Chandigarh, February 5
The PGI today launched an Indo-German collaborative project “Comprehensive Approach to Understand Streptococcal Diseases and their Sequelae to Develop Innovative Strategies for Diagnosis, Therapy, Prevention and Control”.

Funded by the European Commission (EC), the project has been approved under the Integrating and Strengthening European Research Area Specific Measures to understand the spectrum of streptococcal diseases in India within three years.

The project is being taken up by six centres (three from India and three from Europe). The participants include Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (GBF), Braunschweig, Germany; Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Ulrich, UK; PGI, Chandigarh; AIIMS and the Christian Medical College, Vellore.

Prof K.K. Talwar, PGI Director, said a diagnostic test for rheumatogenic streptococci and development of an efficacious vaccine in India has never been attempted so far. These goals would be achieved by an international consortium and by establishing health surveys at school level and a rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease registry as well as an invasive disease survey in North and South India.

The main aim of the project will be to develop a possible vaccine for streptococcal diseases. Moreover, the project will also bring together Indian and European scientists for developing novel diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic strategies, claimed Prof G.S. Chhatwal, director, division of microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.

The project would provide new knowledge on the molecular epidemiology of streptococcal diseases in different parts of the country and apply innovative technologies for improving existing intervention strategies, said Prof. Rajesh Kumar from the PGI.

The findings of the project would contribute towards the implementation of measures for diagnosis, prevention, control and treatment of streptococcal diseases in India.

This would provide excellent opportunities for Indian SMEs to undertake further development to control these diseases, added Prof N.K. Ganguly, Director-General, ICMR, New Delhi.

Mohali, February 5
Karman Randhawa (Ranjit House) secured the first position in the under-13 high jump event while Ada Gupta (Tagore House) and Disha Likhari (Aitchison) remained second and third, respectively, in the 28th Annual Inter-House Athletic Meet which commenced at Yadavindra Public School here today.

The ceremony started with the march past by contingents of the five houses, including Patiala, Ranjit, Tagore, Aitchison and Nalagarh following which the Principal, Dr HS Dhillon, declared the meet open.

The following are the other results: High jump (U-13 girls final): Karman Randhawa (Ranjit House) 1, Ada Gupta (Tagore House) 2, Disha Likhari (Aitchison House) 3; shot put (U-16 boys final): Rajbir S. Sidhu (Ranjit House) 1, Vipual Kalra (Tagore House) 2, Uday Brar (Nalagarh House) 3; discus throw (U-15 girls final): Neelam (Nalagarh House) 1, Jogman (Ranjit House) 2, Manmeet (Tagore House) 3; javelin throw (U-14 boys final): Sunderjeet Singh (Tagore House) 1, Kabir Singh Dhillon (Nalagarh House) 2, Sarabhpreet Singh (Tagore House) 3; broad jump (U-10 boys final): Thupstan Noorbu (Nalagarh House) 1, Arshdeep Singh (Tagore House) 2, Ikrabdeep Singh (Patiala House) 3; high jump (AB-16 boys final): Yuvraj Singh (Patiala House) 1, Amit Sharma (Nalagarh House) 2, Bhupinder S. Chahal (Aitchison House) 3; broad jump (AB-15 girls final): Tarini Chawla (Patiala House); 100 m (U-15 girls final): Steffy Arora (Nalagarh House) 1, Harkiran Nain (Tagore House) 2, Eshleen Kaur Sodhi (Patiala House) 3; 800 m (AB-15 girls final): Jairoop Riar (Patiala House) 1, Tarini Chawla (Patiala House) 2, Divya Gurnay (Tagore House) 3; 1500 m (AB-16 boys final): Abhinav Siag (Tagore House) 1, Manav Narang (Nalagarh House) 2, Rohit Lakhanpal (Tagore House) 3; 800 m (U-14 boys final): Kabir S. Dhillon (Nalagarh House) 1, Jagnoordip Singh (Patiala House) 2, Manmeet S. Bahl (Aitchison House) 3.

