Athletes honoured with sports awards

Shooter Gagan Narang was bestowed with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sports award in the country, by President of India Pratibha Patil at an investiture ceremony to honour the National sports award winners at the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan here today.

The current double world-record holder in the 10-metre air rifle event, Narang had won four gold medals in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, two silver medals in the Asian Games in China and a clutch of other medals in international meets to emerge as the sole candidate for the Khel Ratna Award.

The president also presented the Dronacharya, Arjuna, Dhyan Chand and Tenzing Norgay awards. Though the invitation card had mentioned the Maulana Abul Kalam Award (MAKA) Trophy as well, it was not presented this year, though no reason was given for not awarding the trophy to the university with best sporting achievements.

A source said the MAKA Trophy was withheld due to the fight between Punjabi University, Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and consequently the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) did not go through the process of selecting the best university. Compared to other years, the award function was rather subdued.

Barring Sports Minister Ajay Maken and Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, no other union minister was present. There were also four absentees among the Arjuna Award winners — cricketer Zaheer Khan, tennis star Somdev Devvarman, discus thrower Vikas Gowda and gymnast Ashish Kumar.

Read more:http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110830/sports.htm#1

Recruitment of coaches hits roadblock

The recruitment of 225 coaches by the Punjab Sports Department has hit a roadblock. Acting on a petition filed by 37 coaches working under the Punjab Sports Department, Justice Surya Kant of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ruled the selection process would not be initiated till the issues raised are resolved.

Disposing of the petition filed through counsel HC Arora, Justice Surya Kant observed the petitioners have raised a “serious issue” that the selection criteria mentioned in the advertisement issued by the Subordinate Services Selection Board, Punjab is in violation of the provisions contained in “Punjab Sports (Group-C) Service Rules, 2001”.

Justice Surya Kant directed the Secretary, Sports, to treat the civil writ petition as a representation by the petitioners, and decide all the issues raised in it by passing a speaking order, and till then selection process shall not be started.

Justice Surya Kant also directed that in case Secretary, Sports, came to the decision that petitioners have raised valid point, a corrigendum to the already released advertisement shall have to be issued for changing the selection criteria.

In case the points raised by petitioners are not found acceptable, the speaking order passed shall have to be communicated to the petitioners.

The coaches, engaged by the sports department through a private agency in 2008, had stated that during the previous two-and-a-half years, they played a vital role in several international matches, including the four-nation hockey league, and the word kabaddi cup in addition to the inter-state matches and sports meets. — TNS

src.http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110802/punjab.htm#5

Four officials sacked at SAI centre in Patiala

India’s sports ministry has sacked four officials at its Patiala training centre as part of an investigation into an embarrassing doping scandal.

The dismissals follow the sacking of a Ukrainian track and field coach on Tuesday after eight athletes tested positive for banned anabolic steroids.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) had conducted raids in the rooms and hostels of athletes, officials and coaches in Patiala and Bangalore as part of the investigation, local media reported on Thursday.

“Two SAI officials attached with the athletes training programme, and other two women officials of the elite sports women’s hostel have also been removed,” SAI said in a statement.

A report had also been lodged with the local police in Patiala to initiate action against local chemists selling banned drugs, the statement added.

Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal said some athletes had told her that they knowingly took banned substances. “I know many athletes and weightlifters who themselves told me that ‘we take it’,'” local media quoted Nehwal as saying at a promotional event in Mumbai late on Wednesday.

“It’s really sad they don’t know what they are taking. I’m sure everyone knows WADA rules. They’re very simple to follow. They have a website which has a list of all the banned medicines and the ones that can be used,” she added.

SAI to set up a regulatory body to monitor athletes

Having apparently learnt a lesson the hard way after the doping scandal, the Sports Authority of India is mulling on having a regulatory body that will closely monitor athletes whose performance graph improves radically in a short span of time for possible use of performance enhancing drugs.

“It is a cause of concern. From now on, we would be more vigilant and keep a watch on those athletes whose performance level improves a lot in a short span of time,” SAI Director General Desh Deepak Verma told reporters.

Verma, however, sidestepped the issue about SAI and AFI’s fetish for appointing coaches from the erstwhile Soviet block countries like Belarus and Ukraine which have long been known as the hub for “systematic doping and masking”.

“It’s unfair to blame a particular country for this. What we can do from now on is to thoroughly check the credentials of coaches who are being appointed. If we find that a certain coach has his wards regularly being caught for doping, then we won’t go ahead with the appointment,” he said.

SRC.http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/four-officials-sacked-at-sai-centre-in-patiala-37958.html

Pushpa Gujral Science City (PGSC) in Kapurthala - India’s first sports gallery impresses visitors

If you want to be an excellent hockey player, you are required to strengthen your shoulder, back, upper leg and lower leg muscles.

