89 Chandigarh runners experience the magic of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon

 

 New Delhi, Nov 29 

The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2020 witnessed a magnificent sporting spectacle on Sunday, 29 November 2020. The event records in men's and women's categories, and the national half marathon record were broken for the first time in the history of ADHM, making the 16th edition of the event a cracking one.

After being flagged off by the Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and Event Ambassador Abhinav Bindra, Ethiopia's Amdework Walelegn raced to victory with a timing of 58:53 in the men's category to smash the event record, while Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw broke the event record in the women's category and ran the second-fastest women’s half marathon ever. India's 3000 metres steeplechase national record holder Avinash Sable shone among the athletes of India, breaking the national half marathon record and the event record.

The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon has always gone beyond convention and in the face of the toughest of challenges, the event found a way to emerge victoriously. Thousands of runners and a host of run clubs stood in solidarity with the 16th edition of the event via the exclusive Airtel Delhi Half Marathon Mobile App. Even though they couldn't run along with the elite runners from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, they spread their vibrancy across the country, forming an emotional bond with the event from wherever they were.  

Around 13,500 people from around the world took part in ADHM 2020, across three categories - Half Marathon (21.097 km), Open 10K (10 km) and Great Delhi Run (5 km) - from their own respective locations. 

As many as 89 runners led the charge from the city of Chandigarh. The participants got a brilliant opportunity to embrace and experience the magic of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon from wherever they were.

A runner from Chandigarh expressed that since the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon was organized for amateur runners through the ADHM app, he had a chance to help some of the runners in his city attain their targets.

"I knew some people who were running their first marathon in Chandigarh, so some of us decided to help them attain their targets. Since we ran ADHM in Chandigarh, we got an opportunity to help some of the runners in our city. I would say that was the best part about running ADHM through the app. It was a good attempt by ADHM to organize the event through the ADHM app," said Yogesh Gera.

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Synthetic track at CCS HAU will be a milestone for sportspersons: CM

 Chandigarh, November 29

 Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal said that the synthetic track constructed at a cost of Rs. 4.65 crore at Giri Centre in Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, will prove to be a milestone for sportspersons. After practicing from here, the sportspersons will bring laurels to the state and country at the national and international level.

Mr. Manohar Lal was addressing a gathering at the inauguration of this international synthetic track. After this, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the International Scientists’ Hostel in the university itself.

The Chief Minister said that the Khelo India programme is being run for the sportspersons up to the age of 19 years, with very positive results. With this, the sportspersons are able to make their mark at the national and international level by practicing in their teens, he added. He said that Haryana will host the Khelo India Games-2021 and its main centre will be Panchkula. In this game, 12,000 to 15,000 sportspersons from all over the country will participate and 20 types of events will be organized during the Games. He said that competitions are usually held in November or December under Khelo India, but this time it was not possible due to COVID-19 Pandemic. Therefore, Haryana will host these games in the coming year.

He called upon the sportspersons to start preparing for it so that they can perform well in these sports. Education Department and Sports Department play an important role in the successful organization of these sports. He expressed hope that along with hosting these games, the emphasis will be on winning as well.

On this occasion, 100 meters race was organized for girls and 400 meters for boys. Apart from this, the Chief Minister, the Vice-Chancellor, and other officers also raced on the track.

Vice Chancellor, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Professor Samar Singh, while apprising the Chief Guest of the achievements of the University’s sportspersons said that the players who have practiced here have brought laurels to the university at the international level.

Director of Student Welfare, Dr. Devendra Singh Dahiya, while elaborating about the sporting achievements of the university said that among the sportspersons who have brought laurels to the country by practicing here, Ms. Geeta Zutshi participated in the Olympic Games and has been a Padma Shri award winner.

Haryana Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker, Mr. Ranbir Gangwa, MLA Hisar, Dr. Kamal Gupta, besides the District Administrative Officer, University Founder, Director, and Head of the Department and other dignitaries of the city were also present during the programme.

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Ensuring overall development of underprivileged persons Haryana's priority

 Chandigarh, November 29

The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar, said that it is the priority of the State Government to ensure the overall development of the most underprivileged persons of the society by delivering the benefits of government schemes to them first.

Mr. Manohar Lal said this while addressing the people during a rally organized under the chairmanship of Haryana Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker, Mr. Ranbir Singh Gangwa in Hisar today.

The Chief Minister said that I consider Haryana as my family and it is my responsibility to help the underprivileged members of my family. So there is no need to thank me for this, he added. He said that as the head of the family, he has fulfilled his duty. Our mantra is Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Haryana Ek Haryanvi Ek.

The Chief Minister said that there was a time when government jobs were given to people who had money but now recruitments are being made ‘Bina Parchi, Bina Kharchi’. Middlemen are excluded from the system, he added. He said that Antyodaya, Saral Kendra, e-Disha Kendra, and Atal Seva Kendra have been set up everywhere to deliver the benefits of government schemes to the general public. The amount of the schemes is sent directly to the eligible beneficiaries in their accounts, he added.

