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Gateball popular in Chinese Taipei
Amardeep Bhattal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 30
Gateball, which made its debut in Chandigarh last week during the first International Invitational Friendship Championship and the third National Gateball Championship at the Panjab University grounds here, is a game which is very popular in Chinese Taipei. With hardly any scope for injury, it requires intelligence and careful planning of moves.

Mr Lin Chin Fu, Chairman, Chinese Taipei Gateball Association, who is also heading the Chinese Taipei Community Sports, told The Tribune in an exclusive interview today that the game took roots in his country more than two decades back. “I have been associated with promotion of the game for the past 21 years,” Mr Lin Chin Fu, said while stating that it now had a huge following.

“In Chinese Taipei there are about 200,000 gateball players today with an average age of 60 years. There are 5,000 teams and about 8,000 referees, he revealed. Participation in the game is not restricted to a particular age group. Middle-aged players are playing in various clubs. Moreover, the game is not only played by able-bodied persons but by the handicapped as well.” We have about 60 gateball teams of handicapped players, who participate while seated on wheel chairs," Mr Lin Chin Fu said adding that there were about 100 teams of teenagers as well.

There are three classes of referees for the game. While the A class referees supervise national matches, the B class referees officiate in state competitions. The C class referees only officiate in county contests, Mr Lin Chin Chinese Taipei also plays host to international gateball events. The World Gateball Union Chairman's Cup scheduled to be held in Kaoshing City later this year will feature teams from all over the world, said Mr Lin Chin Fu.

Refering to his experience in Chandigarh, Mr Lin Chin Fu said he was overwhelmed by the hospitality extended by the Punjab Gateball Association and the Chandigarh Woodball Association. Although the foreign delegates had mostly been eating sea food, beef, and chicken back home, the chicken curry in Chandigarh was someAs adviser to the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, Mr Lin Chin Fu said he would strive for closer cooperation between the two nations to popularise the game which already has a strong base in his country.

Warm send-off to foreign participants
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 30
Delegates, officials and participants from Chinese Taipei who were in the city in connection with the first International Invitational Friendship Gateball Championship, first International Invitational Woodball Championship, third National Gateball Championship and the second National Woodball Championship were given a warm send-off by officials of the Punjab Gateball Association and the Chandigarh Woodball Association here today.

Prior to their departure for Delhi by a specially arranged bus, the foreign guests were honoured and profusely garlanded at a brief but impressive ceremony. Mr Sher Singh Sidhu, President of the Punjab Gateball Association, and Dr Swarn Singh Dhaliwal, President of the Chandigarh Woodball Association, presented mementoes to members of the delegation, including Mr Lin Chin Fu, Chairman, Chinese Taipei Gateball Association who is also chief of the Chinese Taipei Community Sports. The foreign guests were all praise for the arrangements made for them in the city and for the conduct of the aforesaid championships.

Mr Lin Chin Fu said he and his team members were overwhelmed by the hospitality extended to them by the Punjab Gateball Association and the Chandigarh Woodball Association. “We have no words to express our gratitude,” a smiling Lin Chin Fu said before his departure.

The foreigners developed a special liking for Indian food during their stay in the city over the past four days. The delegation which included several women, also participated in an international friendly gateball tie against an Indian team and impressed the spectators with their intelligent play.

The Chinese Taipei team members were taken for an excursion to Kasauli yesterday and enjoyed the journey through the hills.

While thanking Mr Sher Singh Sidhu and Mr Swarn Singh Dhaliwal for the courtesies extended to them and for conducting the championships smoothly, Mr Lin Chin Fu extended an invitation to them to visit Chinese Taipei and field a team in the forthcoming World Gateball Union Chairman's Cup.

Mr Lin Chin Fu, who is also adviser to the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and Director of the National Sports Federations of his country, has been associated with the game for the past 21 years.

Mr Sidhu and Mr Dhaliwal thanked the guests for participating in the championships. The visitors expressed a desire to visit Chandigarh again some time later. The Singapore delegation led by Mr Koh Kim Ban, was also accorded a warm farewell. Mr Koh Kim Ban is the president of the Singapore Woodball Association as also the vice-president of the Asian Woodball Federation.

Among those present were Mr Pravin Manwatkar, secretary-general, Gateball Federation of India, Mr Satwant Singh, Mr DP Singh and Mr Darshan Singh.

Freestyle wrestling meet
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 30
A freestyle wrestling competition will be held on July 4 at the Haida Jagatpura village near Sector 48, Chandigarh. The tournament named Vishal Prize Money ‘Dangal’ will witness participation by Bharat Kesari and Bharat Kumar besides around 50 other wrestlers.

