Chandigarh, May 29
The idyllic evening at the Lake Club provided the perfect setting to observe the sanctity and faith reposed in the doctor-patient relationship yet again.

The occasion was a free clinic-cum-workshop conducted by Fortis Hospital, Mohali, to mark the culmination of the Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month observed by the hospital all through May.

For the many people who attended the clinic with their queries, doubts, fears and even gratitude for having recovered, it was the presence of Dr Jaswant Rai, director, department of orthopaedics at Fortis, who gave the evening a fillip.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rai said the best way to combat the onset of osteoporosis was prevention. “Bones get brittle and fragile with age but regular exercise and a calcium-enriched and healthy diet go a long way in preventing such problems later,” he said.

He, however, elaborated that it was not just the senior citizens who were at risk and that it could afflict even younger people. The causes could range from heredity to a sedentary lifestyle and even excessive drinking and smoking. Even women, after menopause, needed to supplement their diets and take care of their health to prevent osteoporosis from setting in, he said.

However, what really struck a chord was the walk that Dr Rai had with several of his patients who had had knee replacement surgery done by him. And the feeling was universal-the doctor had given these patients their lives back.

74 year-old H.R. Gupta, a retired bureaucrat, underwent the surgery to replace his knees on December 27 last year. He could not move and had stopped walking completely. Today he says that not only is there no pain, he has resumed his walks both in the morning and evening.

Preeti Bhatnagar, principal of a school in Patiala, came all the way from Chicago, where she was visiting her children, to have her surgery. “I did everything I was told would help, right from eating panjiris to yoga; nothing worked. Today I can walk,” she smiled.

Abinash Davesar, a senior citizen living in Sector 11, Panchkula, had lost hope of ever walking again. She had been suffering for 10 years. Today nearly six months after her surgery, she is able to walk without a stick. What is more, she is able to lift her grandchild again, she says with a wide smile.

Chandigarh, May 29
Playing before his home crowd, local favourite Sunil Kumar Sipaeya gave a dazzling display as the former trainee of the Rural Academy Scheme of the CLTA defeated Tsung-Hua Yang of Chinese Taipei in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 (5) in a first round singles match of the $10,000+ Hospitality SAIL ITF Men's Futures Tennis Tournament at the CLTA Stadium in Sector 10, here today.

Ranked 655, Sunil broke 1049th ranked Yang in the third and ninth games to win the first set 6-3. Yang put up a spirited display in the second set, which was decided in the tiebreaker after being tied 6-all. Former national hard court champion Sunil clinched the tiebreaker 7-5.

Later in the evening, Sunil Kumar Sipaeya and Stephen Amritraj got the better of Mithun Murali and Sriram Balaji Narayanaswamy (Ind) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Top-seeded Davis Cupper Karan Rastogi snuffed out the challenge of left-handed and qualifier Nitten Kirrtane 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 42 minutes. Hard hitter Karan Rastogi led 3-1 with a break in the third game. Spirited Kirrtane restored parity by breaking Rastogi in the sixth game in which the top seed committed two double faults. However, Rastogi then broke Kirrtane in the seventh and ninth games to win the set 6-3.

Kirrtane gave a tough fight to Rastogi in the second set before going down at 5-7. Another India Davis Cup player and second seed Vivek Shokeen with a ranking of 621 outclassed qualifier Mithun Murali 6-1, 6-4.

Unseeded Vishu Vardhan of India caused a mild upset as he defeated eighth seed Guilherme Ochjiai of Brazil, who is ranked 794, in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Amritraj cousins - Prakash and Stephen - registered in contrasting styles. Prakash took just 53 minutes to oust qualifier Johnathan Kinsella of Great Britain in straight sets 6-1, 6-2. After sharing the first two games in the first set, Prakash stole the limelight by wining the next five games in a row to claim the set at 6-1. In the second set, Prakash jumped to a 4-0 lead before Jonathan won his first game on his serve to make it 1-4. Prakash bagged the set at 6-2.

In contrast, Stephen Amritraj, trailing by one set, rallied for a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 hard-fought victory against Andrew Fitzpatrick in 129 minutes. After losing the first set, Stephen staged fine rally to oust his opponent from Great Britain by 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Stephen Amritraj fired 15 aces while Andrew got five to his credit.

