Mitchell Marsh's unbeaten 77 fires Australia to maiden ICC Men's T20 World Cup Trophy

 DUBAI, NOV 14

Mitchell Marsh’s power-packed 77 not out and a superb spell from Josh Hazlewood fired Australia to their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title against New Zealand in Dubai.

The skilful Australian seamer’s three for 16 helped restrict Kane Williamson’s Black Caps to 172 for 4 before all-rounder Marsh, bolstered by in-form David Warner, struck a match-winning half-century to inflict yet more misery on New Zealand in ICC World Cup Finals.

Williamson, leading his side in their third consecutive final since the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015, compiled a masterful 85 to help guide his team to a competitive-looking total after losing the toss.

But spearheaded by Marsh and Warner (53), Aaron Finch’s side extended chasing teams’ winning record under the lights at the Dubai International Stadium – ten from ten in the tournament – to finally end their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup drought and become the first team from the southern hemisphere to clinch the crown.

Finch has enjoyed an excellent record at the toss and after winning his seventh of the tournament, unsurprisingly opted to insert New Zealand and leave his team chasing in the dewy conditions.

Australia remained unchanged from their heart-thumping semi-final triumph over Pakistan while for the Kiwis, Devon Conway’s broken hand – suffered after punching his bat in frustration against England in their last four clash – meant Tim Seifert replaced him with the gloves.

And spearheaded by Martin Guptill and semi-final hero Daryl Mitchell at the top of the order, New Zealand came flying out of the traps by taking 23 off the first three overs.

But after Matthew Wade had shelled a tough chance to remove Guptill, the Australian wicketkeeper made amends by holding on to Mitchell off a canny Hazlewood cutter.

That helped restrict the Black Caps to their lowest powerplay total of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, with New Zealand left stalling on 32 for one after six overs.

Captain Williamson soon set about rebuilding, however, helping himself to back-to-back boundaries off Marsh to haul his team up to 57 for one at the halfway mark.

Williamson was dropped by Hazlewood on the boundary but after the Kiwi skipper took 19 runs off a loose Starc over, Marcus Stoinis showed greater composure to hold on to Guptill off the bowling of economical Adam Zampa for 28.

That looked to reel the Black Caps in when the pendulum had started to swing back in their favour, but Williamson continued to stylishly anchor the innings and brought up the fastest half-century in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final off a speedy 32 balls.

And the New Zealand lynchpin then really started to motor as he clubbed a game-changing 22 from another Starc over to catapult his team towards a competitive total.

Australia rallied in the death overs to peg their rivals back, however, with Hazlewood removing both Phillips and then grabbing the crucial wicket of that man Williamson – who he’d dropped on just 21 – for a brilliant 85 off 48 deliveries.

And that helped cap the joint-best figures for a seamer in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final, matching Irfan Pathan’s three for 16 for India in the 2007 showpiece.

Jimmy Neesham and Seifert combined in the final two overs to leave Australia with a total 173 to win – an almost identical target to the 177 they thrillingly chased down to topple Pakistan three days earlier.

Warner and Finch took just a single run off a tight Trent Boult over and despite a leakier second from Tim Southee – going for ten – the Black Caps soon had the breakthrough.

Mitchell held on to a fine boundary catch off Boult to remove the Australian skipper, making superb ground to his left to cling on under the lights.

That brought Marsh to the party and it didn’t take long for the all-rounder to find his feet, thumping Adam Milne for a six and then consecutive fours off his first three balls.

And he and Warner swiftly set about laying the foundations for glory as the duo brought up an important fifty partnership in the ninth over.

Things were looking ominous for New Zealand as Warner – fresh off the back of 89 not out against West Indies and a quickfire 49 in the semi-final – swatted Ish Sodhi for an imperious maximum down the ground.

And the Warner-Marsh barrage continued when the dynamic pairing then took it in turns to clobber Neesham for two more sixes in the 11th over.

The game looked to be getting away from the Black Caps but with Warner well-poised on 53, Williamson’s strike bowler Boult delivered the goods.

Returning to the attack after his first two overs went for five, the left-arm ace capitalised on an ungainly cross-bat slog to clean up the Australian batter with 66 still left to win.

That did little to diminish the Australian momentum, however, as Marsh was dropped by Boult off his own bowling and the incoming Glenn Maxwell struck three fours and a six in quick succession.

And Marsh’s 77 off 50 steered Australia to the target with seven balls to spare as they continued their unbeaten record in ICC knockout matches against New Zealand and finally added the T20 crown to their glittering trophy cabinet.