The Chief Minister said that despite all this, he is still not satisfied. The system to identify eligible and ineligible still needs further improvement and for this Parivar Pehchan Patra are being issued, he added. He said that 52 percent of its registration work has been completed. The Parivar Pehchan Patra will carry the details of the family which will be used to identify the person and family who are still deprived of the benefits of the government schemes, he added. He said that in the race of life people have to understand that they have to take those who are left behind, along with them. Everyone has to work to encourage those behind them, only then will the society be successful as a whole, he added.

The Chief Minister said that he constantly strives to alleviate the suffering of the people. When the matter of giving reservation to Backward Class-A in Panchayati Raj was brought to his notice, he felt that this demand was justified and fulfilled it, he added. He reiterated that reservation is not a hobby, but a necessity. After getting the required support, when society moves forward, reservation will probably not be needed, he added.

The Chief Minister said that the State Government will help all those who are in need. The State Government has arranged scholarships and loans for meritorious students to pursue higher education, he added. He said that if a child who wants to study abroad, wants to become a doctor, engineer or do research, then parents will not have to give guarantee for the loan. The government will give the guarantee.

Describing the backward society as craftsman and the working class, the Chief Minister said that this society is the foundation of our economy. At the time of independence, the backward class society, which did the work of textile, jewelery, utensils and crafts, had a 24 percent share in our economy, but the skills of this class have not been able to develop as per the modern era, he added. He said that for this, the government has started Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, Palwal which has various courses, where the children of this class will get the most benefit. At present, four training centres are running for imparting training for hair salons, and beauty parlours.

Mr. Ranbir Gangwa thanked and congratulated the Chief Minister on behalf of the backward classes of the entire state for giving eight percent reservation to the backward class in the Panchayati Raj elections. He said that from the time of formation of Haryana, there was a demand for reservation in Panchayati Raj system by the Backward Classes, for which many commissions were also formed but no government had fulfilled this demand. Now the present State Government has fulfilled this long-standing demand.

State President, Backward Classes, Mr. Madan Lal Chauhan, Rajya Sabha MP, Mr. Ramchandra Jangra and other leaders also addressed the programme. On this occasion, MLA Hisar Dr. Kamal Gupta, Chairman, Haryana Backward Classes Commission, Mr. Satbir Verma and many dignitaries were also present.

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Use of unconstitutional language does not suit any CM: Khattar

 

 Chandigarh, Nov 29 

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the use of unconstitutional language does not suit any Chief Minister. One Chief Minister should not use such language about another Chief Minister, he added. He said that he does not need to react to such language and the public is already condemning the language used by the Punjab Chief Minister on social media. It is not in my values to behave like this, he added.

The Chief Minister said this while responding to queries by media persons after a rally organized under the chairmanship of Haryana Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker, Mr. Ranbir Singh Gangwa in Hisar today to felicitate Haryana Chief Minister for providing eight percent reservation to Backward Classes-A.

Mr. Manohar Lal said that in view of COVID-19 Pandemic, everyone should fulfill their responsibility. But it is surprising that at such a time, the Punjab government has exhibited irresponsible behavior and created such a situation, he added. He said that if there is a catastrophic situation regarding COVID-19 Pandemic, then the Punjab Government will be fully responsible for it.

Responding to another query, the Chief Minister said that it is not true that he did not try to speak with the Punjab Chief Minister. The current movement is entirely sponsored by the Punjab Congress. Precautionary measures regarding the protest were taken by the government so that COVID-19 Pandmic does not take catastrophic proportions. The Union Home Minister has said that he will hold talks with the protesters. As soon as the protesters will gather in Burari field, an appropriate solution will be found by negotiating with them, he added.

In response to a query regarding the forthcoming Panchayati Raj elections, the Chief Minister said that if there is a unanimous decision for filling the posts by direct elections, then the Haryana Government is considering a plan to give special grants to the respective areas for development works. It will probably be announced before the election, he added.

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Parminder Dhindsa blames State Govt for Punjabi University's financial crisis

V-C resigned as no support from govt for varsity’s financial difficulties

CHANDIGARH, NOV 19

Reacting to the resignation of Punjabi University, Patiala, vice-chancellor (V-C) BS Ghuman, Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) MLA and former Punjab Finance Minister  Parminder Singh Dhindsa on Thursday, termed it as unfortunate. Mr Dhindsa said that no financial support from the state government to the university during such a crisis had disappointed academicians and educationists.

“The state government was going to set up a new Sports University in Patiala, however, on the other hand, the abandonment of Punjabi University, which has made the Malwa region immensely rich in the field of education; is an indication that the government is not serious about important institutes like Punjabi University,” said Mr  Dhindsa.