Results:

Singles (1st round): Purav Raja (Ind) bt Sandeep Choudhary 6-0, 6-1; Stephen Amritraj (Ind) bt Andrew Fitzpatrick (GBR) 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3; Robert Searle (GBR) bt Matthew Smith (GBR) 6-4, 6-2; Prakash Amritraj (Ind) bt Jonathan Kinsella (GBR) 6-1, 6-2; Dilshod Sharifi (Tjk) bt Varun Walia (Ind) 6-2, 6-3; Sunil Kumar Sipaeya (Ind) bt Tsung-Hua Yang (Tpe) 6-3, 7-6 (5), Vishal Punna (Ind) bt Kyle Brassington (GBR) 7-5, 6-3; Karan Rastogi (Ind) bt Nitten Kirrtane (Ind) 6-3, 7-5; Aditya Madkekar (Ind) bt Shivang Mishra (Ind) 6-2, 6-2; Vishnu Vardhan (Ind) bt Guilherme Ochiai (Brazil) 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3, Vivek Shokeen (Ind) bt Mithun Murali (Ind) 6-1, 6-4.

Doubles (1st round): Sunil Kumar Sipaeya (Ind) and Stephen Amritraj (Ind) bt Mithun Murali (Ind) and Sriam Balaji Narayanaswamy (Ind) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. 

Chandigarh, May 29
Manipur lifted the routine trophy by amassing 95 points in the seventh Indian Oil Junior National Wushu Championship at the Sector 10 Rink Hall, here tonight. Manipur boys and girls secured 16 gold and three silver medals to claim the trophy in routine competitions.

Uttar Pradesh with one gold, four silver and two bronze medals were awarded 19 points for the runners-up position. Bihar and Madhya Pradesh were tied for the third place with 13 points each.

In the dual event, the Manipur trio of L. Ratan Singh, Y. Syamkant and H. Omega Meitei emerged winners. Uttar Pradesh (Syam Babu, Sunny Dhanuk and Aditya Gautam) and Sikkim (Ch Boby Meitei, Th Santa Meitei) were second and third, respectively.

Results:

Nanquan (Boys): 1 H. Omega Meitei, 2 Kahimdai,

3 Zeeshan; Nanquan (Girls): 1 A. Sanahoibi Chanu, 2 Lashimit Lepcha, 3 K. Sathya; Changquan (Boys) 1 L. Bidyachandra Singh, 2 L. Ratan Singh, 3 Prakash Singh Budha; Changquan (Girls) 1 P. Thoibi Devi, 2 Kh. Bidyashwori Chanu, 3 Kumari Anjali Koshta; Taijiquan (Girls) 1 L. Sanatombi Chanu, 2 Ch. Devajani, 3 H. Sanjita Devi; Nandao (Boys) 1 H. Omega Meitei, 2 I. Romen Singh, 3 Zeeshan; Jianshu (Boys) 1 Y. Shyamkanta Singh, 2 Suraj Singh, 3 Th. Santa Singh; Taijijian (Boys) 1 L. Jhaljit Singh, 2 M. Gyandash Singh, 3 Y. Johnson Singh; Gunshu (Boys) 1 Anjul Namdev, 2 Gaishiamlung, 3 Aditya Gautam; Gunshu (Girls) 1 P. Thoibi Devi, 2 Km. Anjai Kostha, 3 Zeenath Sultana; Nangun (Boys) 1 H. Omega Meitei, 2 I. Romen Singh, 3 Aditya Kumar; Nangun (Girls) 1 A. Sanathoibi Chanu, 2 Kumari Priyanka, 3 Anish Fatima; Qiangshu (Boys) 1 Syamkanta Singh, 2 Abung Singha, 3 Santosh. 

Chandigarh, May 29
Yet again, skating has failed to find a place in the sports gradation list of the Chandigarh administration released recently, putting local skaters at the receiving end.

It was more than a decade ago when the Chandigarh administration had stopped issuing sports gradation certificates to deserving roller skaters for seeking admission to professional and other courses on the basis of their sports merit.

Players pursuing sports under the gradation system enjoy benefits by the state government while those practising non-graded sports are left high and dry. One per cent seats are reserved in educational institutes and in jobs for players of graded sports.

The skating fraternity argues that since Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, besides several other states, are issuing sports gradation certificates to skaters, city skaters should not be denied the benefit. Ironically, the UT follows the rules of the Punjab Government in terms of appointment of its employees, and on these lines, the managers of local skating rinks were given gazetted status as per the service rules of Punjab.

