to have failed when it comes to keeping a check on the quality of material used in the laying of roads. A truck loaded with plywood got stuck on the road opposite the ESI Hospital near Bharat Nagar Chowk following a cave-in here today.

The truck had come from Mandi Gobindgarh to deliver goods in the city and remained stuck for hours. The driver said he had come from Mandi Gobindgarh to deliver plywood at a local shop.

“The truck suddenly got stuck in the road. When I got off, I was shocked to see that a portion of the road had caved in,” said the driver.

MC Commissioner Malwinder Singh Jaggi said the matter had not been brought to his notice.

“The road cave-in might be a minor one as it has not come to my notice. I suspect that such incidents take place due to seepage of sewage. The road would be repaired tomorrow morning. I have already issued orders in this regard,” claimed Jaggi.

Ludhiana, February 24
Almost all the hotels in the city are booked till Sunday as the delegates for the Indo-Pak expo and cycle expo are staying there. While hotel owners are making a quick buck, those who need to book a hotel room are facing inconvenience.

All the rooms of prominent hotels are booked. “Some delegations are staying at our hotel and not even a single room is available till Sunday,” said a hotel employee.

Nearly 4,000 dealers are expected to come to the city during the four-day cycle expo. Apart from the Indo-Pak exhibitors, delegates from the industrial chambers have also landed in the city to hold a meeting with industry representatives of the city.

Varinder Kaur, a resident of Gurdev Nagar, said she wanted to book four rooms for her relatives who were coming to the city to attend a wedding. “But I have not got even a single room in the hotels located on the Ferozepur Road. It will be difficult for me to accommodate two joint families at my place,” she said.

A hotelier at Bhadaur House said his hotel was filled to capacity. “Generally, few people come to our hotel as it is located in a congested area. But thanks to the two expos, all the rooms in our hotel are booked,” he said.

“Ludhiana is an industrial hub and foreign delegates keep coming to the city for business propositions. But now that the expos are going on simultaneously, it is raining visitors at our hotel,” said another hotel owner on the Pakhowal Road.

Ludhiana, February 24
Taking a note that petrol stations located close to schools and colleges in different parts of the city pose a potential threat to the students by way of motor accidents or fire hazard, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has sought a detailed report from the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, before the complaint filed by a city-based social activist, Varinder Singh, comes up next for hearing on April 24, 2012.

In his complaint, Varinder Singh, quoting directions of the Apex Court of India, said in several parts of the city, petrol stations were located right in front or very close to the educational institutions which was in violation of the directions of the Supreme Court.

Citing two examples, he said one petrol station had recently become operational in front of Arya College for Boys and Kundan Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School on the Rajpura Road while another was located just next to the boundary wall of Springdale Senior Secondary School in Sherpur.

The complainant said the Supreme Court had directed the states through the union government to ensure strict compliance of the National Building Code of India which prohibits location of petrol stations in the vicinity of educational institutions as these pose a huge fire hazard and also expose the students to threat of road accidents. He stated that repeated complaints made to the district administration and other bodies that had issued "no objection certificates" (NOCs) to the petrol stations, had failed to evoke any response.

The commission observed that on consideration of the facts as mentioned in the complaint, cognisance is taken of the matter and a report is sought from the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, under Section 17 (i) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, before the next date of hearing.

Ludhiana, February 24
A proposal has been sent by the divisional headquarters of the northern railway at Ferozepur to the zonal headquarters and the railway ministry to convert Duronto Express (running between Amritsar and Chandigarh) into an inter-city express train with commercial halts at Jalandhar and Ludhiana.

From the day one, when it was launched with much fanfare on August 24, 2011, the lone Duronto train announced for Punjab has been facing low occupancy.

The railway authorities were under immense pressure to give stoppages to the train at Jalandhar and Ludhiana to make it commercially viable. But Duronto trains are supposed to run non-stop from the originating station to the terminating point, barring a stopover for technical or operational reasons.

Senior railway officials said in view of the low occupancy and poor utilisation, an air-conditioned chair car and four chair car coaches of the train were withdrawn from December 21, 2011.

