A workman adjusts the moveable nets at the Sector 16 cricket stadium in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, October 3
In view of the India-Australia ODI, the Sector 16 cricket stadium has acquired state-of-the-art nets.

These nets, first of their kind in the country, can be folded and moved, which makes these very convenient to put up for the practice sessions.“These nets can be erected and removed in no time. As we have prepared new pitches for practice, which lie in the ground area opposite the screen, we will put up the nets there during the practice sessions and remove those after the sessions,” claimed Naib Singh, senior manager of the stadium.

“Moreover, these nets occupy very less space when folded,” he added.

A state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard with LCD screen has also been installed at the stadium.

Joint secretary of the Haryana Cricket Association Surinder Singh Baijee said,“The scoreboard, worth Rs 1 crore, would provide top-class visibility even during the broad daylight. A screen would also be put up for the spectators in a day or two so that they can see the television coverage on it,” said Baijee.

Ambala, October 3
The CBSE Cluster XIII Table Tennis Tournament organised by SD Public School, Ambala Cantonment, concluded here today.

Vice-president of the SD College Society Ajay Krishan was the chief guest. He gave away prizes to the winners.

Results

Boys’ u-14: 1 Manav Mangal, Chandigarh, 2 DHD SD Public School, Ambala Cantt, 3 KC Public School, Jammu; u-16: 1 Ajit Karam Singh International Public School, Chandigarh, 2 Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula, 3 Dayanand Public School, Shimla; u-19: 1 Guru Harkishan Public School, Chandigarh, 2 DAV Public School, Shimla, 3 DAV Public School, Chandigarh.

Girls’ u-14: 1 DAV Public School, Chandigarh, 2 Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh, 3 DHD SD Public School, Ambala Cantt; u-16: 1 Manav Mangal, Chandigarh, 2 Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh, 3 Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh; u-19: 1 Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh, 2 New Public School, Chandigarh, 3 DHD SD Public School, Ambala Cantt.

Aditya Pandey of Manav Mangal was declared the best player among boys while Naina Suri of DAV School was declared the best player among girls.

Patiala, October 3
The Patiala Cricket Association (PCA) has announced a 16-member girls’ cricket team to take part in the Punjab inter-district cricket tournament for girls (u-19) slated to commence from October 5 at different venues in the state.

The girls were selected after trials held yesterday at the Dhruv Pandove stadium under the guidance of R.P. Pandove, secretary of the PCA, and Renu Kohli, a former Patiala-based international cricketer and in charge of the PCA’s women's wing.

Team: Mokhsa (captain), Misha Arora, Kiranpreet Kohli, Arpan Deegia, Jatinder Kaur, Jasmine Kaur, Juhi Jain, Lovdeep Kaur, Robin Sharma, Sandeep Kaur, Bhupinder Kaur, Harpreet Kaur, Neharika, Shagun and Gagandeep Kaur.

Former Patiala Katoch Shield cricketer Rajesh Deegia has been appointed the manager of the team, which will play its first match against Sangrur on October 5.

Panchkula, October 3
Satluj Public School entered the semifinals, beating Alpine Public School by 21 runs in a match of the Haryana District Cricket Tournament played at Satluj Public School, Sector 4, here today.

Batting first, the hosts piled up 105 runs in allotted 16 overs. Nagrath played a fine knock of 35 runs. Jaydeep chipped in 20 runs.

In reply, the Alpine team got bundled out at just 84 runs. Nagrath proved to be the wrecker-in-chief for Satluj, taking four crucial wickets. Ankush and Manan snapped two wickets each. None of the Alpine batsmen could reach double- figure score.

Brief scores

Satluj Public School: 105 for 8 in 16 overs (Nagrath 35, Jaydeep 20 n o, Prabhjot 2 for 23).

Alpine School: 84 all out (Nagrath 4 for 12, Ankush 2 for 15, Manan 2 for 20). 

Chandigarh, October 3
Rashid Khan, a 16-year-old caddie golfer from Delhi, built up a sizeable lead in Category A, tallying 145 after the second round of the Indian Oil Xtrapremium Junior/Sub-junior Chandigarh Open Golf Championship on the par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club here today.