He appealed to the alumni living in the country and abroad to come forward to save the varsity. S. Mr Dhindsa further said that he was personally saddened by the resignation of V-C BS Ghuman, an expert in the field of education. “The V-C had sought financial help from the state government but he decided to resign as there was no response from the government in this regard,” added Mr. Dhindsa.

Mr Dhindsa said that he would do his utmost to save the varsity and would submit a memorandum to Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore, who is the chancellor of the university; seeking financial assistance for the university. He also asked both the Centre and state government to provide financial assistance to the varsity, so that it could overcome the difficulties and students could continue to get quality education.

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Aditya Chauhan and Harleen Kaur Dhanda lift singles titles

  

 CHANDIGARH, NOV 18

CLTA trainee and top seed Aditya Chauhan won the boys under-16 singles title in the HPCL-CLTA-AITA Championship Series (CS-3) Tennis Tournament at the Sector 10 Tennis Stadium here today.

. Aditya Chauhan played high quality tennis and maintained his momentum throughout the match against fifth seed Aarush Sharma of Punjab. He used his experience and varied shorts. Aditya won the first set easily 6-1. In the second set he came back with high energetic game to closed the set and match 6-2.

 In the girls under-16 singles final top seed Harleen Kaur Dhanda defeated Radhika Vasudeva in straight sets 6-4, 6-1. Both the players played good level of tennis in first set. In the second set Harleen Kaur Dhanda dominant with her aggressive ground strokes and closed the set and match easily 6-1.  

 

Mr. Shalabh Raj Gupta, Chief Regional Manager, HPCL & State Level Coordinator for Oil Industry, Chandigarh distributed the prizes. 

 Results (finals):  

Boys under-16: Aditya Chauhan (HR) [1] bt. Aarush Sharma (PB) [5] 6-1, 6-2.

Girls under-16: Harleen Kaur Dhanda [1] (HR) bt. Radhika Vasudeva (CH) [2] 6-4, 6-1.

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2339 sportspersons, deprived of prize money during previous government, be given cash prizes soon: Rana Sodhi

 

 CHANDIGARH, NOV 18

Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi today announced that around 2400 sportspersons, who were deprived of prize money during the tenure of the previous government, would be given cash prizes within next two months. And, the winners of national and international acclaim, who brought laurels between the year 2017 to till date will also be accorded with cash prizes.

During a high level meeting with top brass of the Sports department and District Sports Officers of the state here, Rana Sodhi asked the officials to prepare lists for distribution of prizes in phased manner. The Cabinet Minister said that the department has enough funds for the distribution of prize money to the beneficiaries, including 2339 national and international level sportspersons from the year 2007 to 2015 and the process to distribute cash prizes to these players will be initiated soon. 

Directing the District Sports Officers to ensure strict adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the Union Health Ministry, Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Punjab Health Department regarding the resumption of sports activities in the state, Rana Sodhi said that RT-PCR tests are mandatory for players and thermal scanning must be arranged at stadium entrances. In addition to this, the training program should be conducted in a staggered manner instead of the presence of all the players at the same time. He said that disinfection of stadiums should be ensured after every training session. “The District Sports Officers will be responsible for implementation of these Standard Operating Procedures”, he added.

The Sports Minister asked all the District Sports Officers, if any sportsperson desirous to participate in international level competitions and need financial help, he could contact concerned District Sports Officer for monetary and logistic support, adding that the department strives to ensure that no talented player is deprived of participating in competitions sans financial or sports equipment.

Rana Sodhi categorically emphasized that in every stadium, life-size pictures of great players displaying their sports achievements would be exhibited in every stadium to encourage and motivate the budding players. In addition, booklets exhibiting salient features of the Punjab Sports Policy such as cash prizes, reservation for sportspersons in government jobs and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards etc. would be disbursed in schools to motivate the youth towards sports.

During the meeting, Principal Secretary Sports Mr. K. Siva Prasad and Director Sports Mr. D.P.S. Kharbanda explained in detail about the criteria set by the sports department for resuming training activities and listened to the problems being faced by the DSOs. They said, consent letter should be obtained from the players or their parents pertaining to the participation in the training sessions and asked to ensure the 'Arogya Setu' app in players’ mobile phones to keep them protected from COVID-19.

Joint Secretary Sports Council Mr. Kartar Singh and all the District sports officers were present during the meeting.

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Haryana becomes second contributor to Central Food Grain Pool

 Chandigarh, Nov 17

 Having become the second biggest contributor to the Central Food Grain Pool in the country after the Green Revolution, Haryana has taken the initiative to repeat its performance in the White Revolution and Blue Revolution. Haryana is implementing new schemes due to which not only the milk production and per capita milk availability is continuously increasing but the fish production has reached 173316 MT in the state.

          Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister, Mr. J.P.  Dalal said that in order to make these two revolutions more successful, the Pashu Kisan Credit Card Scheme has been implemented on the lines of Kisan Credit Card to provide affordable loans for dairy and fish farming. He said that there are about 16 lakh families in Haryana who have milch animals which are being tagged. So far, 2.72 lakh animals have been insured under this scheme and 5000 farmers have been issued to Pashu Kisan Credit Cards and 52 farmers' applications for the same have been approved by various banks.  Under this scheme, up to a maximum of Rs 3 lakh is being provided to dairy farmers as loan for the maintenance of the animals.

          Mr. Dalal said that the success of Haryana's White Revolution can be gauged from the fact that milk production of the state in the year 2013-14 was 74.42 lakh tonnes which has increased to 107.26 lakh tonnes in the year 2018-19 and the per capita availability of milk  has increased from 800 grams to 1087 grams, placing Haryana on the second position in the country. He said that geographically, Haryana is best suited to meet the needs of daily requirement of fruits and flowers, vegetables, milk, eggs, meat etc. of about 5 crore population in and around Delhi. Haryana has taken the initiative to move forward and has prepared new schemes so that the state's farmers can get hold of this market.

          Mr. Dalal said that similarly, Haryana has also performed remarkably in fish farming. Under fish farming in the year 2013-14, there was a production of 105266 metric tonne on 16450 hectare area  which has increased to 173316 metric tonnes on 17216 hectares in the year 2019-20.  He said that during this period the number of ponds for fisheries has increased from 7486 to 10416.  Apart from this, Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority was also formed under which the water of about more than 15,000 ponds is  being treated with three tier, five tier system and is being used for irrigation and other works.  In view of this Haryana was given a national award by the Central Government for efficient management of water sources.

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   CHANDIGARH, NOV 17

Top seed Aditya Chauhan and second seed Radhika Vasudeva advanced into finals of the HPCL-CLTA-AITA Championship Series (CS-3) Tennis Tournament at the Sector 10 Tennis Stadium here today.

 Aditya Chauhan of CLTA Trainees defeated Rakshit Dhankar in a close completion match 9-6. Aditya used his experience and moved to the net in important points and closed the point easily. Aditya will meet fifth seed Aarush Sharma in the Boys under-16 singles Finals. 5^th seed Aarush Sharma defeated Arnav Bishnoi 9-2.

In the girls under-16 singles Semifinals top seed Harleen Kaur Dhanda defeated Vanya Arora 9-3. Harleen Kaur Dhanda dominant throughout the match with her aggressive ground strokes. In another Semifinals 2^nd seed Radhika Vasudeva won from Harnoor Kaur Sidhu 9-4 easily. Radhika and Harnoor played good level of tennis upto 4-4.  After 4-4 games Radhika played solid match with good momentum. Finally Radhika won the match without getting much pressure. Radhika will play against top seed Harleen Kaur Dhanda tomorrow at Centre Court.

Results (semi-finals):

 Boy’s under-16:   Aditya Chauhan (HR) [1] bt. Rakshit Dhankar (CH) 9-6,  Aarush Sharma (PB) [5] bt. Arnav Bishnoi (CH) [7] 9-2.

Girl’s under-16:  Harleen Kaur Dhanda [1] (HR) bt. Vanya Arora (HR) [3] 9-3, Radhika Vasudeva (CH) [2] bt. Harnoor Kaur Sidhu (HR) 9-4.

Quarterfinals:

Boy’s under-16:  Aditya Chauhan (HR) [1] bt. Anirudh Sangra (CH) [6] 9-4, Rakshit Dhankar (CH) bt. Akshat Dhull (CH) 9-5,  Aarush Sharma (PB) [5] bt. Rishi Dahiya (PB) [4] 9-3,  Arnav Bishnoi (CH) [7] bt. Keshav Dangi (CH) 9-5.  

Girl’s under-16: Harleen Kaur Dhanda [1] (HR) bt. Riya Kaushik (CH) [6] 9-5, Vanya Arora (HR) [3] bt. Rubani Kaur Sidhu (HR) 9-5, Harnoor Kaur Sidhu (HR) bt. Shriya Singh (HR) 9-1, Radhika Vasudeva (CH) [2] bt. Sidhak Kaur (PB) 9-5.

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Nominees for the member federation award announced

  MONACO, NOV 16

World Athletics is delighted to announce the nominees for the Member Federation Award, a special honour this year to recognise a Member Federation that has managed to deliver an uplifting athletics event, development event or other athletics achievement, in spite of the health and safety challenges it faced in 2020.

“We all know the difficulties that sport has faced during the pandemic but many of our Member Federations have risen to that challenge brilliantly and we wanted to acknowledge some of the exceptional work they have done to ensure that our sport continues to thrive in these very testing times,’’ World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said. “The commitment and creativity shown by our Member Federations demonstrates exactly why we are the world’s most global sport and I applaud their efforts.”

