The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

BODY&MIND
New Danida project for HFI
Tripti Nath

THE Hemophilia Federation (India), a self-help voluntary organization run by Persons With Hemophilia (PWH), has got recognition once again from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

The Danish agency has extended its project `Living with Hemophilia in India’ by another three years. The new project will aim at enhancing the survival rate and quality of life of persons suffering from Hemophilia in India. The first project was awarded to HFI in 1998.

Ten chapters of HFI were granted support for identifying persons with Hemophilia. The project also enabled these chapters in providing medical and diagnostic facilities and educating and training medical/paramedical personnel and patients in hemophilia care and management.

HFI has been working for the cause of PWHs in the country for the last 20 years. HFI represents India as national member organisation at the World Federation of Hemophilia based in Canada.

Ms. Dorthe Lysgaard, Executive Director and CEO of Danish Hemophilia Society, who was in Delhi recently, says, “The Danish Hemophilia Society is happy and satisfied with the quality of service that HFI has delivered to PWHs in India. HFI has proved that it is capable of running the project successfully and has the capacity to bring the Chapters under the project to self-sustainable level.

It is accountable and committed and this is the reason that DANIDA has awarded the ‘Consolidation Project’ to them.”

Hemophilia is a lifelong genetic bleeding disorder. The bleeds, mostly internal, can occur in any part of the body causing joint deformity, muscular atrophy and even pseudo tumours. The bleeds can be controlled with the use of Anti-Hemophilic Factor (AHF).

Making Surgeries Safer

Ethicon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Ltd, has announced the launch of VICRYL Plus, the world’s first and only antibacterial suture approved by the FDA. A breakthrough in suture technology, the device holds the promise of making surgery safer for all patients who undergo surgery.

The VICRYL Plus sutures offer protection against bacterial colonisation, which cause majority of surgical site infections. Invitro studies have shown that this anti-bacterial suture creates an active zone outside the suture, inhibiting staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus epidermis and methicillin resistant strains of staphylococcus (MRSA and MRSE) from colonising the suture for a minimum of 48 hours.

The device has the same attributes as VICRYL* (polyglactin 910) Suture, the gold standard of sutures but the addition of the anti-bacterial agent Triclosan provides additional benefit by creating an active zone around the suture. A broad-spectrum anti-bacterial agent, Triclosan has been effectively used in consumer products.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

The Indian Institute of Cardiovascular and Allied Diseases in South Delhi is offering External Counter Pulsation (ECP) for cardiac and cerebrovascular rehabilitation.

ECP is approved by FDA (USA and National Health Services (England) and recognised by China.

ECP is suitable for patients of coronary arterial diseases, blocked arteries or those suffering from angina.

Available in several countries including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany and Pakistan, ECP has been brought to India for the benefit of patients who are either unfit for surgery or cannot afford it.

The institute which provides computerised advanced treatment of angina, heart attack and blocked arteries opines that there is more to angina than medication, angioplasty and bypass. Treatment with ECP offers potential clinical benefits to patients. Unlike heart surgery and angioplasty, ECP is a clinically tested, non-surgical therapy, which does not need any kind of anaesthesia. ECP is a circulatory device, which provides External Counter Pulsation, which enables the heart to grow its own bypasses. It is safe, painless and affordable. ECP helps in increasing the blood flow to the ischemic myocardium and other organs. The treatment is given by a computerised machine. The patient lies down on a special bed and soft pads similar to blood pressure pads are tied on his arms. The negative and positive pressure is put into these compressive cuffs which inflate/deflate these cuffs. The inflation and deflation of cuffs is electronically synchrinosed with the heart beats of the patient. This facilitates the flow of blood from the legs to the heart. When the heart beats again, pressure inside the compressive cuffs is released. The diastolic pressure increases due to effects of E.C.P treatment and the coronary profusion also increases. This improves the efficiency of the heart.

The patient is given treatment once a day for six weeks.

Skin Care

Ozone Ayurvedics has announced a formulation that promises skin care and protection from the scorching heat. The company is now offering a free Nomarks face pack on purchase of Nomarks cream. While the face pack is recommended at the end of a tiring day to open up the pores on the skin and remove all the dust and grime, the cream clears the skin of all blemishes.

Herbal anti-bacterials, micronutrients and antioxidants (including natural vitamin E) in Nomarks prevent and diminish pimples, pimple marks, darks circles under the eyes, blemishes, hyperpigmentation and minor cut/burn marks. Nomarks also protects the skin from the harsh rays of the sun.

Anuj Jain hits century in Cambridge Foundation League
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, May 15
Anuj Jain struck a hard-hitting 168, studded with 23 boundaries and eight sixes, to help Ravindra Public School defeat Saraswati Gyan Mandir School by 254 runs in a league match of the Cambridge Foundation School Summer League Under-19 Cricket Tournament at the school ground at Rajouri Garden.

Scores: Ravindra School: 348 all out in 30 overs (Anuj Jain 168, Hemant Singh 59, Sawej Khan 53, Pankaj Kumar 4 for 56, Kaushal Kumar 3 for 36).

Sarswati Gyan Mandir: 94 all out in 19.5 overs (Pankaj Kumar 38, Sandeep Karki 4 for 10, Vipul Gupta 3 for 15). Anuj Jain was named the man of the match.

Abhilash Malik hits ton

Abhilash Malik slammed a century (126, 15x4) and Lakshay Sharma captured four wickets for 22 runs as Gyan Bharati South Delhi Academy defeated Amity International School,

Noida by 145 runs in a league match of the Chaudhary Hari Singh Memorial Under-13 Cricket Tournament at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium ground.