Chandigarh has always been a force to reckon with so far as skating is concerned. A visit to various city schools authenticates the popularity of the game. Skaters of the city have many achievements to their credit. The UT education department has been conducting the UT Inter-School Roller Skating Tournament regularly. Many city-based outstanding skaters represented the country from time to time and bagged splendid positions at the Asian Skating Championship in roller hockey events held at Akita (Japan) and Germany.

Local skaters like Kriti Puri and Mehak Paul were honoured on Republic Day and Independence Day, which speaks of the patronage to the sport.

They were honoured by the Chandigarh administration at sports functions held in the past.

In 2003, at an administrative prize distribution function presided over by the then administrator, Lt-Gen J.F.R. Jacob, of the 46 players honoured, 18 were from skating. It was announced that in lieu of cash awards, the players would be awarded annual scholarships, but this never happened.

At another function held recently, while encouraging skaters, the administrator, Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd), offered to extend all help from the administration for sportspersons.

Skaters, however, find themselves helpless. The nongradation of the sport has hit their career prospects. They are declined recognition by educational institutions at the time of admission as the game has not been included in the ‘sports gradation list’ of the administration. As per the national sports policy too, sports disciplines are prioritised on the basis of proven potential, popularity and international performance.

Since the game fulfils the requisites of the Olympics chapter, it stands recognised by Indian Olympic Association which had included roller skating as a demonstration game in the 1996 National Games and a medal event in 2002. 

Chandigarh, May 29
Sixteen-year-old Rahul Bakshi is just back from Hong Kong after clinching the fourth spot in the Asia-Pacific Junior Golf Championship. He rubbed shoulders with the cream of Asian junior golf on the difficult Eden Course of the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Rahul, who is awaiting his Class X results, was part of the Indian quartet that finished third in the team event of the Asia Pacific meet. A student of St John's School, Chandigarh, Rahul started well sinking birdies on the first and second. But he was back on par when he double-bogeyed on the sixth as his second shot ended in a ditch. The return nine was a nightmare for the junior golf icon. It was bad putting. He bogeyed on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th holes to finish the first round at six over (76) on the par-70 golf course.

Rahul overcame the hot and humid conditions as he played a one-over round on the second day, hitting a birdie on the first and bogeying on the sixth and 11th holes.

There were two double bogeys on the first nine on day three. First his drive on the fourth saw the ball going to the left landing in an unplayable zone. He paid the penalty. Two holes later, another uncontrolled shot saw the ball going to the right and getting lost-another penalty.

But birdies on the first, fifth and seventh compensated for the double bogeys. He was two over in the first nine. He maintained this margin carding a par score in the return nine for a two over 72. Rahul struck a bright patch on the first nine sinking a string of birdies to be one under. But he started the return nine with a double bogey as he chipped from the center fairway and putted thrice on the 11th hole. He continued with bogeys on the 12th, 15th and 18th as against two birdies on the 16th and 17th to finish two over (72) for a final score of 11 over 291. Amanjot Singh of Jaipur finished fifth in the individual event.

The under-18 team India finished third. Rahul was back on the Chandigarh course trying to improve his putting under the watchful eyes of coach Jesse Grewal. He needs to control his wrist movement, is the coach's advice. Rahul leaves for Bangalore tomorrow for the junior sub-junior golf championship. After the Indian circuit, Rahul will be back on the Chandigarh greens to prepare for the greatest event-the World Junior Championship-to be held on the Torrey Pines in Santiago in July. 

Chandigarh, May 29
Adesh Partap Singh Kairon was unanimously elected president of the Chandigarh Rowing Association during the general body meeting of the association, held here.

Adesh, a Punjab Cabinet minister, is a keen sportsperson and has been long been associated with water sports, particularly rowing.

In a statement, the association said all members of the association felt that with Adesh at the helm of affairs, the game would receive a fillip. The general body also unanimously authorised Adesh to nominate the other office bearers.

The meeting also decided to request the Chandigarh Administration to creating a sixth lane at the rowing course to meet FISA’s requirements for international competitions. It also requested the administration to acquire more equipment for the upcoming National Rowing Championship to be hosted at the Sukhna Lake.

The association honoured Kailash Nath, outgoing secretary general, for his lifelong contribution to the promotion of water sports in Chandigarh. On the occasion, Adesh announced a purse of Rs 21,000 in recognition of Kailash’s outstanding services.