The organisers, Chanderma, a wrestler, Mr Angrez Singh Sra,Mr Virender Gahlawat and Mr Balwinder Singh today claimed that this bout would generate more interest among the wrestling community present in the villages who rarely come across such wrestling bouts.

The above event will begin at 12 noon and continue till late in the evening.

Rowing team
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 30
Gurnoor Kang of Chandigarh has been included in the Indian rowing team which will take part in the 10th Asian Junior Rowing Champion-ships to be held at Nagoya, Japan from July 1 to 4.

Men: Satish Joshi, Rajib Kumar, Justin Thomas, Ashish Singh- Army. (SRAAP)

Women: Gurnoor Kaur, (Chandigarh), Swati Sanjay (Tamil Nadu) and Kabita (Orissa). Mr Ismail Baig and SPS Yadav, the coaches from the Army, will accompany the team as coaches.

Baseball camp concludes
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 30
The fortnight long national women baseball camp which concluded today at the Panjab University grounds, has given a boost to the game here. It is for the first time that Indian women will be going for an international baseball meet. It may be recalled that Indian women were attending the camp since June 15 in preparation for the World Women’s Series Qualification Baseball meet to be held in Japan from July 18. In this tournament, as many as eight teams will take part and those who qualify would participate the World Women’s Baseball Tournament to be held in Canada from July 30.

Mr P.C. Bhardwaj, who was re-elected secretary-general of the Amateur Baseball Federation of India a few days ago, said Chandigarh was the right place to hold camp of this nature. He said both the visiting baseball coaches from the USA, Tom Denim and Bill Thomas, had also expressed satisfaction over the environment at the campus. Mr Bhardwaj said even the trainees were happy with the expert coaching. He said emphasis was laid on pitching and batting swing which was lacking in Indian eves.

Mr Bhardwaj said the trainees had a gruelling session of four hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. Stress was also laid on building the endurance level and speed running. Mr Bhardwaj said though this was the first experiment of its kind, the girls had been asked to follow the schedule given by the visiting coaches. Regarding the final selection of the Indian women’s baseball team, Mr Bhardwaj said it would be communicated in another couple of days. The team had to depart on July 14 from Delhi.

The Government of India has cleared the Indian team on no-cost to the government basis.

PDCA XI triumph
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 30
Tejwinder Singh Gill was the star batsman for the Panchkula District Cricket Association XI who beat Bhiwani District Cricket Association XI by five wickets in the final of the Pandit Ram Vinod Memorial Triangular Cricket Championship which concluded here today at the JR Institute for Cricket Technology, Barwala.

After winning the toss, Arvind Rawat skipper of the PDCA XI asked BDCA to bat first. The visitors were tottering at 17 for two in six overs. Ajay Kumar scored 45 runs while Narinder Sharma scored 37 runs.

BDCA XI scored 149 runs for eight in 35 overs while in reply, PDCA XI achieved the target with five wickets in hand. Dr Anil Chauhan who was the chief guest gave away the prizes. Ajay and Narender of BDCA XI were declared best all rounder and best batsman respectively. Tejwinder Singh was adjudged man of the match while Arvind Rawat was the best bowler.

Brief scores: BDCA XI: 149 runs for eight in 35 overs ( Ajay Kumar 45, Narinder Sharma 37, Pankaj Kumar 20, Vinit Singh 14, Karan Malik 3 for 34, Mandeep Singla 2 for 20).

PDCA XI: 150 runs for five in 30 overs (Tejwinder Singh Gill 54, Prayas Panchuri 19, Arvind Rawat 18, Ajay Kumar 2 for 11, Vinit Singh 2 for 22).

DC’s warning to typists
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 30
Mr Arun Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh, today warned that typists sitting in the premises of DC’s office who charged more than the prescribed fee would be dealt with sternly.

In a statement, he clarified that his office had already prescribed the rates of various types of services to be provided by the typists, such as for typing an application of one page, a fee of Rs 4 had been prescribed and for the first carbon copy, a sum of Rs 2 and for a subsequent copy Rs 1.50 had been fixed.

Likewise for typing of an affidavit Rs 6, for special power of attorney Rs 8 and for General Power of Attorney Rs 16 can be charged by the typist. A fee of Rs 40 each for typing a sale deed or conveyance deed or mortgage deed had been fixed by the Deputy Commissioner.

Mr Arun Kumar clarified that the rates for each type of job had been prescribed which were displayed on a notice board hanging on a pillar where the typists were sitting. If anybody tried to charge more than the prescribed rates, it could be brought to the notice of the office superintendent or to the DC himself and if the complaint was found genuine, strict action would be taken against the defaulter and his licence might be suspended. He could also be booked for overcharging.