Panchkula, August 1
The paddlers of Manav Mangal School, Sector 11, Panchkula, emerged undisputed champions, winning all four titles in the Panchkula District Table Tennis Championship. The meet is being organised by the district education department on the school premises.

The tournament also forms the basis of selection for competition at the state level. Manav Mangal School girls won in both u-14 and u-17 categories. The whole u-17 team of the school has been selected for the state-level tournament.

In the u-19 girls’ category, however, Bhavan Vidyalaya emerged as the winner. In the u-14 and u-17 boys’ categories, Manav Mangal School beat Bhavan Vidyalaya by 3-0 and 3-1, respectively, whereas Bhavan Vidyalaya beat DAV School-8 by 3-2 in the u-19 boys’ category.

Results

U-14 girls: Manav Mangal School b Bhavan Vidyalaya by 3-0 Aastha (MMS) b Priya (BV) (11-5, 11-9, 11-3); Aishwarya (MMS) b Phalguni (BV) (11-4, 11-4, 11-6); Komal (MMS) b Jagriti (BV) (10-12, 10-12, 11-5, 11-8, and 11-6).

U-19 girls: Bhavan Vidyalaya b Hansraj Public School by 3-1 Aanchal (BV) b Savvy (HR) (11-8, 11-5); Poonam (BV) b Meenu(HR) (12-10, 12-10); Joban (HR) b Srestha (BV) (11-3, 11-5); Aanchal (BV) b Meenu (HR) (11-5, 11-4).

U-14 boys: Semifinals: Manav Mangal School b CL DAV School by 3-0; Bhavan Vidyalaya b Army School by 3-0; final: Manav Mangal School b Bhavan Vidyalya by 3-0; Rohit Malik b Rishabh (9-11, 11-9,12-10,11-8); Prasoon b Shivam (11-8, 11-2,11-6); Pulkit b Anmol (11-3,11-2,11-6).

U-17 boys: Semifinals: Manav Mangal School b CL DAV School by 3-0; Bhavan Vidyalaya b Moti Ram School by 3-0; final: Manav Mangal School b Bhavan Vidyalaya by 3-1; Shubham (MMS) b Akhilesh (BV) (11-5, 13-11, and 11-3); Sunil Lamba (MMS) b Vaibhav (BV) (11-7, 12-10, and 13-11); Archit (BV) b Harmohan (MMS) (9-11, 11-9, 11-7 and 11-8); Shubham (MMS) b Vaibhav (BV) (6-11, 13-15,11-9 and 11-4).

U-19 boys: Semifinals: DAV School-8 b Moti Ram School by 3-0; Bhavan Vidyalaya b Alpine School by 3-0; final: Bhavan Vidyalaya b DAV School-8 by 3-2 Aditya b Ujjwal (13-11,7-11,11-8,12-10); Abhishek b Chaitnaya (11-8, 9-11,12-10,11-9); Abhishek b Dipen (5-11,11-8,12-10,11-9); Chaitnaya b Ujjwal (11-7,11-6,8-11,11-7).

Panchkula, August 1
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) clinched the title defeating the Punjab State Electricity Board 72-50 in the 33rd All-India Inter-State Electricity Board Basketball Tournament. The tournament was held at Sector 15, Power Colony, here.

In another match, the Tamil Nadu State Electricity Board outclassed Haryana Power Utilities by a margin of 48-34, securing the third position in the meet.

Finance minister of Haryana Birender Singh, who was the chief guest, presented trophies to the winning teams. Manoj of the Kerala State Electricity Board was adjudged ‘Player of the Tournament’.

The finance minister revealed that the state government was paying special attention to promote sports activities and the annual budget for sports had been enhanced from Rs 9 crore to Rs 63 crore during the past two years.

Earlier, the chief guest was given a warm welcome by P.K. Das, managing director of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam and president of Haryana Power Sports Group.

Chandigarh, August 1
Scoring one goal each, Gagandeep and Pankaj Negi steered Government Model Senior Secondary School (GMSSS), Sector 37, to qualify for the Subroto Mukherjee Football Cup to be held at Delhi.

In the final match of the Pre-Subroto Football Cup (u-17) at GMSSS-37 grounds, the team defeated New Public School, Sector 18, by 2- 0.

The first 29 minutes of the match went barren as no team could score any goal. It was Gagandeep, who opened the account for GMSSS-37 in the 30th minute.

Taking the lead, spirited GMSSS-37 checked the defence of the rivals many a time, but they could taste the second success only in the 65th minute through Pankaj Negi.

Chandigarh, August 1
Keeping in view the increasing crime against women, especially young girls, director public instructions (schools) S.K. Setia has instructed the principals of all girls’ schools to start martial art training on the school premises.

Choi Kwang Do (CKD) Master Bikram S. Thapa, a fifth degree black-belt holder (USA), has been hired to impart training in self defence. “I will start working within a week according to the instructions of the DPI. There will be a one-hour training session for two or three days a week in each girls’ school. The principals of the schools have also been directed to motivate and encourage the students to join the classes,” said Bikram Thapa.

About the art, he said, “Choi Kwang Do is a Korean-American yoga-based art, which not only trains in self-defence skills but also helps the trainees to keep physically and mentally fit.”

Thapa, the only fifth degree Choi Kwang Do black-belt holder in the country, is technical director-cum-chief instructor of the Choi Kwang Do Master Art International India, which is affiliated to the Choi Kwang Do Martial Art International (USA).

Chandigarh, August 1
Players from as many as 10 countries will participate in the ITF Men's Futures Tennis Tournament to be organised at Jassowal in Jagraon tehsil of Ludhiana from August 6 to 11.

Disclosing this at a press conference held here yesterday, ITF coaching director Gary O’Brien said, “This prestigious international tournament, which carries a prize money of US $10,000, is the first-of-its-kind in the tennis history of Punjab wherein top-ranked players from India and abroad are expected to take part.”

“All main draw players will be given free hospitality (boarding and lodging) apart from the mandatory prize money which will be equivalent to US $15,000,” informed Simmy Saran, tournament director and vice-president of Harvest Tennis Academy.

The qualifying rounds, featuring 64 players, would be played on August 4 and August 5. Of these, eight players would qualify for the main draw. The main draw would have 32 players of which 20 would get direct entry on the basis of their (ATP and ITF) international points fro m August 6 to August 11.

The tournament committee will offer four wild cards to the most promising young players in the country.

Further Simmy Saran stated that the tournament carried valuable points that would enable the players to move up the ladder in their world ranking and would also entitle them to handsome prize money. “We have on our portfolio, two regional and five major national tournaments, international teams’ visits and exchanges,” she added.

Chandigarh, August 1
The Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association will conduct the 31st Chandigarh State Senior Men and 7th Senior Women Boxing Championships on August 11 and 12 at Boxing Hall, Sports Complex, Sector 42, here.

During the men’s championship, senior team will be selected to represent Chandigarh in the 54th Senior National Men Boxing Championship to be held at New Delhi from August 25 to 31 while the selected women team during the championship would participate in the 8th Senior National Women Boxing Championship to be held at Rudarpur (Uttarakhand) in September.

The aspirants are required to bring their medical book, if already issued by the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation, along with four passport size photographs for registration. There will be on-the-spot entries along with identity card/authority letter on August 11 from 8 am to 10 am at the venue.