New Zealand: Martin Guptill c Stoinis b Adam Zampa 28 

 Daryl Mitchel lc Wade b Hazlewood 11

Kane Williamson (c) c Steven Smith b Hazlewood 85

Glenn Phillips c Maxwell b Hazlewood 18

James Neesham  not out 13

Mitchell Seifert (wk) not out 8

Extras  (b 1, lb 3, w 4, nb 1 ) 9

Total ( for 4 wkts in 20 overs)  172.

Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Daryl Mitchell), 2-76 (Guptill ), 3-144 (Glenn Phillips), 4-148 (Williamson).

Bowling

Mitchell Starc 4-0-60-0  

 Josh Hazlewood  4-0-16-3

Glenn Maxwell 3-0-28-0

Pat Cummins  4-0-27-0

Adam Zampa  4-0-26-0

Michell Marsh   1-0-11-0,

Australia: 

David Warner b Boult  53

Aaron Finch (c)  c Daryl Michell b  Boult 5

Mitchell Marsh  not out 77

Glenn Maxwell not out 28

Total (for two wickets in 18.5 overs)  173.

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Aaron Finch) , 2-107 (David Warmer).

Bowling: Trent Boult 4-0-18-2

Tim Southee 3.5-0-43-0

Adam Milne 4-0-30-0

Ish Sodhi 3-0-49-9

Mitchell Santner 3-0-23-0

James Naeesham  1-0-15-0.

Player of the Match: Mitchell Marsh.

------balbirsingh227@gmail.com

Pargat Singh dedicates to people 'Uddna Baaz' - Biography of GS Randhawa

 

Chandigarh, Nov 14

 "The sporting life of the legendary first Arjuna Awardee athlete Gurbachan Singh Randhawa who made the country shine like a star in the International athletics arena, would forever be a beacon of inspiration for the other Indian players till eternity." These views were expressed here today by the Sports, Higher Education and Linguistics Minister Pargat Singh while dedicating to the people the biography 'Uddna Baaz' of Olympian Gurbachan Singh Randhawa penned by sports writer Navdeep Singh Gill.

 

The impressive gathering here at the Punjab Kala Bhawan included Sports Minister Pargat Singh, Olympian Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, ex DGP and Senior Vice President Punjab Olympic Association Rajdeep Singh Gill, President Punjabi Sahit Akademi Prof. Ravinder Bhatthal, Chairman Punjab Lok Virasat Akademi Prof. Gurbhajan Singh Gill, Secretary General Punjab Kala Parishad, International Shooter Gurbir Singh Sandhu and Publisher of 'Uddna Baaz' Harish Jain from Unistar books.

 

In his address on the occasion, Sports Minister Pargat Singh said that the very fact that Gurbachan Singh Randhawa made it to the finals of the olympics, was adjudged Best Athlete at the Asian Games and achieved 4 National records within 2 days, speaks volumes about the peerles prowess of the iconic athlete. "Punjabis can create history but can't preserve it, in order to change the misnomer it has been decided to write a series of biographies our great sporting icons of yore and beginning has been made from Gurbachan Singh Randhawa.

 

It is noteworthy that Gurbachan Singh Randhawa was the flag bearer of the Indian contingent at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics where he bagged 5th position in the 110 Metre Hurdles event. He won Gold Medal in 1962 Jakarta Asiad in Decathlon besides the title of Best Athlete. He was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in 1961 and PadmaShri in 2005. Superannuating as Commandant from CRPF, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa was awarded Rashtrapati Puraskar for meritorious services in Police apart from honorary PhD degree as the Sports Advisor of the Punjabi University Patiala.

 

The great sporting hero was born on June 6, 1939 at Village Nangli in Amritsar District in the house of S. Tehal Singh and Mata Dhanwant Kaur. His father, brother Harbhajan Singh and son Ranjit Singh Randhawa have earned name and fame in the field of sports. His better half Jaswinder Kaur has also remained a National level athlete in Discus Throw with his in laws at Rurka Kalan also having proven dedication to the sports.

 

In his speech, Rajdeep Singh Gill praised Gurbachan Singh Randhawa as the most naturally gifted, talented and complete athlete of India. He further said that the Indian athletes derived their inspiration of conquering milestones at world level from Gurbachan Singh Randhawa only who taught them how to perform upto their optimum standard at the Olympics and raise the bar every time.