Each Area Association was asked to nominate two Member Federations. A vote by the World Athletics Executive Board selected the six finalists, one from each Area Association.

The winner will be announced at the World Athletics Awards 2020 to be held virtually on Saturday 5 December and streamed live on the World Athletics YouTube channel, its Facebook page and via Twitter.

The six nominees, listed alphabetically, are:

Athletics Kenya (Confederation of African Athletics)

Despite nationwide lockdowns and other disruptions, the federation succeeded in organising and staging the Kip Keino Classic, the first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Africa. Kenyan athletes also competed well internationally, sweeping the team titles at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 with women's winner, Peres Jepchirchir, breaking the women-only race world record.

Athletics New Zealand (Oceania Athletics Association)

While the country faced one of the toughest lockdowns worldwide, the federation was able to work its way out of it, first by helping to stage virtual events and later, live competitions. While high level athletes were not able to compete overseas, the federation organised several competitions, one of which was capped by an area record in the women's hammer throw. The Rotorua Marathon in September was one of the first mass participation events to take place in the world since March.

Nicaraguan Athletics Federation (North American, Central American & Caribbean Athletics Association)

When lockdown measures began to be put in place, the federation was prepared, and played a leading role in helping other sports adapt to the health and safety protocols the pandemic required. In line with recommendations by UNICEF, the federation also prioritised the staging of events for children and young people to encourage mental and physical well-being.

Palestine Athletic Federation (Asian Athletics Association)

The federation was among the first to host both Coaches Education and Certification System (CECS) Level 1 and Level 2 courses in an online format. The federation also conducted other online seminars during the various lockdown phases.

Peruvian Athletics Federation (Confederation of South American Athletics)

The federation was one of the most active in keeping the athletics community involved in the sport through a variety of virtual events. The activities included training programmes, seminars and coaching advice sessions with a Saturday morning physical education session specifically targeting kids the most successful.

Polish Athletics Association (European Athletics)

The federation successfully delivered much of the country's competitive calendar in spite of the pandemic, including the staging of three World Athletics Continental Tour competitions, two in Chorzow and one in Bydgoszcz. Together with the Local Organising Committee and local authorities, the federation was instrumental in helping to deliver a safe and successful World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 in which Krystian Zalewski set a national record.

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Aditya Chauhan, Radhika Vasudeva and Shriya Singh into quarters

  CHANDIGARH, NOV 16     

 Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association is organizing HPCL-CLTA-AITA Championship Series (CS-3) Tennis Tournament for Boy’s & Girl’s under-16 from 16th to 18th November, 2020.

Top seed Aditya Chauhan, Anirudh Sangra and Arnav Bishnoi of CLTA Trainees advanced into quarterfinals in the Boys under-16 singles in the HPCL-CLTA-AITA Championship Series (CS-3) Tennis Tournament at the Sector 10 Tennis Stadium here today.

Aditya Chauhan defeated another CLTA Trainee Sabyasachi in a one sided match by conceding only one game 8-1. Seventh seed Arnav Bishnoi win marginally from his Sixth seed Anirudh Sangra, Akshat Dhull, Rakshit Dhankar, Aarush Sharma and Rishi Dahiya also advanced into Quarterfinals.   

   In the Girls under-16 singles Pre-Quarterfinals CLTA Trainee Shriya Singh upset fourth seed Ananya Dogra 8-5. Third seed Vanya Arora of CLTA also moved into next round. Vanya defeated Krittika in a one sided match 8-1. Top seed Harleen Kaur Dhanda, Riya Kaushik and Harnoor Kaur also advanced into Quarterfinals. 2^nd seed Radhika Vasudeva defeated Agrima Gandhi 8-1 marginally.

Results (singles 2nd round):

Boy’s under-16:   Aditya Chauhan (HR) [1] bt. Naveen Pruthi Sabyasachi (CH) 8-1,  Anirudh Sangra (CH) [6] bt. Darshan Dilabr Singh (CH) 8-3,  Akshat Dhull (CH) bt. Umang Singh Cogi (PB) 8-7(4),  Rakshit Dhankar (CH) bt. Yash Solanky (CH) 8-2,  Aarush Sharma (PB) [5] bt. Gurbaaz Singh Dhanoa (PB) 8-3,  Rishi Dahiya (PB) [4] bt. Gurpuneet Singh (PB) 8-3,  Arnav Bishnoi (CH) [7] bt. Aryan Jolly (HR) 8-1,  Keshav Dangi (CH) bt. Lakshya Gupta (CH) [2] 8-4.