“As the Duronto train had failed to draw the travelling public with the average occupancy ranging between 25 and 60 per cent, or at times even less, a formal proposal has been sent by the divisional headquarters to the northern railway headquarters in Delhi to convert the train into an inter-city express train with commercial stoppages at Jalandhar and Ludhiana. Since it involves a policy decision, it might have to be referred to the railway ministry before any action can be taken,” the officials stated.

They were optimistic that the proposal would meet the acceptance of the headquarters because rather than the complete withdrawal of the train due to its commercial failure, it would be better to convert it into an inter-city express train and keep it running in a new avatar in the larger interest of the public.

Ludhiana, February 24
Ludhianvis are the keenest purchasers of gold in the state. That seems to be the case from the figures of purchase of gold from the postal department across the state as the sale of gold coins in the city is higher than that of any other part of the state.

The sale of coins in the Head Post Office is reportedly the highest. The post office has reportedly been maintaining a lead since the beginning of sales about four years ago.

The coins are available in various denominations, including 0.5 gm, 1gm, 5gm, 10 gm, 20 gm, 50 gm and are available at various post offices in the city, including central post office, post office at Model Town and Head Post Office.

Swiss gold coins are 24 carat gold with the purity of 99.99 per cent and are manufactured in Valcambi, Switzerland, in association with the World Gold Council and Reliance Money Infrastructure.

A customer, who regularly purchases gold from the post office, said, “There is always a satisfaction and assurance at the back of your mind when you make a purchase from the government,” she said. “Every time I purchase a coin, I get a certificate promising its purity. So I prefer buying coins from here rather than from the market,” she added.

“The sales for obvious reasons increases in festival season,” said Gurbaksh Kaur, the postal assistant, dealing with the gold coins here. Swaraj Kaur, chief postmaster, Head Post Office, attributed the highest sales to better customer satisfaction.

Ludhiana, February 24
The much-awaited bike expo started at Government College for Women today. Huge turnout was witnessed on the first day. Nearly 4,000 cycle and cycle parts dealers will be coming to the exhibition from different parts of the country. Exhibitors are expecting a good business. Apart from the major cycle players like Hero, Avon and Atlas, many small cycle manufacturers have also put up their stalls. Cycles, cycle parts and other accessories like baskets, air pumps and paint companies for cycle paints have exhibited their products at the expo.

Gurmeet Singh Kular, president of the United Cycle Parts and Manufacturers Association, said the cycle expo would prove to be a good opportunity for manufacturers and dealers. “Even the dealers coming to the expo will get numerous options under one roof,” he added.

New models launched

Hi-Bird Cycles today launched a 21 speed super luxury high-tech rickshaw which is exported to the European market. While this rickshaw costs around Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh in the European market, they have developed a same design as per Indian conditions in the range of Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000. Attractive in design, it also has a provision for newspaper/magazine, water bottle and radio. The model is developed for the hotel and tourism industry. While Hero cycles launched its model Urbane Trail in the market today. Priced at Rs 44,000, urban trail is made purely from carbon and has 21 speed gear.

Students exhibit their model

Students from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College exhibited their two-seater cycle developed by them. Eight students of mechanical engineering stream came up with this model which also has a motor attached to it. The model was prepared during a competition held at University Institute of Engineering and Technology.

No participant from China

The cycle expo does not have a participant from its competitor China but the delegation and participants from the city will be going there to be a part of the expo.

A 48-member delegation will be going to China to be a part of the cycle expo being held there from March 26 to 29. Along with the delegation some companies will also be participating in the expo but ironically no company from China was invited to the city.

Ludhiana, February 24
As per a recent study conducted by the World Health Organisation, Ludhiana, ranks number 1 in pollution. And the increasing pollution level is also affecting the health of people by one way or the other. To see the effect of pollution on stroke patients, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, has tied up with the Punjab Pollution Control Board, Ludhiana, for conducting a research.

Disclosing this Dr Jairaj Pandiyan, professor and head, neurology department, CMCH, said, “It is a “Task Force Project” funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research and will be completed in two years. An amount of Rs 35 lakh will be spent on it.”

Dr Pandiyan said effects of the changed weather would also be observed on stroke patients. He said, “For this the Chandigarh Met department will assist us by giving us weather data on a day-to-day basis. While levels of different types of pollution, including soil, air, noise, water and industrial pollution will be provided by the PPCB, Ludhiana. About stroke cases, we will coordinate with all major hospitals, general practitioners and physicians of the city and scan centres where stroke patients are admitted, checked or carried for scan.