 

Eulogizing the legend, Prof. Gurbhajan Singh Gill said that Gurbachan Singh Randhawa illuminated and dazzled the Indian sporting scene and bestrode the athletics like a colossus who left indelible footprints on the sands of time coming from a non-descript village Nangli and caused sensation at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. "This book, a wonderful piece of literature, is not just a chronicler of his sporting achievements but an important document of nation's sports history. "The past acts as the foundation on which the robust edifice of the permanent emerges and the lessons learnt as well as implemented from the present serve well for the future. The book flowing as it is from the magical pen weaves so exquisitely by prominent sports author Navdeep Singh Gill who has unveiled Gurbachan Singh Randhawa with a new identity before all of us.", said Prof. Gill.

 

International Shooter Gurbir Singh Sandhu said that Gurbachan Singh Randhawa is the only complete athlete in the history of the sport who can be called a 'Decathlete' in the actual sense. He further added that Gurbachan Singh was gifted with a great and well toned physique which made him an absolute delight to watch on the track. God always blessed him and he was also gifted with such a terrific sense of humour, said the ex VC of Punjabi University, Patiala.

 

Prof. Ravinder Bhatthal said that the sporting life of Gurbachan Singh Randhawa is a perfect example of the laurels earned by the Punjabis. "Navdeep was a college student and aspired to be a player but he has rendered yeoman's service to the sporting world by donning the role of a sports writer", said Prof. Bhatthal.

 

Welcoming the guests, Dr. Lakhwinder Singh Johal expressed deep gratitude to Pargat Singh for ensuring the implementation of Punjabi language.

 

Making a strong case for preserving the glorious sporting history of Punjab for the sake of posterity, the author of the volume, Navdeep Singh Gill mentioned that apart from being such a great player and the Brand Ambassador of sports, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa can very well be dubbed as the 'Encyclopedia' of sports especially the athletics about whom not only every Punjabi but every Indian feels immensely proud.

 

Harish Jain said that the Lokgeet Prakashan would also publish biographies of more such players.

      

It would be worth mentioning that this is the 6th masterpiece that has come out from the magical wand (Pen) of Navdeep Singh Gill who is also serving as the Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Punjab. Being such a passionate person when it comes to sports, Navdeep Singh Gill has covered Beijing Olympics in 2008, Doha Asian Games in 2006 and the Commonwealth Games in 2010 as a Sports Reporter with effortless ease and lean.

 

The book has been brought out by the Unistar Books (Lokgeet Prakashan). It contains 296 pages with detailed mention of the village, family, childhood and sporting career of Gurbachan Singh Randhawa besides his exceptionally rendered service in CRPF, As a Coach, Administrator, Advisor, Selector and Chief of Doping Panel. It also includes amazing anecdotes about his life apart from comprehensive details of his contemporary players. The highlight which carries the day includes a pictorial journey of Gurbachan Singh Randhawa's life right from childhood till now.

 

On this occasion former  chief coach Harbhajan Singh Randhawa, Director Sports Parminder Singh Sandhu, Folk Singer Pammi Bai, MD Milkfed Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, Dr. Karamjeet Saran, Captain Narinder Singh, Olympian Sukhbir Grewal, Secretary General of Punjab Olympic Association Raja K Singh Sidhu, Dr. Raj Kumar, Pirthipal Singh, Dalmegh Singh, Dr. Opinder Singh Lamba, Randeep Singh Ahluwalia, Gurmangal Singh Rurka, Harjap Singh Aujala, Ravinder Ranguwal, Kabir Singh, Dr. Ajitpal Singh Chahal and Anurag Bachan Singh Dhindsa were also present.

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CM Manohar Lal announces opening of degree college in Pataudi

  

Chandigarh, November 14 

 Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal while announcing the opening of a degree college in Pataudi, on the demand of Pataudi MLA, Mr Satya Prakash Jarawta, said that the funds of the government belong to the society and should be utilised only for the betterment of the society, we are just a medium.

    The Chief Minister had reached Pataudi late in the evening to wish Mahamandaleshwar Swami Dharamdev, the director of the Ashram Harimandir at the Shashti Poorti Mahotsav.

     In his address after after being warmly received during the programme, the Chief Minister said that the Sants have an innate significance because their lives have risen so much above the ordinary goals that they are worshipped in the society because of the influence of their thoughts rather than their physical age.

      The Chief Minister while referring to a mythological incident, said that Sants always teach you to make you aware of your duties and give back to the society.  He said that Sants do not ask for anything for themselves, their life is always dedicated to the society.