Girl’s under-16:  Harleen Kaur Dhanda [1] (HR) bt. Saanvi Garg (HR) 8-2, Riya Kaushik (CH) [6] bt. Milli Pandit (CH) 8-6, Vanya Arora (HR) [3] bt. Krittika Katoch (CH) 8-1, Rubani Kaur Sidhu (HR) bt. Cahterine Bhangu (CH) [7] 8-4,  Harnoor Kaur Sidhu (HR) bt. Gurmanat Kaur Sandhu (PB) 8-7(4),   Shriya Singh (HR) bt. Ananya Dogra (CH) [4] 8-5  Sidhak Kaur (PB) bt. Simar Atwal (PB) [8] 8-4,  Radhika Vasudeva (CH) [2] bt. Agrima Gandhi (CH) 8-1

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Karandeep Kochhar clinches victory on home turf

 

CHANDIGARH, NOV 12

Chandigarh’s Karandeep Kochhar clinched victory on his home turf with a stoic last round effort of three-under-69 at the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship 2020 Presented by Chandigarh Golf Club.

Twenty-one-year-old Kochhar’s long-awaited win was his second on the PGTI and his first since turning professional in 2017. His first win on the PGTI came in 2016 at the age of 17 while he was still an amateur. Karandeep, the leader since round two, ended up with a tournament total of 18-under-270 to finish two shots ahead of the rest at the Rs. 30 lakh event.

Kochhar, who took home the winning cheque worth Rs. 4,84,950, has now climbed from seventh to second position in the PGTI Order of Merit. Pune-based Udayan Mane continues to lead the merit list.

Twenty-six-year-old Sunit Chowrasia of Kolkata, nephew of Indian golfing great SSP Chawrasia, broke the course record with a sensational 10-under-62 to secure the runner-up spot at 16-under-272.

Karandeep Kochhar (66-68-67-69), the overnight leader by a massive four shots, kept his nerves on the final day to register his first win on the PGTI in four years after having come close to winning on several occasions including posting three runner-up finishes.

Kochhar had hoped for a good stretch over the first six holes and that’s exactly what he managed to do. He collected birdies on the first two holes with a couple of six feet conversions to get his confidence going. Karandeep then missed a couple of birdie chances before his three-putt bogey on the 10^th.

A good par followed on the 12^th where Kochhar two-putted from 70 feet. Standing on the 16^th tee Karandeep realized that Sunit Chowrasia was tied for the lead with him at 16-under. Kochhar then stepped on the gas and picked up timely birdies on the 16^th where he chipped it to five feet and on the 17^th where he sank a 20-footer from the fringe.

Kochhar said, “I’ve waited a long time for this win. I came close to winning several times in the past and had many top-10 and top-5 finishes over the past three years. So it’s a big relief to finally cross the line and that too at my home course.

“I got the perfect start and then had a nervy phase between the ninth and the 15^th. However, I kept my calm and stuck to my task. On the 16^th tee I found out Sunit’s score and knew I had to make a birdie thereafter. I managed to do that and the 20-feet birdie conversion on the 17^th was crucial as it gave me a two-shot cushion and helped me avoid the pressure on the last hole.

“I was very consistent through the week and made just two bogeys during the tournament. So it’s been quite a satisfying performance,” added Karandeep, who is likely to make big gains in the world ranking from his current 586^th position.   

Sunit Chowrasia (69-69-72-62), who was overnight 14^th and nine off the lead, had a blazing start as he birdied the first three holes making two 15-footers and a good chip-putt. With two more birdies on the eighth and ninth, including another conversion from 15 feet, Sunit made the turn at five-under.

Chowrasia, who turned professional in 2018, had a bogey against the run of play on the 10^th but came roaring back with birdies on the 11^th, 13^th and 14^th where he sank a 15-footer, made a tough chip-putt and drained a 30-footer respectively.

The soft-spoken Sunit, who has a striking resemblance with his famous uncle SSP Chawrasia, came up with another birdie blitz on the last three holes. A couple of quality chips set up birdies for him from four feet on the 16^th and 17^th while he made his sixth long conversion of the day, a 15-footer, on the 18^th.

Chowrasia thus shattered the previous course record of 64 jointly held by Rashid Khan, Sudhir Sharma and Abhijit Singh Chadha. It was also Sunit’s best finish on the PGTI.

Chowrasia said, “I didn’t have very high expectations at the start of the day but the start was terrific and the birdies just kept coming all day. I was in great rhythm throughout. My short-game was excellent and my putter was on fire. For instance on the 14^th I had a 30-footer where I thought I’ll make a two-putt for par but it found the hole for a birdie to my delight.

“I wasn’t putting well till last week. But this week fellow Kolkata professional Divyanshu Bajaj who was staying with me helped me a lot with my putting alignment and posture. That made a huge difference to my game.

“I also keep talking to my uncle regularly and his sound advice is always helpful. I maintain a diary and note down all the points relating to my game. That has helped me figure out and rectify things in my game over the past few years.”

Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma (69), last week’s winner, took third place at 14-under-274.

Chandigarh golfer Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (67) and Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat (70) were joint fourth at 13-under-275.