However, the municipal corporation, Ludhiana, will provide data related to stroke deaths.”

Ludhiana, February 24
Medical emergencies can happen unexpectedly. It can be at the home, office or outside and can vary from a small injury to a heart attack to a fatal accident. But many people do not know how to tackle an injured person before an ambulance reaches and crucial time is lost.

To make people of about it, Ziqitza Health Care Limited-Dial 108, service provider of Ambulance 108 service in Punjab, has launched a free awareness campaign under the First Responder Programme (FRP).

Jatin Malhotra, cluster head of Ludhiana-11, Ambulance 108 service, said: “We believe that it’s not enough to just provide an ambulance service. In the event of a traumatic or medical emergency, and before an ambulance or medical help arrives, it is the person near the victim who has the power to help save his life. In most cases, people want to help, but do not know how to and might even complicate the situation by assisting the victim incorrectly. We have already conducted workshops in several companies, corporate offices and schools and colleges in Punjab. The response has been outstanding.”

Workshops are organised and deliberated by medical professionals from Ziqitza Health Care Limited and one can call up Gurvinder Singh, state coordinator of the FRP, on his cell number 7307475552 for holding a free awareness workshop on first aid.

Jagdeep Singh, another cluster head, said: “When an injury takes place, whether it is the person himself or a fellow employee, knowing what to do and to be able to react quickly can limit the severity of the injury and even prevent death. The importance of first aid is not only during terror attacks alone but also in our daily lives.”

Through interactive workshops people are trained in basic life skill techniques to deal with both medical and traumatic emergencies. Workshops provide specific instructions on how to respond to the most common traumatic and medical emergencies (including bleeding, burns, fractures, seizures, stroke, heart attacks and cardiac arrest). Additionally, the workshops seek to dispel common misconceptions on how to treat medical conditions, teaching individuals about the dangers of incorrect handling and improper first aid, which can lead to further complications.

Ludhiana, February 24
Guru Nanak Bhawan was today bustling with students and young executives, apart from renowned industrialists and educationists, as the Ludhiana Management Association’s symposium “Shaping Young Minds” was held here. The attendees were enthralled by the innovative outlook and liveliness of the speakers. The resource persons included luminaries in their fields, G Krishnan, former executive director of a news channel, Maj Gen Raj Mehta (retd), Sanjeev Kapoor, a chef and an entrepreneur, and Raghunath Medge, president of the famous 'Mumbai Dabbawallas'.

G Krishnan explained how media played an important role, despite being accused of being irresponsible. By showing a minute by minute footage of the 26/11 Mumbai tragedy, he showed how media averted a mass riot. He also shared how Niira Radia’s tapes were released under tremendous business and political pressure. Every participant was spellbound.

Ludhiana, February 24
About 75 per cent diseases, emerging globally in humans, are associated with zoonosis, a disease in animals which can be transferred to humans. Veterinary experts warn that zoonotic diseases prevalent in India can prove fatal if the masses are not made aware of it.

Diseases like rabies, anthrax, brucellosis, toxoplasmosis, cysticersosis, swine flu, Japanese encephalitis and avian influenza are the common zoonotic diseases prevalent in the country.

Dr JPS Gill, Director, School of Public Health and Zoonosis at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), said in Punjab, brucellosis was the most common disease found in humans. It was spread through large animals and some times, humans could get the disease through canines.

“This is mainly found in female animals. The symptoms include infertility and abortion at a later stage. If it spreads in humans, the symptoms include night chills, join pains, loss of appetite and intermittent fever. The vulnerable targets of the disease are veterinarians, para-veterinary staff and dairy farmers,” he said, adding that Japanese encephalitis had claimed the lives of several children in the states of UP and Bihar recently.

He stressed that diseases like cysticersosis (caused by parasites) could prove fatal if not detected and treated on time. “We need to follow the one-health concept. Most of the diseases in humans and animals are now common and medical professionals, too, need to accept this fact,” stressed Dr Gill.