       The Chief Minister said that Panchanand Shaheed Memorial Trust is being operated under the patronage of Swami Dharamdev ji in the memory of lakhs of people who were martyred during the partition of the country.  It is a coincidence that in this year of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi has announced to observe the horrors of partition on Remembrance Day on August 14 every year in memory of the martyrs of Partition.  He said that he has requested Swami Dharamdev ji to organize a big programme on this occasion on August 14, 2022, at the martyr memorial site located in Pipli belonging to the above trust, in which the Prime Minister will be invited.

        The Chief Minister while giving the responsibility of ensuring the facility of centralized AC in the auditorium being built at Harimandir, Pataudi to Mr. Jarawta said that you are the representative of this area, so this work should be done through you.

         After his address, the Chief Minister along with Swami Dharamdev cut a birthday cake and wished the Swami good luck in the Shashti Poorti Mahotsav being celebrated at the ashram.  It is noteworthy that Swami Dharamdev has completed 60 years of age on November 13 this year.  Shashti Poorti is considered to be of great importance in Vedic culture because on this day one phase of life ends and another begins.  Sants have a special tradition of celebrating Shashti Poorti Mahotsav.

          Swami Dharamdev in his address said that Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal has done the work of showing a new direction to the society to serve others selflessly and not wish to get anything in return for this service, this is true service.  The Chief Minister is moving forward selflessly on this path shown by the saints.  The welfare policies made by him for the welfare of the society and upliftment of the underprivileged are the source of inspiration for other states.

           A large number of devotees and representatives of political parties were prominently present in the event.  Ration and daily life useful items were also distributed by the organization to the needy people during the programme. Bhajan Sandhya was also organized on this occasion.

====balbirsingh227@gmail.com

CM releases textbooks for up to Class V in Indian Sign Language

Chandigarh, November 14

 Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal today released text books in Indian Sign Language for up to Class V prepared for the differently abled by Haryana Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech & Hearing Impairment, Gurugram, on Children's Day. Such textbooks have been made for the first time in the country.

        The Chief Minister said that Indian Sign Language should not be considered the language only for the deaf since it is required not only by the family members of the deaf but also by other people who should have basic knowledge of it.

      Mr Manohar Lal celebrated Children's Day today with children with hearing and speech disabilities. He visited the Haryana Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech & Hearing Impairment, Gurugram and witnessed the activities being carried out there.

        He visited the Early Intervention Centre, Digital Sign Lab etc. in this centre and went on a round of the exhibition of items made by the children at the differently abled welfare centre. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Manohar Lal said that the text books prepared by this centre for hearing impaired children up to the age of 6 years and from Class I to V will not only benefit the hearing and speech-impaired people of Haryana but the country as well. It was informed during the programme that the number of such persons in the country is about 50 lakh and in Haryana there are about 1.5 lakh persons.

        The Chief Minister was also informed that along with sign language, a digital sign language lab has been set up in this welfare centre, where more than 600 videos were made for hearing and speech disabilities, which were used during COVID-19vpandemic. These videos will be useful for the hearing impaired across the country.

In his address, the Chief Minister said that after visiting the welfare centre, he felt that a great miracle was happening here. Unprecedented work is being done to develop the language to lead a normal life through sign language for the children with physical impairment of hearing and speaking. He assured that the government will cooperate fully for providing whatever infrastructure is needed to make these children proficient.

He also said that big companies of the corporate world are operating in Gurugram. These companies are also coming forward to raise facilities for such children. The Chief Minister said that he had a meeting with the representatives of the corporate world on Saturday itself, in which he had called upon to invest CSR funds only in the places of need. He said that organizations and companies can help such wellness centres socially, financially and physically. The Chief Minister said that we all should be inclusive and sensitive by taking collective responsibility to help such disabled persons.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister also honoured the students of Kalyan Kendra who have excelled in sports at national and international level. Apart from this, he also felicitated the representatives of Colt which provided 350 laptops to this Centre, Bechtel which provided 2 digital screens and 17 staff members for supporting the operation of the Early Intervention Centre. Haryana State Road Development Corporation (HSRDC) has also provided IT equipment and 140 tablets worth about Rs 48 lakh to this Centre. The organizers also presented shawls and paintings made by the children of the Welfare Centre to the Chief Minister.

Earlier, Chairperson, Haryana Welfare Society for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairment, Dr. Sharanjeet Kaur, and Director of Welfare Center, Dr. Seema, also expressed their views.