This basic knowledge and other related valuable information regarding various games is on display at the country’s first gallery on Science of Sports recently opened at the Pushpa Gujral Science City (PGSC) in Kapurthala.

The gallery has been divided into various sections for cricket, volleyball, badminton, lawn tennis, basketball, football, hockey and rural sports, boxing, gymnastic, judo, shooting, hammer throw, shot put, fencing, javelin, pole vault, equestrian, sailing and rock climbing.

Several models at the gallery provide information about history of various sports, ground dimensions, possible injuries and safeguards. This is a virtual learning centre to understand science and sports through a playful and informal approach.

 The motive behind setting up the gallery at the cost of rupees one crore was to familiarise visitors with applications of scientific principles in sports - role of gravity, projectile motion, momentum, force, energy, impulse, Newton’s Law of Motion, materials used in equipment etc. and understanding and improving performance in sports.

Abhishek, a student of MGN School Jalandhar, said after visiting the gallery that it provided valuable information about different sports.

Moves in sports are governed by scientific principles and material used has scientific basis. Sportspersons, umpires and coaches often use science and technology knowingly or inadvertently. The gallery makes an attempt to bring science closer to the sports-loving people’s hearts and mind.

As far as the cricket World Cup 2011 is concerned, it left no chance for perceptions, assumptions or doubts about the decisions against run-outs, stumpings, LBWs, catches and boundaries. Players and umpires nowadays use reviews for decisions, based on science and technology.

Today Sachin Tendulkar's Birthday Read Punjabi Articles

Sachin Tendulkar Date of birth is April 24, 1973 

Today Sachin Tendulkar's Birthday Read Punjabi Articles 

Sachin Tendulkar has mostly celebrated his birthdays in a quiet manner and away from the public eye over the years. On the eve of his 38th birthday too, the Little Maestro chose to make the occasion special in his own way by fulfilling the wishes of physically challenged soldiers based in Pune on Friday.

Special on Sachin's 38th B'day: Sachin@38

Since his cricketing commitments made it impossible for Tendulkar to meet them personally, he interacted with the soldiers undergoing rehabilitation at the paraplegic centre in Pune's Khadki cantonment via a video-conference which was lively and invoked lots of laughter.

While the jawans asked him several questions, Tendulkar too had a few to ask one of them being, "When you (soldiers) go out on a mission there are no retakes. Where do you get the courage from, especially at times when it is a matter of life and death? To which, the jawans replied, "Whatever we do as soldiers is with the responsibility of serving the nation and when we are at the front it is about that and nothing else matters. One doesn't even think about whether you'll stay alive or not." The answer had Tendulkar moved.

On a lighter note, a jawan asked him about his trips to Dehradun and if the hill station was one of his favourite. Tendulkar said, "I have been there only once but the television channels keep showing the same footage. But it's a very nice place and I loved the long morning walks in solace there."

He was also asked about his love for tennis to which Tendulkar quipped, "For me as a kid the choice was between tennis and cricket and I feel that I didn't make a bad choice. Though, I still love tennis and watch it whenever I get time."

About every kid wanting to play cricket and be like him, Tendulkar emphasized that it was for every parent to allow their children to pursue their interests. "Children have their own choices, they should be encouraged. For the kids, it is important that they pursue their dreams with devotion."

Tendulkar promised to pay a visit to the jawans. "I would like to play table tennis with you and would like to learn to play basketball when I come to meet you," he said.

Tendulkar also cut a cake and exchanged bouquets with the soldiers on camera.

Yuvraj’s Village Waits For Him

Their excitement knows no bounds. The day India won the World Cup, they danced, bursted firecrackers and raised toast in honour of one of their own who had played a pivotal role in winning the cup for the country after a gap of 28 years.

An ancestral Haveli of Yuvraj singh in Kanech village nr.Ludhiana.

The man, who has brought glory to this otherwise sleepy village, is Yuvraj Singh, who won the man of the tournament award owing to his rocking performance at the world cup. The village is basking in its new-found glory.

“The World Cup semifinal and then the final was a big event for all of us because our son was seen in action,” said Rajpal Singh Bhandal, a relative of Yuvraj Singh. “We relished every moment of the semifinal and the final, but the ultimate moment came when Yuvraj was declared ‘Man of the Tournament’. We all felt on the top of the world,” Rajpal said. He has made arrangement for a wet party at his home to celebrate the occasion.

Though villagers are proud of Yuvraj Singh, but no one remembers when was the last time the cricketer had visited his ancestral village, where his grandfather’s haveli still stands. “His father, Yograj Singh, often comes to the village, but Yuvraj has not come here as far I remember,” said a villager.

“This time we believe that Yograj will bring Yuvraj to the village. We want to meet him and honour him,” said Rajpal Singh.