Mohali, February 5
With his half century, Pukhraj Trehan steered MCA-11 into the final of the first under-13 APJ Cricket Cup Tournament being played at the MCA grounds, Phase 9, here today.

MCA-11 beat APJ Cricket Academy by 29 runs in a semifinal match. Batting first, the MCA team put on 151 runs for 4 wickets in the allotted 30 overs.

A fine opening partnership between Pukhraj Singh Trehan (50 runs) and Mayank Sood (30 runs) was the highlight of the match. Kinderpreet (21) and Anmol (28) were other notable contributors. Sahil took two wickets while Sarthak and Karan Veer claimed one wicket each.

Chasing the target, APJ Cricket Academy could make only 122 runs for six consuming their quota of 30 overs. Varun and Sarthak played well and scored 32 and 29 runs, respectively.

Mayank Munjal and Harsh snapped two wickets each, whereas Jasinder and Mayank Sood took one wicket each.

The final match will be played between MCA-11 and the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium team on Saturday at the MCA ground.

Brief Score

MCA-11: 151 for 4 wickets in 30 overs (Pukhraj Trehan 50, Mayank Sood 30, Anmol 28, Kinderpreet 21, Sahil 2 for 16, Sarthak 1 for 29, Karanveer 1 for 25).

APJ Cricket Academy: 122 for 6 wickets in 30 overs (Varun 32, Sarthak 29, Mayank Munjal 2 for 22, Harsh 2 for 20).

Chandigarh, February 5
Raj Singh of the Chandigarh Police has been appointed captain of the wrestling squad that will take part in the National Games to be held at Guwahati from February 9 to 18.

The team: men (freestyle): Mandeep (55 kg), Narinder (60 kg), Parvesh (66 kg), Raj Singh (74 kg, captain), Jaspal (84 kg), Sarwar (96 kg), Satinder (+96 kg).

Surinder Singh (coach) and Ashwani (manager).

Greco-Roman:

Joginder (55 kg), Sunil (60 kg), Gurvinder (66 kg), Satish (74 kg), Sikander (84 kg), Dharinder (96 kg), Jagmeet (+96 kg).

Surinder (coach) and Anil Kumar (manager).

Women: Suesh (48 kg), Nikki (51 kg), Monika (55 kg), Anita (59 kg), Varita (63 kg), Jaiwanti (67 kg), Gursharan (+67 kg).

Jasminder (coach) and K.R. Sharma (manager).

PU Sports: GGN Khalsa College, Ludhiana beat MMD DAV College, Gidderbaha, (41-28) during the Panjab University Inter-College Kabaddi (Men) Tournament. The tournament is being played on knock-out basis at the PU grounds here.

Chandigarh, February 5
Gloom descended in golfing circles as news spread about a road accident in Chandigarh in which three persons died and three were seriously injured.

Travelling in that ill-fated car were three golfers.

While Karam Sekhon and Gurjesh Virk died in the accident, Girish Virk, a golf bronze medallist in the Asian Games and winner of the RCGC Cup in Kolkata, suffered serious injuries and was rushed to hospital.

Girish was a regular at the Golf Club greens and was among the top 10 amateur golfers.

Harjinder Kang, who played with Girish on the Chandigarh course, said Girish was shaping well as a golfer, but then he suddenly decided to go in for his MBA. Just two days back he had got a telephone from Girish that he had landed a job in Kotak Mohindra.

Karam Sekhon was a regular at the Chandigarh Golf Club.

A number of golf lovers rushed to the hospital where Girish underwent a hip operation.

Mr Sandeep Sandhu, captain of the Chandigarh Golf Club course, said the operation was a success and Girish’ s condition had stabilised.

Irina Brar, who returned from Hong Kong after playing in the Asian golf circuit, talked about Girish winning the Eastern Amateur title in Kolkata.