Cricket tournament turning heads around

Cricket in this city has never been a passion, unlike in other parts of the country. Here residents may not even know the difference between a 'chinaman' and a 'googly' leave alone taking part in a debate on a topic as interesting as 'would Sachin Tendulkar have been what he is today had helmets not been around?' The talking point in this district has primarily been Judo because of the famed Shaheed Bhagat Singh coaching centre which, over the years, has produced extraordinary results. It has churned out as many as 60 International judokas, including an Olympian in Avtar Singh. However, this week, an interesting event is happening. This development has triggered a lot of interest in cricket. The local MLA is organising the Jathedar Kartar Singh Pahra memorial cricket tournament to commemorate the memory of his grandfather. The competition, without an iota of doubt, is proving to be a grand success. Two IPL and several Ranji Trophy cricketers are hogging the spotlight in this T20 feature which carries a prize of Rs1 lakh. The event is being held in the Government College stadium with local coach Rakesh Marshal being the tournament's technical advisor. The Covid and mundane problems of everyday life have been consigned to the backburner with locals turning up in large numbers. With a bit of chill in the air these days, residents are enjoying the sunshine, sixes and the boundaries in equal measure. And they are enjoying much more as compared to the experts because they stick to the plain basics and the end results rather than going into the intricacies of the game. Here was a talented batsman who repeatedly tried playing lofted shots but failed to do so because his grip was a bottom-handed dominated one which obviously restricted him to lift the ball. Nevertheless, the applause he got was stunning for he ended up scoring tons of runs. Later, coach Marshal took it upon himself to point out his drawback. "Batsmen who use the bottom hand more than the upper hand can never develop the knack of lifting the cherry. On the other hand, batsmen who use the bottom hand just for support and make use of the upper hand lore can easily lift the ball. A perfect example was that of Navjot Singh Sihdu, who, throughout his career, batted with his upper hand,” said Marshal. The tourney will go on till October 28, when Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa will distribute the prizes. Locals are now urging the MLA to make the championship an annual affair instead of it being a one-off..

Cash-strapped judo coach battles choppy waters

Dr Gurkirat Singh Aulakh, a known orthopaedic surgeon, remains busy between 10 am and 3 pm. He spares some time from his busy schedule to guide his elder son, who is a medical student, and school going younger son. He has written two poetry books ‘Beauty Unto Eternity’ and ‘The Cup of Tea’. He has penned a number of poems on Covid-19 pandemic.

CM’s bold move on Bills draws a round of applause

Once CM Capt Amarinder Singh negated the Union Government's agri Bills in the Vidhan Sabha, Gurdaspur congressmen were cock-a-hoop with joy. The first to issue a press note congratulating the CM was Raman Bahl, chairman of the Punjab State Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSSB). He said if the mandi structure (grain markets) was dissolved, as was envisaged by the Bills, the Punjab Mandi Board will be rendered infructuous. "The Mandi Board undertakes a lot of development work in rural areas particularly relating to the growth and maintenance of the village road infrastructure. How can the state government carry out its projects when the board will no longer be there?" he averred. Raman was followed by two Cabinet ministers hailing from this district. Both Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa claimed that the need of the hour was to disband the Bills and "this is precisely what the CM has done." Qadian MLA Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, too, issued a statement hailing the CM's move.

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