The village has many NRIs. With their efforts, a project worth Rs 2.78 crore has been initiated to lay new water supply and sewer system in the village. Of the total amount, Rs 72 lakh will be contributed by the village and remaining amount will be paid by the government.

“We are facing no dearth of money. About 70 per cent work of laying water supply system has been completed. After it, the work to lay sewer line would be taken up,” said Rajpal Singh, who has come from Canada to help in the execution of the project.

56TH SENIOR WOMEN'S HOCKEY National Championship APRIL 6 to 14

Teams from 30 States are participating in the 56th Senior Women's Hockey National Championship hosted by Karnataka State Women Hockey Association (KSWHA) here from April 6 to 14.

The participating teams were divided into eight Pools and Defending Champions Indian Railways were placed in Pool 'A' while last year runner up and hosts Karnataka is pooled in 'B', KSWHA President Radha Murthy told. The matches will be played on league-cum-knock out basis with top finishing team from each Pool making it to Quarterfinals from the league.

Pool 'A': Indian Railways, Tamil Nadu and Tripura. Pool 'B': Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Bhopal, Pool 'C': UP, MP, Gujarat, Pune District Hockey Academy (PDHA), Pool 'D': Delhi, Vidharbha, Punjab, Jharkhand, Pool 'E': Bombay, Orissa, Pondicherry, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Pool 'F': Vidharbha, Bihar, PEPSU, Manipur, Pool 'G': Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Pool H': Haryana Kerala and Mizoram.

Pakistani visitors take back 'bagfull of good memories'

Pakistanis, who had come to witness the semi-final match between India and Pakistan at Mohali Wednesday, praised the "warmth and hospitality" extended to them here and said they would take back a "bagfull of good memories".

"Initially we really felt dejected over Pakistan's loss but the dejection faded away in minutes. In fact, later we also celebrated India's win by dancing to beats of the dhol with our new friends outside the PCA stadium," Mushtaq Mohammad, 24, a Karachi-based media studies student, told IANS.

"My visa is till April 3 and now I will spend the next three days, sight-seeing in Punjab and Chandigarh. I will visit historical gurudwaras and masjids (mosques) in this part of India," he said. 

Saeeda Diep, director of Lahore-based Institute for Peace and Secular Studies, told IANS: "This was a very enriching trip and we saw a healthy exchange between the youngsters of both countries. It was a win-win 

situation. Tomorrow (Friday) we are returning to Lahore with a bagfull of good memories and experience."

"Winning or losing are part of the game, so we are not at all disappointed with the result of yesterday's match. Best thing is that government of two countries had chosen this sporting extravaganza as an opportunity to break the ice and initiated the dialogue process," Ayesha Arif, a young film director from Lahore, told IANS.

She added, "I am very impressed with the warmth and hospitality of Punjabis here. We also invite them to come to Lahore and give us a chance to act as a perfect host for them." 

Around 400 Pakistani cricket fans, including officials and relatives of the players, had crossed over into India through the Attari-Wagah check-post, during the last seven days.

Earlier the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) had given only 50 tickets to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) but seeing the craze among Pakistan fans they sent 200 more passes Monday. 

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani had also come to see this high-voltage day-night match. However, Gilani returned the same night.

Imran Ehsan, who was part of the crew of Gilani's aircraft, told IANS: "I cannot express my feeling of coming to India in words. We certainly want to break the barriers between the two countries and I guess that sports are the best medium for it." 

http://freshsportsnewz.blogspot.com

Celebrate Hockey Night with CBC's Punjabi Hosts

South Asian, Punjabi-speaking hockey fans are in for a real treat on March 27, 2011.

Popular announcers Harnarayan Singh and Amarinder Singh, hosts of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi, are hosting a special hockey-themed bash in conjunction with CIBC banks at Bovaird Road and Airport Road in Brampton.

“CIBC is proud to partner with CBC to present Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi to the many hockey enthusiasts in the South Asian community, including here in Brampton,” said Stephen Forbes, Executive Vice President at CIBC.

Those who attend the event will have a chance to win a Hockey Night Experience Pack for 2 which includes two tickets to a hockey game on April 9, 2011, a behind the scenes tour of the Hockey Night in Canada studios as well as a chance to schmooze with the stations favourite hockey announcers.

Meet hockey announcers at CIBC

The event is part of CIBC’s sponsorship of the popular Punjabi-language live broadcasts of hockey games during the 2010-2011 season.

The event is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. at the CIBC Bovaird and Airport Banking Centre at 2989 Bovaird Dr. in Brampton.

“CIBC is proud to partner with CBC to present Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi to the many hockey enthusiasts in the South Asian community, including here in Brampton,” said Stephen Forbes, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs at CIBC. “CIBC has a long history of celebrating Canada’s diversity and with this sponsorship we are thrilled to be able to bring an iconic national game to life for Punjabi-speaking hockey fans.” 

