The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

20 lakh kids get polio drops
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 2
Over 20 lakh children were administered polio drops in the second phase of Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme in the NCT of Delhi today.

The Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, launched the programme by administering pulse polio drops to several children at her official residence today morning.

Listing the progress over the last few years, Ms Dikshit said that while 73 cases of polio were reported in 1999, the figure had dropped to three last year. Only two cases had been reported till December this year, she said.

The Health Minister, Dr A. K. Walia, told reporters that 7,000 polio centres were set up under the programme across the NCT of Delhi. These included 200 mobile polio centres and 50 transit centres at railway stations, inter-state bus terminuses, entry and exit points on highways and airports. A polio centre operated at Appu Ghar also.

Detailing the operational logistics, the minister said that polio vaccine was made available well before 9 am by maintaining cold chain, which were stored in 47 regional vaccine stores. Over 7,200 teams comprising two personnel each had been formed for the purpose which would carry out the immunisation drive over the next five days in the NCT of Delhi. Also, 1,400 supervisors had been deployed to monitor the house-to-house immunisation, he said.

The third phase of the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme would be organised in the NCT of Delhi on January 20 next year.

SONEPAT

A large number of children below five years were administered anti-polio drops by employees of the Health Department and activists of social and voluntary organisations at different booths created for the purpose in the city and other urban and rural areas of the district on Sunday.

Patient welfare panels in govt hospitals
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 2
If things go according to plans, government-run hospitals in the NCT of Delhi would soon have patient welfare committees. Intended for the benefit of underprivileged sections of the society, the idea, that is still in its conceptual stage, would form a part of the measures envisaged by the government for upgrading medical and health services.

Announcing the proposal after the inauguration of the newly built Blood Bank Services at Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, the Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, told reporters that with the formation of these committees under the Bhagidari programme, the services in the government-run hospitals would further improve.

It would lead to better interaction among hospital administration, doctors, citizens and patients in the decision making, she said.

On the occasion, she said that Sanjay Gandhi Hospital would be upgraded to a 250-bed hospital.

SPORTS

Sunil, Sania head seedings in tennis
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 2
Promising junior player Sunil Kumar Sipaeya and Sania Mirza head the seedings in the boys’ and girls’ section respectively in the 2001 Asian Junior Tennis Championship, starting at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) courts here on Monday.

The Under-18 ITF Grade B-2 Championship is one of the most prestigious international junior tennis tournaments held in Asia. The participating countries are Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan and India. The championship will afford the DLTA an opportunity to test the facilities created for the inaugural Afro-Asian Games, which seem to have been postponed indefinitely.

India will be hosting the Asian Junior Championship for the first time, to break the monopoly of Japan. The Championship will provide the top Indian junior boys and girls an opportunity to compete with top junior players from other parts of Asia on home conditions. For Sunil Kumar, who attained national fame at the age of 16 years when he won the National Hard Court title at this very venue two years ago, it will be a fine opportunity to put on show the strides he has made after regularly playing in the foreign circuit. In the boys section, the first three seeded players are Indians. The eighth seed is also from India. Amanjot Singh, who belongs to Chandigarh like Sunil, is the second seed while Rohan Gajjar has been seeded third. Wang-Cheng Hsieh of Chinese Taipei has been seeded fourth, while the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth places are being occupied by Tal Wei Liu of Chinese Taipei, Anuwat Dalodom of Thailand, Jaco T Mathews of India and Nishank Mishra of India.

Shastri Hockey from today
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 2
Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) will take on Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in the opening match of the 11th Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tournament starting at the Shivaji Stadium here on Monday.

Eight teams, divided into two groups, are taking part in the tournament. Pool A comprises Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Air India, Central Industrial Security Force and ONGC while Pool B consists of Punjab and Sind Bank, Indian Airlines, IHF Juniors and Dhaka XI (Bangladesh). The final is scheduled to be played on December 9.

Chairman of the Organising Committee Kamal Choudhary said that in order to promote and popularise hockey, the tournament has decided to award a silver medal to the best player in each of the matches. He said a specially-constituted committee will pick the best player. The tournament has received very encouraging sponsorship support this year as Bank of Baroda, Kribhco, NHPC, State Bank of India, Indian Airlines, Indian Potash Ltd., Indian Oil Corporation, ONGC, IFFCO, B D Steels and T T Industries have come forward to sponsor the tournament.

J&K take lead in Ranji Trophy
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 2
Jammu and Kashmir took a 196-run lead against Services on the third day of the North Zone Ranji Trophy league match at the Palam ground here on Sunday. A 72-run unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership between Kanwaljit Singh and Arshad Bhatt was the highlight of the Jammu and Kashmir innings.

J and K were 133 for four in their second innings after Services were shot out for 287 in their first innings. Services, resuming at 149 for five, repaired their innings through a responsible knock by skipper C D Thomson, who was involved in two fruitful partnerships with Sarabjeet Singh (39) and Arun Sharma (60), to take the total to 287 in reply to J and K's first innings total of 350. Thomson made a valuable 60.

J and K leg-spinner Jagtar Singh took two more wickets today for a total haul of five wickets. J and K suffered early blows in their second innings when they lost four wickets for the addition of just 51 runs when Services seized the initiative for the first time. But J and K hit back through Kanwaljit, double centurion in the first innings, and Arshad, as they batted patiently and sensibly to repair the damage and rebuild the innings. At stumps, Kanwaljit was going great guns on 51 runs (95b, 5x4) while Arshad was batting on 38 (56b). For Services, medium-pacer Sayed Javed took two wickets, while Hariprasad and Sudhakar Ghag.

Meenakshi wins gold, Yogesh bags silver
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 2
Meenakshi and Yogesh Shah won a gold and silver medal respectively for Gyan Devi Public School, Gurgaon in the Central Board of Secondary Education Athletic Championship held at Faridabad.

Meenakshi, a student of Class VII, bagged the gold medal in long jump for juniors while Yogesh Shah of Class X won the silver medal in javelin throw.

St. John Bosco thrash Dehradun in Subroto
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 2
St. John Bosco Secondary School, Sohra (Meghalaya) drubbed Maharana Pratap Sports School, Dehradun (Uttaranchal) 3-1 in the sub-junior group of the Subroto Mukherjee Cup Football Tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium here on Sunday. Pyndap, Teikurman and Bullet were the goalscorers for St. John Bosco while Ajay Singh netted the consolation goal for the Dehradun School. Indian soccer star Baichung Bhutia will be honoured by the Subroto Cup Society on December 4, during the semi-final matches. Bhutia is a product of the Subroto Cup Tournament and the versatile striker is proud of this fact.

Monday's fixture: St. Ignatius, Ghumla vs Air Force Bal Bharati.