His nearest rivals were three golfers who tied for the second spot five strokes behind the leader. They were Wasim Khan and Angad Cheema, both from Delhi, and defending champion Rahul Bakshi of Chandigarh.

Rashid made a good start birdying on the fourth hole to play one-under after the first nine. But the return nine saw him bogeying on the 13th and 15th after sinking a birdie on the 11th. But his tee shot on the 18th hole saw the ball sail into the jungle. The lost ball penalty saw him finish with a double bogey for a two-over card of 74.

Rahul, who had won the title last year, defeating Rashid Khan in a playoff, played a par front nine. But in the back nine, he had a string of bogeys on the 15th and 17th holes, including a double bogey on the 16th when his tee shot saw the ball hit a tree and disappear into the trees. His three-over return nine saw him return of 75 and an overall aggregate of 150.

It was certainly not Ashbeer Saini's day. This Kapurthala golfer, who struck a one-under card yesterday in Category B, struck a bad patch, conceding three double bogeys in the return nine for a second-round card of 80. Chandigarh's Raghav Bhandari played a par game today to overtake the Kapurthala teenager by two strokes.

Five girls participating in Category B were placed in a separate group. Gauri Monga was leading with a two-round score of 167. Nine strokes behind her was another Delhi girl Shreya Ghai, who finished with a two-round score of 176.

With the cut applied after round two, the tournament committee chairman and his team were flooded with enquiries by anxious golfers and their doting parents wanting to know whether they had made the cut.

Scores after round 2

Category A (15 to 17 years): Rashid Khan 71+74=145, Wasim Khan 74+76=150, Rahul Bakshi 75+75=150, Angad Cheema 76+74=150, Abhijit Chadha 75+77=152.

Category B (13 to 15 years): Raghav Bhandari 77+72=149, Ashbeer Saini 71+80=151, Harmandar Choudhary 79+77=156.

Category B girls: Gauri Monga 82+85=167, Shreya Ghai 87+89=176, Mehar Atwal 91+91=182.

Category C (11 to 13 years): Harjot Singh 84+84=168, Gurbani Singh 85+85=170, Akshata Vidyanath 89+81=170, Abhishek Kuhar 82+89=171.

Category D (under-11 years): Vidit Singh 80, Viraaj G. Madappa 84, Piyush Sangwan 85, Jairaj Sandhu 88.

Chandigarh, October 3
City skaters have got a ray of hope as the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has decided to include roller skating as medal discipline in the 2010 Asian Games scheduled to be held at Guangzhou (China). According to sources, this decision has been taken in the council’s executive board meeting held under the chairmanship of its president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah at Almaty.

Skaters had been getting step-motherly treatment by the Chandigarh administration as the administration had been overlooking their long-persisting grouse i.e. to grant them gradation.

Throughout, the administration had been depriving ‘skating’ of recognition on the pretext that the sport was not being included in the Asian Games or Olympics Games, thus depriving skaters of the benefits they deserved.

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

The Chandigarh administration has always implemented the policies on the Punjab pattern. The administration in its circular number 4962-DS-UT53 14(48)79 dated June 24,1983, signified games, including skating, which commanded sports gradation for the purpose of admission.

In pursuance of this notification, the administration continued to provide benefits and incentives to skaters. It was more than a decade back, when it stopped issuing sports gradation certificates to deserving roller skaters for seeking admission to professional and other courses.

In 1992-93, the sports policy was revamped by the administration and for no reason skating, along with boxing, yachting and rowing, was excluded.

However, in 2002, as skating was included in the national games as a medal discipline, local skaters won two medals in the team events i.e. gold in the men’s roller hockey and bronze in the women’s roller hockey.

Earlier, the administration’s excuse was that it followed the Punjab pattern, since the game has not been graded by the state as such, their request could not be entertained.

But in June 2003, Punjab included skating in the list of graded sports. In the same year, the administration again modified its sports policy and included games like sailing, soft ball and tae kwon do in the list of graded disciplines, but skating was again overlooked.

What was the merit of six sports, which were included in the list and what was the demerit of skating, which impeded its gradation, is still a mystery?