Ludhiana, February 24
Can you imagine that crows can be trained to pick up coins and drop them in vending machines for getting peanuts as rewards? Josh Klein did just that. Popularly known as the quintessential hacker, he was here for a seminar organised by Young Presidents Organisation (YPO), Punjab chapter, at a hotel in the city recently. Personifying “nothing is impossible” phrase, he thinks out of the box, coming up with solutions to a variety of problems.

He is a self-professed hacker, a white cap hacker, which means that he does hacking for the improvement of system, plugging loopholes which requires better knowledge and understanding of things.

Josh proved that birds like crows that could adapt to human environment could be made to do something useful.

His first brush with hacking happened when he was 12. He had the challenge to download a videogame, a tricky and tortuous procedure in those days that got him started with breaking the rules, for good.

He works independently in various sectors for projects of various kinds, too innovative and creative to be bound to a few the beaten-path projects. He now spends a lot of time working with companies like Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle and also with intelligence agencies like the CIA, FBI and others on various projects.

He said, “There is so much information available today, that educating yourself about anything is possible. You can gain expertise on anything, under the sun with a few subjects like medical being an exception.”

His creativity is not bound to a certain fields either. He has written a novel, a business book and is also working with television series titled History of Innovation on the National Geographic channel.

He took a break from the technology for sometime, spent some time at Iceland away from technology. During that time, he wrote a science fiction novel Roo'd. He put that online for free access and it turned out to be the first novel to be downloaded on the iphone in 2007.

He said he would like to work in India. He appreciated the entrepreneurial attitude of people here. Talking about next big trends he said the big data processing and uploading would be one of the next trends. Machine learning and artificial intelligence apart from design-user interface would be at the forefront of innovation in the immediate future.

Brace up against hacking

Talking about the need for people to get aware about hacking, Klein said working with Internet and technology was like driving fast cars, these days, instead of riding bicycles of previous years. We need to make ourselves more aware. He said there was no system that was foolproof. “A dedicated hacker can get through all security measures. At individual level, he said people must learn about hacking to make themselves less vulnerable to it. In this era of technology, he said it "pays to be paranoid,” he said.

He said most of the hacking being done these days was aimed at stealing money and property. So people needed to be all the more careful and should take extra care while creating passwords.

He said hacking was widely prevalent at the corporate level as well, as companies were involved in stealing online information, so more and more companies were employing skills of hackers to protect themselves.

Although unsure about the extent of corporate hacking incidents in India, he said such incidents went unreported as companies did not disclose their financial losses lest they should lose the confidence of their stakeholders.

Cloud computing

Josh said as opportunities increased with cloud computing, data would be more prone to hacking as well. But private clouds set up by and for companies that would be locked down would be secure, he said.

Social media

Talking about social media, he said people should accept friends’ request carefully. With so many fake Ids floating around, anybody can gain access to your personal information and photographs and misuse them.

Smartphones

Talking about phones, he said one should not put too much personal information on smartphones, unless all the information was encrypted. One needed to “develop an eye” for the good and the bad mobile applications, he added.

Ludhiana, February 24
The four-day 24th regional workskill competition of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) concluded today at Advanced Training Institute (ATI). Out of the 120 participants, about 42 were declared winners.

They came from industries such as Abhishek Industries, Denso India, Hero Moto Corp, Nestle India, Mariti Suzuki India, SRF, New Holland Tractors and Tata Motors Ltd.

“The experience has been rewarding, both professionally and personally,” said Nagaraja, who emerged winner in the Fitter trade category.

He said the ATI offered an enabling environment to competitors to produce their best work.

The CII Regional Committee on skills tried to raise the level of the annual competition this time by improving the management of individual contests, making it a learning and equally fun experience for experts and delegates, allowing for open communication between experts and participants.

The winners will now compete at the national level in FTI-Bangalore in March, 2012, and eventually, at the WorldSkills Competition in Leipzig, Germany, in 2013.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, February 24
Regretting that successive governments have failed to create awareness among the youth of the border state about career in foreign countries, including office-bearers of various organisations of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), have urged social and educational organisations to launch a coordinated awareness movement to update educated and skilled youth about jobs and business prospects in different countries.

Maintaining that professionally qualified youth has wide scope in various states of Canada and United States of America, the NRIs said more aspiring youths should prove their worth in ‘tough’ states instead of risking their hard earned money at the hands of unauthorised travel agents.