Guests at the event can enter a contest for a chance to win an exclusive Hockey Night Experience Prize Pack of two (2) tickets to the April 9 hockey game at the Air Canada Centre (ACC) in Toronto, limo transfer from the winner’s home to and from the ACC and CBC, along with a “Behind the Scenes Tour” of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast facility prior to the game. 

Other highlights include autograph signing and photo opportunities with the popular announcers, hockey-themed activities and giveaways, as well as refreshments and cake.

Jalandhar Leading Tally With 46 Medals In Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Games 2011 Punjab

Jalandhar were leading the medal tally with an impressive haul of 20 gold, nine silver and 17 bronze medals on the penultimate day of the inaugural Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Punjab Games being organised by the Punjab Sports Department in Ludhiana, Patiala, Mohali and Jalandhar.

The leaders were being closely followed by Patiala (17-7-7), Ludhiana (10-10-16) and Tarn Taran (8-9-10) in that order. Jalandhar clinched gold in women's football final match at the Guru Nanak Stadium here by defeating hosts Ludhiana by a solitary goal scored by Monika in the dying minutes. Amritsar were declared third since Patiala were scratched on technical ground.

Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh Punjab Games 2011, Dharminder, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol entry at Surjeet Hockey Stadium at Jalandhar

In the men's hard-fought football final Ludhiana snatched a thrilling 1-0 verdict. The match winner goal was scored by Jagdeep Singh of Ludhiana in16th minute of the match. The bronze medal went to Kapurthala who defeated Gurdaspur through tie-breaker 5-4. The Jalandhar men spikers bagged gold by defeating Tarn Taran in the volleyball fine by 3-0. Ludhiana claimed bronze by defeating Hoshiarpur 3-0.

Mukatsar showed their supremacy in the women's volleyball final after routing Mohali 3-0. Sangrur had to work hard to beat Jalandhar by 3-2 in a tough match to decide third and fourth positions. The women's kabaddi went to Nawanshahar who outplayed Amritsar by 41-33 whereas for the third-fourth position Ropar beat Jalandhar and won the bronze medal.

Jalandhar bagged gold in men's kabaddi by defeating Ludhiana by 52-32 in the final. Kapurthala defeated Sangrur 48-42 to bag bronze medal. Ludhiana clinched gold in women basketball final match by defeating Kapurthala 65-55. Jalandhar won the bronze medal who defeated Gurdaspur by 54-14 points. Jalandhar defeated Ludhiana by 101-94 in the men's basketball final. Kapurthala won bronze by defeating Patiala 65-59. 

Punjab To Host Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh Games

Sports director and former Indian hockey captain, Pargat Singh announced that the state would host the first edition of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Punjab Games from February 28.

The week-long happenstance which would be held across Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala and Jalandhar will witness several athletes competing in 11 different disciplines for prize a money of Rs 21 lakh in each event.

"The Games have been divided into three groups. The first group consists of hockey and shooting.

"Hockey event would be conducted at Jalandhar and shooting at Mohali. Boxing, weight lifting, wrestling and volleyball would be held at Patiala while athletics, basketball, football, kabaddi and tug of war will be conducted at Ludhiana.

"The matches would be played under the floodlights," Singh said.

The former captain added that the Punjab Government was making concerted efforts to develop sports in the state and one of the motives to hold the Games was to encourage the youth to join the sports and to wean away them from drugs and sedentary life style.

He also mentioned that the current Indian hockey team captain, Rajpal Singh, and athletes like Mandeep Kaur and Manjeet Kaur would represent their respective districts during the event.

The director added that the opening ceremony which would be held at Guru Nanak Stadium in ludhiana will be attended by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar while the closing ceremony, to be held at Burlton Park, Jalandhar, would be graced by son-of-the-soil and yesteryears star Dharmendra and his family.

Kabaddi Cup in Bathinda on 20th Feb-2011

Kabaddi Cup in Bathinda on 20th Feb-2011

"Eh Kabaddi Hundi Marda Di Khed"

Shaheed Kartar Singh Saraba Kabaddi Cup Bathinda on 20th February

Miri Piri Shehanshah U K Kabaddi Club will organize 1st Shaheed Kartar Singh Saraba Kabaddi Cup Bathinda on 20th February in the Khed Stadium Bathinda. Balwinder Singh Ghaint will be honoured with Car and other three players will be honoured with Motor Cycles. 1st prize will be Rs 100000/- and 2nd prize will be Rs 75000/-.

Dhanaula Kabaddi Cup from 11th February

Shaheed Bhagat Singh Youth Sports Club Dhanaula will organize Dhanaula Kabaddi Cup from 11th February to 13th February . In this Tournament Kabaddi open, 52kg, 70kg, Football, Baskitball and Volleyball Smashing teams will play the matches. 1st prize for Kabaddi open will be Rs 51000/-.