Abhijit Singh Chadha (66) in tied sixth at 11-under-277 and Aadil Bedi (68) in tied 10^th at nine-under-279 finished tied sixth and tied 10^th respectively to be the other two local players in the top-10.

PGTI Order of Merit leader Udayan Mane (67) of Pune took tied 14^th place at eight-under-280.

Rashid Khan (75) of Delhi, the last winner of this event, ended tied 29^th at even-par-288.

====balbirsingh227@gmail.com

Dateline extended for receiving online Dtate Teacheers Award

 Chandigarh, November 11

 The Haryana Government has decided to extend the last date for online application for 'State Teachers' Award-2020' to November 15, 2020 which was earlier November 2, 2020.

          Giving information about this, a spokesperson of Haryana School Education Department said that the eligible teachers can apply for the same by logging on to the department's website schooleducationharyana.gov.in and click on the link named 'State Award-2020' shown under the title 'Online Application'.  After this, the teacher will have to upload the desired documents after analyzing the award-policy issued by the department and adopting the prescribed criteria and giving all the information sought in the application.

          He said that teachers serving in Government schools of Haryana can now apply online for 'State Teachers' Award -2020' till 15 November 2020.

===balbirsingh227@gmail,com

Karandeep Kochhar stretches lead to an imposing four shots

Akshay Sharma, Veer Ahlawat and Yashas Chandra in tied second OF TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship 2020

 CHANDIGARH, NOV 11

Chandigarh’s Karandeep Kochhar raised hopes of a second title, his first since turning professional, when he struck a bogey-free five-under-67 in round three of the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship 2020 Presented by Chandigarh Golf Club.

Kochhar’s sublime effort moved his total to 15-under-201 thus giving him an imposing four-shot lead ahead of the final round. He extended his overnight lead by a further two shots.

Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma, last week’s winner, shot a 68 to share second position along with Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat (68) and Mysuru’s Yashas Chandra (69) at 11-under-205.

Karandeep Kochhar (66-68-67), whose only win on the PGTI came in 2016 while he was still an amateur, was off to a flying start on Wednesday as he birdied the first two holes, making a 15-feet conversion on the first and finding the par-5 green in two on the second. Kochhar followed it up with two exceptional par saves by recovering from the bunker on the sixth and from the trees on the ninth.

Karandeep, who wasn’t in the best of hitting form on day three, made further inroads on the back-nine thanks to his putting. He sank birdie putts from a range of 12 to 25 feet on the 10^th, 12^th and 18^th.

Kochhar said, “I wasn’t too comfortable with my hitting today but my chipping and putting saved the day for me. It was my fourth bogey-free round since the start of last week’s event. So I’ve consistently kept the errors out and that gives me a lot of confidence going into the final round.

“I enjoy a healthy lead but I definitely need to strike the ball better in the last round so that there is less pressure on my short-game. The key in the final round would be getting a good start by playing well on the first five to six holes. If I’m around two-under on the first six holes that would give me a big advantage.”

Akshay Sharma (69-68-68) gained two positions to be tied second. He produced an eagle, six birdies and four bogeys. Akshay made an eagle-two on the fourth after his incredible eight-iron approach from 158 yards found the hole.

Akshay said, “I posted a low number but made too many bogeys for my liking. I was five-under on the front-nine today and expected to continue the momentum on the back-nine. But three of my four bogeys came on the back-nine and that was disappointing because I feel the back-nine is easier to negotiate.

“Nonetheless, I feel the confidence from my win last week and that should help me in the final round.”

Veer Ahlawat (66-71-68) also moved up two places from his overnight tied fourth. He struggled with his putting till the sixth hole making a birdie and bogey each. Thereafter, he holed putts from a range of 10 to 20 feet to pick up four birdies.

Yashas Chandra (68-68-69) continued in his overnight tied second place after a 69 which included five birdies and two bogeys. Yashas struggled to find the fairways but his short-game came to his rescue. His round was highlighted by a 25-feet conversion on the fifth.

Delhi’s Shamim Khan (68) and Arjun Prasad (70) as well as Chandigarh’s Amrit Lal (68) were in tied fifth place with identical totals of 10-under-206.

Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa fired the day’s best 66 to be tied eighth along with Chandigarh’s Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (70) at eight-under-208.

Bengaluru’s Khalin Joshi (67) was tied 10^th at seven-under-209 while the Chandigarh duo of Ajeetesh Sandhu (69) and Aadil Bedi (73) were in tied 15^th place at five-under-211.

Defending champ Rashid Khan (72) of Delhi and PGTI Order of Merit leader Udayan Mane (75) of Pune were both placed tied 22^nd at three-under-213. 

=====balbirsingh227@gmail.com

Sainik Schools Entrance Examination on Jan 10, 2021

 Chandigarh, Nov 9 

The All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) for admission to about 93 seats in Class VI and 22 seats for class IX in Sainik School Kunjpura, Karnal for the academic session 2021-2022 will be held on January 10, 2021 (Sunday).

