Chandigarh, November 4
Advances in medical research and technology have made the management of malignant brain tumours among adults and children possible.

Phenomenal research is still going on to understand tumours better, considering the rise in their incidence.

“If we look at Western statistics, 15 persons per 100,000 suffer from brain tumours. Three after every 100,000 persons suffer from paediatric tumours. In India, which is home to 1.2 billion, the incidence of paediatric brain tumours might well be phenomenal.”

“But there is no cause for alarm because now there are possibilities of survival even in the most complicated of cases,” said Dr Amitava Ray, who was until recently a consultant neurosurgeon at Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, NHS Trust and Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Liverpool.

In Chandigarh to attend the 18th annual conference of the Indian Society for Paediatric Neurosurgery, Dr Ray today spoke to The Tribune about the heartening results of global research in the direction.

He said there was now 90 per cent survival rate in case of the most common brain tumour which affected 30 per cent children. Even in case of the second most common tumour, five-year survival in 60 to 65 per cent cases is possible.

“That is not to say we have mastered the management of all kinds of malignant brain tumours. There still are conditions in which death is certain in 99 per cent cases in the first nine months. But we want to tell people that surgical intervention is now available.”

“They should seek neurosurgical help instead of depending on alternative healing systems. Early diagnosis is the key to survival,” said Dr Ray, who is back in India after a 16-year purposeful stint abroad. Here, he will be a consultant neurosurgeon at Moolchand Medcity, New Delhi.

Back in the West, he worked on brain tumours, particularly medulloblastoma, the commonest of malignant brain tumours. While at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, where he worked under the doyen of paediatric molecular biology Jim Rutka, Dr Ray devised ways to predict medulloblastoma survival with very few simple tests. This investigation fetched him the Young Investigator of the Year award. It is being validated for further use.

The challenge is heightened by the scarcity of paediatric neurosurgeons. “We in India need 30,000 surgeons but have only 1100,” said Ray, urging parents to look out for the following warning signs among children - persisting headaches, vomiting and any kind of nerve deficit like face drooping, weak limbs and double seeing.

Chandigarh, November 4
The Chandigarh Hockey Association (CHA)-XI registered a win against JK Police team 2-1 on the second day of the 37th SN Vohra Gurmit Memorial Hockey Tournament at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here today.

Satwinder Singh of CHA team opened the account in the seventh minute of the match by executing a field goal.

Thereafter, both the teams could not capitalise on the chances they got as penalty corners. The JK Police team missed golden chances during the 13th minute when they failed to convert the penalty corner.

During the 26th minute, the CHA team, too, could not enhance their goal tally when they failed to convert the penalty corner. Thereafter, the JK Police team lost three more chances during the 32nd , 33rd and 40th minute of the match, but the much sought after moment came in the 42nd minute when Gurjeet Singh scored an equaliser by converting the penalty corner and levelling the score 1-1.

Eight minutes later, Satwinder of the CHA team demolished all hopes of JK Police team by executing a marvellous field goal and decided the fate in favour of CHA 2-1.

In the second match of the day, the CISF squad prevailed over Signals team 2-1. Signals gained lead in the initial moments of the match through a penalty corner they earned in the third minute. Sudesh Kumar capitalised on this chance. Five minutes later, CISF’s Parvez scored the equaliser through a field goal 1-1. It was during the 31st minute, when Jaipal of CISF put the team ahead by banging the boards 2-1. After that, CISF did not let Signals come back in action, and the final verdict went in favour of CISF 2-1. 

Mohali, November 4
The family of the late legendary cricketer Mohammad Nissar will be the special guest of the Punjab Cricket Association during the Indo-Pakistan ODI on November 8 here.

Waqar Nissar along with his wife and daughter is coming here to witness the match.

“For the Punjab Cricket Association, the family of former ace bowler Mohammad Nissar, who had intimidated the England batsmen with his pace bowling during his first tour to England in 1932, will be our special guests”, said I. S. Bindra, president of the PCA.

Mohammad Nissar, who played for undivided India and the joint Punjab, was a force to reckon with along with his teammate Amar Singh, another fast bowler. He took five wickets in his first Test played at the Lords.

India’s Mohammad Nissar and Amar Singh, Freddi Truman and Brian Statham from England and Ray Lindwal and Keith Miller of Australia, were the three dominant fast-bowling pairs of their times.

Besides Nissar family, Shahid Malik, High Commissioner of Pakistan, former cricketer Ramiz Raja would be the other Pakistani guests while the Chairman of the Kenya Cricket Association, Samir Inamdar, and IT giant Sabeer Bhatia have confirmed their presence during the match. 

Chandigarh, November 4
Arunima Goyal among the girls and Ameek Malhotra from the boys’ group emerged as champions with four and five points respectively during the Under-13 boys’ and girls’ chess championship 2007 which concluded at St Joseph Senior School Sector 44-D here today.

Meanwhile, Arunima and Ayooshi Tokhi have been selected to represent Chandigarh girls’ team at the nationals to be held in Mumbai in December. In the boys’ category, Ameek and Shirish will represent Chandigarh for the nationals scheduled to be held at New Delhi in December.

The final results: Girls: 4 Points: Arunima Goyal; 3 Points:Ayooshi Tohki, Simranjit, Roopam Bhardwaj; 2.5 Points: Ashima; 2 Points: Tanya Kaushal, Sukhmani, K Koumudi,Gauri Chuttani; 1.5 Points: Jasmeet; 1 Point: Vomini Rana, Akshita Singla, Kashish Kaushal. Boys: 5 Points: Ameek Malhotra, Shirish; 4.5 Points: K Aditya;

4 Points: Shivam Sahni, Gitin Oberoi, Mayank Sachleen Singh, Abhinav Bansal, Ravi Shankar, Shivanshu Tondon. 3.5 Points: Tejas Nagpal, Akash, Sunbir, Agam Gujral. 3 Points: Pranjal, Mehul Jotshi, Gunjal Munjal, Aditya, Mukul Gupta, Pushp, Shubham Dev Singh; 2 Points: Varun, Sarthak Goyal, Abhijit, Brijesh, Sarthak Chuttani, Taalwin, Vibhor, Chirag; 1 Point: Jaskaran Singh, Akshit Khungar; 0 Point: Kunwar Preet Singh.

Panchkula, October 4
Stepping Stones beat D.C. Model School by nine wickets in the Satluj Trophy League-cum-Knockout Cricket Tournament at Satluj grounds, Sector 4, here today.

Batting first, D.C. Model School made 87 with Azil’s 13 and Badal’s 19-run knocks. Lavnish and Kamal Preet took three wickets each, conceding eight and 13 runs respectively for Stepping Stones. In just 10 overs, Stepping Stones chased the target by losing one wicket only. Maninder Singh (37 not out) played a key role in the win. — TNS

Chandigarh, November 4
Mridul clinched the title in a putting competition organised by the Punjab Golf Association for students and staff of Alliance Francais, Chandigarh, at the Chandigarh Golf Range, here, today.

Twenty-six students converged on the Golf Range greens where Col H.S. Baidwan, general secretary of the PGA, apprised them about the competition.

Shreya and Mandeep Singh finished second and third, respectively.

Parneet Kaur lifted the trophy in the staff section while Anant was given a special prize for scoring a hole-in-one. Arman Sharma of the Golf Range was declared winner in the junior category.

S.K. Sharma, president of the PGA, gave away the prizes.