Office-bearers and activists of the NRI organisations led by Sukhdev Singh Liddar, president, Brampton Springdale Federal Liberal Riding Association, and Davinder Singh Garcha, president, Indian Overseas Congress, regretted that a large number of Punjabi youth had faced disappointment in an effort to settle in prime localities of Canada and USA for lack of authentic information about policies and principles of the immigrating states.

“A large number of educated youths who had immigrated to Canada and USA in search of greener pastures, are facing frustration as they had relied on unauthorised agents instead of seeking advice of those settled there already,” said Sukhdev Singh and Davinder Garcha.

Kuldeep Singh, another NRI, argued that educated and professionally qualified youth should explore possibilities of settling in developing states.

“Visa conditions are more liberal for these states where the immigrants are required to stay for a certain minimum period,” added Singh.

Randhir Singh Cheema, an NRI, said the authorities at social and educational institutes should arrange to organise awareness camps and seminars for youths aspiring to settle in foreign countries.

Ludhiana, February 24
The Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) today held an interactive session and a B to B meeting with the Industry Chambers of Pakistan namely Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rawal Pindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry to promote trade.

Inderjit Singh Pardhan, president of the CICU, said the business community in India and Pakistan were making all efforts to take the relationship forward.

Avtar Singh, general secretary of the CICU, in his inaugural speech said, “In 2009-2010, India imported $276 million worth goods from Pakistan. Today, Pakistan is in a position to supply cotton, cement and other raw materials to India at a fraction of the cost at which they are imported from other countries. Various trading points-Wagah in Punjab and various ports in Western India, linked from Karachi make this an easy option.”

Upkar Singh, joint secretary of the CICU, said this interaction would help promote bilateral trade and people to people contact between both the countries. “This is a golden opportunity for developing new business contacts as such as trade across the border is bound to become very cost effective. This will definitely help Ludhiana industry to emerge as a potential international trade centre of Punjab,” he stated.

An MOU was today signed between the Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings to promote the development of bilateral trade relations by providing a platform for businessmen to meet, discuss and explore business opportunities in trade and industrial sector.

Dehlon, February 24
The State Bank of India (SBI) apprised family members of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) of the region about the bank’s various schemes and facilities during an ‘NRI Meet’ organised here on Wednesday.

Officials, led by Dr G P Ray, deputy general manager, and Anuradha Naraynan, assistant general manager of the bank, interacted with members of at least 100 NRI families and briefed them about the latest developments, such as the hike in rate of interest.

Acknowledging their concern for protection of their investments, Ray and Naraynana assured the NRIs that their interests would be taken care of at every cost. A brief presentation was also made about the various deposit schemes introduced for the NRIs by the bank. The NRIs also raised queries to clear their doubts about certain schemes on the occasion.

Ludhiana, February 24
Nearly 600 students competed for top honours in the two-day 52nd Annual Athletics Meet of Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College held here today. Navpreet Singh and Jyoti Verma were declared the best athletes among boys and girls, respectively.

Dr Buta Singh, Dean, Punjab Technical University, presided over the prize distribution function. Dr MS Saini, director of the college, read out the annual report that highlighted the achievements of the college students during the academic session.

The students of the college who brought fame to the institute in various sports competitions were honoured on the occasion. Dr Saini appreciated Dr Gunjan Bhardwaj and Prof Jasmaninder Singh for their contribution towards development of sports in the college.

Results: Girls (3,000m race): Harjot Gill 1 and Priya 2; shot put: Harsharan Kaur 1 and Rupinder Kaur 2; 400m relay race: CSE 1 and elecrtrical 2; 200m race: Jyoti Verma 1 and Shikha Sugandhi 2; 400x100m race: Harjot Gill 1 and Shikha Sugandhi 2; discus throw: Rupinder Kaur 1 and Komalpreet Kaur 2; 100m hurdles: Jyoti Verma 1 and Gurpreet Kaur 2; 1,500m race: Harjot Gill 1 and Birpal Kaur 2; javelin throw: Sandeep Kaur 1 and Harpreet Kaur 2; long jump: Jyoti Verma 1 and Jaspreet Kaur 2; triple jump: Gurpreet Kaur 1 and Jyoti Verma 2.