While stating this here today, Principal, Sainik School Kunjpura, Col VD Chandola said that the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination for admission in 33 Sainik Schools in the country is conducted every year. He said that entrance examination for this academic session would be OMR based which would have multiple choice questions.  

Approximately 83 seats for boys and 10 seats for girls in Class VI and 22 seats for boys in Class IX are likely to be available for admission in Sainik Schook Kunjpura during this session. He said that the actual number of seats may vary depending upon the number of pass out and withdrawals. 

He said that the admission would be made purely on merit basis through the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination and subject to medical fitness of the candidate. He said that 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent of the total seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes categories respectively and 27 per cent seats for Other Backward Classes – Non Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL). The 25 per cent seats out of the balance seats are reserved for the wards of Defence Personnel, including ex-servicemen. He said that Boys born between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2011 are eligible for admission to Class VI and boys born between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2008 are eligible for admission to Class IX standard during academic session 2021-22.

 The applicant can apply online on the school website www.aissee.nta.nic.in till November 19, 2020.

===balbirsingh227@gmail.com 

Aadil Bedi sets the pace with a flawless 65 in round one

  

Panchkula, Nov 9

Chandigarh lad Aadil Bedi set the early pace courtesy a flawless seven-under-65 at his home course during round one of the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship 2020 Presented by Chandigarh Golf Club.

Karandeep Kochhar, also from Chandigarh, Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat and Kolkata’s Divyanshu Bajaj were all in tied second place having returned matching scores of six-under-66 at Panchkula Golf Club.

The tournament has a unique format as it is being played across two venues in close proximity - Chandigarh Golf Club and Panchkula Golf Club (in Haryana) – both located in the Chandigarh Tricity region.

The format for the event is as follows: One half of the field will play their first round at Chandigarh while the other half will play their first round at Panchkula. In round two, both the halves of the field will switch venues. The third and fourth rounds will be played at Chandigarh.

Nineteen-year-old Aadil Bedi, who won the PGTI event played just prior to the lockdown in March this year, enjoyed a good day with the putter in his home conditions on Monday. Among his seven birdies, five were conversions from a range of 15 to 40 feet.

Aadil, who took a share of 12^th place in Panchkula last week, also made two quality up and downs, one for birdie on the second and the other for par from 30 yards on the ninth.

Bedi said, “The putter was hot today and importantly I kept the errors out by putting the ball in play. I hadn’t performed as per my expectations last week so there was some extra motivation for me to do well today in familiar conditions. It was my best ever score in a tournament at Chandigarh.

“I’ve learnt from my last week’s performance where I was eight-under through the first 27 holes but then made a few unnecessary errors. I guess I took a few things for granted. However, this week I’m trying to stay in the moment and giving the course due respect.”

Karandeep Kochhar, Veer Ahlawat and Divyanshu Bajaj’s scores of 66 accounted for the best effort in Panchkula on day one.

Kochhar, the runner-up last week, seemed to continue from where he left at Panchkula on Saturday. Karandeep, who shot a bogey-free 67 in the final round at Panchkula on Saturday, carded an error-free 66 at the same venue on Monday.

The 21-year-old’s birdies included a 25 feet conversion on the third, a magnificent approach from 145 yards on the eighth that landed inside two feet of the pin and a terrific drive on the par-4 11^th that found the green.

Kochhar said, “My short-game was sharp today and I also made two crucial up and downs for par on the last two holes besides all the birdies. Fortunately for me, I feel I’m once again on the right side of the draw similar to last week. I played Panchkula today and will now play Chandigarh for three straight days thus making it easier to adjust to the conditions rather than switching venues twice.”

Veer Ahlawat too enjoyed the advantage of beginning the week at Panchkula as he had shot two low rounds at the same venue last week. Veer’s 66 featured seven birdies and a bogey. Most of Ahlawat’s birdies were drained from a range of six to 10 feet. He also drove the par-4 11^th green to set up a birdie.

Divyanshu Bajaj, who arrived in Chandigarh one week prior to the resumption of events in order to spend time with coach Gurbaaz Mann, did not drop a shot during his 66. He knocked down a couple of long putts from 15 feet and 35 feet.

Karnal’s Mani Ram was in fifth place with a 67 while six players shared the sixth spot with scores of 68 including defending champion Rashid Khan of Delhi and Chandigarh’s Amrit Lal.

Among those in tied 12^th with identical scores of 69 were PGTI Order of Merit leader Udayan Mane of Pune, Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa and last week’s winner Akshay Sharma of Chandigarh.

Bengalureans Chikkarangppa and Khalin Joshi were both in tied 19^th place with scores of 70.

Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu and Patna’s Aman Raj were tied 37^th at 72.

Indian star Jyoti Randhawa posted a 73 to be tied 50th.

=====balbirsingh227@gmail.com