Scores: Gyan Bharati: 241 for 5 in 35 overs (Abhilash Malik 126, Charanjeet Singh 44, Ankit Bansal 44). Amity: 96 all out in 29 overs (Ankit Bansal 44, Lakshay Sharma 4 for 22).

Sunil Sharma slams century

A strokeful 167, laced with ten boundaries and 12 sixes by Sunil Sharma, helped Kishan Ganj Gymkhana defeat Model Cricket Academy by 140 runs in the I D Paul Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Apex Public School ground. Sunil Sharma was named the man of the match.

Scores: Kishan Ganj Gymkhana: 178 all out in 25 overs (Sunil Sharma 167, Surender Dayma 37, Gaurav Sharma 27, Nitesh Chauhan 3 for 25).

Model Cricket Academy: 138 all out in 19.2 overs (Amit Chawla 42, Roshan Kumar 36, Iresh Saxena 5 for 11, Yogesh Veermani 2 for 28).

Surav Nagpal scores century
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, May 15
A delightful century by Surav Nagpal (110, 15x4, 5x6) and deadly bowling by Akhil Goyal (4 for 18) and Maninder Singh (4 for 28) helped Achrekar Foundation defeat Harry Coaching Centre by 29 runs and entered the final of the Aggarsain Under-19 Cricket Tournament at the Paschim Vihar complex ground. Surav was named the man of the match.

Scores: Achrekar Foundation: 290 all out in 40 overs (Surav Nagpal 110, Rahul Sonkar 44, Vikas Garg 3 for 31).

Harry Coaching Centre: 261 all out in 39 overs (Vikas Garg 84, Akhil Goyal 4 for 18, Maninder Singh 4 for 28).

E-Fund enter semi-final

Half century by Hardeep Singh (50, 8x4) and deadly bowling by Pankaj Mohanty (3 for 8) and Bhupinder Kumar (2 for 11) helped E-Fund beat Vertex India by eight wickets and entered the semi-final of the CallC Cup Cricket Tournament at the Ramjas ground.

Scores: Vertex India: 95 for 9 in 20 overs (Manav Sharma 22, Jatin Arora 32, Pankaj Mohanty 3 for 8, Bhupender Kumar 2 for 11).

E-Fund: 96 for 2 in 12 overs (Hardeep Singh 50 n o, Rishi Singla 32, Manav Sharma 2 for 32).

EXL Service win

Deadly bowling by Gregory (3 for 8) and Sidhant (3 for 21) helped EXL Service beat Indian Oil Servo by 45 runs in the Century Cup Cricket Tournament at the IIT ground, Haus Khas.

Scores: EXL Service: 144 all out in 24 overs (Anurag 49, Kunal Punj 36, Abhishek 24, Prem 4 for 26, Raju Gill 2 for 26).

Indian Oil: 99 all out in 21 overs (Kamal 31, Sidhant 3 for 21, Gregory 3 for 8).

Children make Asiad Fun Run a great hit
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, May 15
The searing heat notwithstanding,

children and veteran sportspersons enjoyed every bit of the fun provided by the Asian Games Fun Run, to herald the 15th Asian Games to be held in Doha (Qatar) in 2006.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi, secretary-general Randhir Singh, former hockey Olympians like M P Ganesh, Harbinder Singh, Ajit Pal Singh, M K Kaushik, Ashok Kumar, Zafar Iqbal, shooter Jaspal Rana, badminton ace Madhumita Bisht, Indu Puri (TT) and many others witnessed and participated in the ‘fun run’.

Over 300 school children from Delhi also participated in the fun run at the Dhyanchand National Stadium, which was the venue of the inaugural Asian Games in 1951.

“We are delighted that our friends at the Indian Olympic Association have worked with us so successfully to launch the first Asian Games Fun Run in New Delhi”, said president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah.

The Sheikh, in a communication to OCA secretary-general Randhir Singh, whose brain-child was the “Fun Run”, said “sport empowers us all to achieve and bring a sense of unity across a breadth of race, ethnicity, religion and gender, and the Asian Games Fun Run epitomises this aim and will help strengthen the OCA objective of developing understanding and friendship throughout the continent”.

The 15th Asian Games will be held in Doha from December 1 to 15 in 2006. Over 10,000 sportspersons and officials will converge in Qatar’s capital city of Doha for the mega event, two years hence.

Randhir Singh said the Asian Games, organised under the exclusive authority and auspices of the Olympic Council of Asia, is the largest multi-sport event of its kind, with over 33 sports played throughout the two-week period.

Inter-State soccer transfer begins
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, May 15
Inter-State soccer transfer began at the Ambedkar Stadium on Saturday. There are two categories of players—amateur and non-amateur—and two windows (periods) of transfer. The first window of transfer will be held from May 15 to 31 while the second window will be held from October 15 to 31.

The new regulations regarding the status and transfer of players, approved by the special Annual General Meeting of the All-India Football Federation, which came into force last season, will be enforced with immediate effect as per the advice of the Players’ Status Committee of the AIFF to the State association secretaries.

The transfer of the players will become effective from June 1 and any date thereafter within the season when the certificate is issued, provided the applications are received within the two windows of transfer. A player having taken inter-State transfer in the first window will not be eligible to seek transfer in the second window. And the players transferred on loan cannot return to the same club or be transferred to another club, during the same season. No transfer on loan will be accepted or made after February 28, 2005.