Boys: 1,500m race: Gauravdeep Singh 1 and Jyoti Verma 2; long jump: Deepinder Singh 1 and Gurjot Singh 2; discus throw: Harshdeep Singh 1 and Mandeep Singh 2; 400m hurdles race: Gundeep Singh 1 and Narinder Pal Singh 2; 5,000m race: Jashanpreet Singh 1 and Amit Chowdhary 2; high jump: Prabhjot Singh 1 and Deepinder Singh 2; javelin throw: Sahil Sharma 1 and Harminder Singh 2; 4x100m relay race: Civil engineering 1 and computer science 2; 10,000m race: Jashanpreet Singh 1, Sunil Kumar 2; shot put: Simranpal Singh 1 and Harpal Singh 2; triple jump: Ravinder Singh 1 and Gundeep Sandhu 2; 110m hurdles race: Gundeep Singh Sandhu 1 and Rajpal Singh 2; 400m race: Navpreet Singh 1 and Karanveer Sharma 2.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, February 24
The kabaddi team of International Ambi Hathur Club emerged victorious in the open category during the eighth Nirmal Singh Nimma Memorial Kabaddi Cup Tournament at Kalakh village, near here, today.

The Dashmesh Club, Kalakh, were declared the runners-up. Dulla and Amna Janetpuria were declared best raider and stopper, respectively. The winners and runner-ups were presented mementos and cash prizes worth Rs 1 lakh and Rs 75,000.

The tournament, being jointly organised by the Surinder Singh Toni led Academy and the NRI Kabaddi Federation, was inaugurated by Jagdish Singh Garcha, former minister, while Darshan Singh Shivalik MLA was the chief guest.

Surinder Singh Toni, president of the Punjab Kabaddi Association, said in each category only eight teams were allowed to play.

Ludhiana, February 24
Trainees of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Training Centre, Ludhiana, excelled in the Junior National Judo Tournament in Agra recently. Over 200 judokas from across the country vied to finish among the position holders.

According to Harbans Singh, in charge of the SAI Training Centre, judokas from this centre -- Rahul, Karandeep Thakur, Anjali, Vandna, Seema and Pooja -- represented the state in the prestigious meet and two of them finished at the podium.

Rahul pipped his opponents to secure a gold medal in the 66 kg weight category while Karandeep (60 kg), after overcoming his rivals, tumbled at the last hurdle to content with the silver medal.

Rakesh Singh, a senior judo coach, appreciated Rahul and Karandeep’s achievements in Agra. “Rahul is an expert in the Tai-otoshi technique, which means to throw the opponent by fall. It is difficult to execute this art perfectly,” he said. Prior to this, Rahul had competed in the National CBSE Judo Championship held in Sonepat last year, where he romped home as champion in his weight group. He also secured a gold medal in the North Zone Judo Meet in Hisar. Rahul said his uncle, Olympian and Arjuna awardee Narinder Singh and his mentor Rakesh Singh, were helping him polish his game further.

Ludhiana, February 24
A large number of students (boys and girls) took part in various track and field events in the annual athletics meet of Punjab College for Technical Education (PCTE) which started at the ITBP ground here today.

Dr KN Singh Kang, director-general of the PCTE group of institutes, declared the meet open. He highlighted the importance of games in inculcating the qualities of discipline, hard work, cooperation and zeal to excel. Results

Boys (200m race): Ravneet Singh 1, Jatinderjit Singh 2 and Harpreet Singh 3; girls (1,200m race): Nelcy Khatri 1, N Briget 2 and Caroline 3; 400m race: Geraldine 1, Kezang 2 and Caroline 3; long jump: Faith 1, Geraldine 2, Kiranpreet Kaur and Jaspreet Kaur 3.

Ludhiana, February 24
The Ludhiana District Basketball Association will organise the 62nd Punjab State Basketball Championship here at Guru Nanak Sports Complex from February 27 to March.

General secretary of the Punjab Basketball Association (PBA) Teja Singh Dhaliwal said more than 30 teams in both the sections would be seen in action during the four-day event.

“The organising committee has been constituted for the smooth conduct of the championship,” said Dhaliwal.