Hindi bulletin on AIDS awareness
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 6
Yuvsatta, a voluntary organisation with the aim for effective information, education and communication on AIDS to the masses at large has come up with “Rakshak” — a tri-annual AIDS awareness bulletin in Hindi — which was released at a function at Sood Bhavan, Sector 44, here today.

Releasing the bulletin, Dr N.M. Sharma, Project Director, State AIDS Control Organisation, Chandigarh, lauded the simplicity and effectiveness of “Rakshak” as a medium to carry the messages of healthy lifestyle, importance of hygiene and other issues of AIDS awareness to the people, specially to the slum dwellers.

Yuvsatta under the auspices of the State AIDS Control Society, UT, Chandigarh, has been carrying out projects like AIDS awareness programme, education of slum children, tele-counselling, blood donation camps, drug de-addiction and environmental awareness programmes.

Doctors donate blood 
Our Correspondent

Ambala, June 6
Doctors and paramedical staff of the Health Department, Ambala, organised a blood donation camp at Ambala city hospital here today to make up for the shortage of blood in the blood bank.

Around two dozen of blood units were contributed by the hospital staff. Several doctors, staff nurses and class IV employees donated blood. Deputy CMO (Health) Umesh Lamba and his son also donated blood.

SPORTS

PU keen on hosting inter-varsity meets
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, June 6
The Sports Department, Panjab University, has initiated steps to bid for holding the all-India inter-varsity tournaments in 12 sport disciplines in the session 2002-2003.

According to Mr Kewal Singh, Assistant Director (Sports), PU, the university has sent a request to the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) to allow it to host these games. He said the matter would be decided in the annual meeting of the AIU. He added competitions would be held in cross country, football, judo, rowing, softball, yogasanas, basketball, kho-kho, handball, volleyball, badminton (all in both and women categories) and hockey (only for men).

He said the university was giving priority to various sport such as badminton, judo, hockey, football where there was any hope for medals in the forthcoming all-India varsity meets. He said to further improve the players’ performance in these disciplines, a coaching camp had been planned.

A two-week camp was already on for badminton players. Four men and three women players were attending this camp. These players were being given free diet, lodging and pocket money along with shuttle cocks for practice, he added. This camp was being held under the supervision of senior Sports Authority of India coach, Surinder Mahajan.

Regarding sports hostel, he said tenders had already been floated and they were hopeful of its likely completion in the stipulated period. He said the hostel would be of immense benefit to sportspersons. During various inter-college meets, when the sportspersons from far off colleges come to play, it becomes difficult to lodged them in general hostels. He said the new hostel would solve this problem.

He said, “The university has regular coaching centres in many sport disciplines where budding players come for training. Coaching centres in judo, badminton, hockey, football were being run with the assistance of SAI coaches. The St Stephen’s School Academy trained their boys here on the PU grounds. He said university grounds were also being used by various sports associations, government bodies for holding various meets.

He cited the example of the Central Revenue Services, that would host All India Revenue Services Sports Meet on the PU grounds. This would be followed by rugby nationals, baseball nationals, prize money badminton tournaments and UT basketball championships, he added.

Golf camp for juniors concludes
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 6
Twenty children in the 3-16 age-group took part in the Chandigarh Golf Club junior summer coaching camp which concluded today. Coaching was held for two hours per day for a 10-day period. Golf balls and refreshments were provided by the club for all the participants.

Jesse Grewal, Club Professional at The Chandigarh Golf Club conducted the camp and has been running the camps at this club for the past 10 years. He is a fully Certified USGTF Teaching Professional and coaches some of the top amateurs, including Irina Brar, Gurbaaz Mann, Girish Virk, Guneet Raikhy and Ajitesh Sandhu. Jesse attended a Coaching camp held at The Classic Golf Resort organised by the IGU and conducted by Dr Donato di Ponziano, Dy Chairman of the PGA of Europe, in April last, in which he was rated as the best Teaching Professional in the country.

A putting and chipping competition was held on the last day. 20 enthusiastic kids were all geared up to prove themselves at the end of the 10-day camp.

Three-year-old Karan Kochhar was there for the entire duration of the camp and enjoyed himself as did the girls Isha, Amrita and Seerat.

Maintenance Command win weightlifting meet
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 6
Maintenance Command, Air Force, bagged the overall championship in the four-day Air Force Weightlifting Championship which concluded here this evening at Lecma Auditorium, 3BRD. Western Air Command and Southern Air Command got second and third place, respectively.

In all, 10 new meet records were established in various weight categories. On the basis of this meet, 16 lifters have been selected to take part in the forthcoming Services Weightlifting Championship to be held in Roorkee in September this year.

Earlier, AVM A.K. Singh, Chairman, Air Force Sports Control Board, gave away the prizes to the winners.

(Results — below 105 kg): snatch: CPl Mavai SK 1, 122.5 kg; JWO Rajesh Kumar 2, NC (E) M.S. Khandari 3; clean and jerk: Cpl Mavai S.K. 1,155 kg; JWO Rajesh 2, total weight CPL Mavai S.K. 1, 277.5 kg; JWO Rajesh 2, NC (E) Khandari 3; above 105 kg: snatch: Sgt A.K. Dass 1, 137.5 kg (new record); Cpl J Virmani 2, Cpl P Kumar 3; clean and jerk: Cpl J Virmani 1, 120 kg; Cpl P. Kumar 2; total weight: Cpl J. Virmani 1, 212.5 kg; Cpl P. Kumar 2.