Media Advisor to Chief Minister, Mr Amit Arya, Commissioner, Gurugram, Division, Mr Rajeev Ranjan, Haryana Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Mr Raj Kumar Makkar, General Secretary, All India Federation of Deaf (AIFD), Sh. V Gopala Krishnan, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram, Dr. Yash Garg, Commissioner of  Police, Gurugram, Mr K.K. Rao, BJP District President Smt. Gargi Kakkar, Vice Chancellor, Maharishi Dayanand University, Dr. Rajbir, Vice Chancellor of Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, Mr Raj Nehru, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

 =====balbirsingh227@gmail.com

 

 

Khalsa College for Women Champion at 6th Inter-Khalsa Youth Festival

 

AMRITSAR, NOV 14

Khalsa College for Women (KCW) lifted overall champion trophy in two-day-long 6th Inter-Khalsa Colleges Youth Festival-2021 which concluded here today amidst fanfare. Khalsa College was the declared second and Khalsa College of Education, Ranjit Avenue third in the festival that witnessed colourful presentations by hundreds of students, competing in the various competitive events.

 

The Gidda, Bhangra, Jhoomer were the main attractions while the folk regional dances, fine arts, poetry, debates, singing, skit, mono acting, poster-making, extempore and paintings sought huge participation. Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) honourary secretary who was the chief guest at the valedictory function said every child is born with a potential that need to be tapped.

 

He said such festivals give opportunity to the students to showcase their hidden talents in diverse fields. He along with KCGC Vice President Swinder Singh Kathunangal gave away the trophy and prizes to the winners. “Every student must take part in the one or the other event. Such competitions give mental strength to the students to be successful in life”, said Chhina.

 

The performances of Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Khalsa College of Law, Khalsa College of Management and Technology, Mohali, Khalsa College Chawinda Devi and Sri Guru Teg Bahadur College for Women were well appreciated. Principal, KCW, Dr. Surinder Kaur earlier welcomed the guests and thanked all Principals and management for making the show a grand success.

 

KCGC joint secretary SS Mannan, Member Davinder Singh Chhina, Principal Dr. Mehal Singh, Dr. Surinder Pal Kaur Dhillon, Dr.Jaspal Singh, Dr.Kamaljit Kaur,Dr. HB Singh, S. Nanak Singh, Dr. Kawaljit Singh, staff and students were present during the festival. The judges in the program included Atul Mehra, Sukhwinder Singh Sagar, Mrs. Satinder Pukhraj, Mrs. Madhu Sethi, Monica Salaria, Genia Mehra, Mansi, Dr.Harinder Kaur Sohal, Dr.Paramjit Kaur, Sharad Manocha, Arvinder Bhatti, Jagdish Sachdeva, Meenu Sharma, Dr. Himmi Agarwal, Latika Arora, Lovepreet Kaur, Rajbir Singh, Harjit Singh.

-----balbirsingh227@gmail.com

Guptill's six-fest helps New Zealand knock out Scotland

DUBAI, NOV 3

Martin Guptill’s electric 93 helped New Zealand underline their semi-final credentials and knock Scotland out of the tournament with a comfortable 16-run victory in Dubai.

Opener Guptill blitzed seven sixes, the most of any innings so far at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, in a boundary-filled 93 off 56 balls and shared a stand of 105 with Glenn Phillips, who made 33, to help New Zealand recover from 52 for three to post 172 for five.

Scotland had done well to ensure they were not chasing more but the total turned out to be enough as regular wickets prevented them from ever mounting a serious challenge with No.6 Michael Leask’s unbeaten 42 off 20 balls turning out to be too little too late as the defeat ended their chances of progressing further in the competition.

After being put in to bat, New Zealand got off to a fast start as Guptill and Daryl Mitchell pushed the Black Caps up to 35 without loss after four overs.

That all changed when Safyaan Sharif took two wickets in five balls, removing Daryl Mitchell lbw for 13 before crucially strangling New Zealand captain Kane Williamson down the legside for a duck.

nperturbed by the carnage at the other end, Guptill became the second batter, after India captain Virat Kohli, to chalk up 3,000 T20I runs with a booming six off Alasdair Evans as New Zealand took 16 from the last over of the powerplay, reaching 52 for 2. 

Spinner Mark Watt made an immediate impact having Devon Conway caught behind for just one as he tried to reverse sweep his very first ball, wicket-keeper Matthew Cross taking another excellent catch behind the stumps.

Scotland continued to slam the brakes on after the powerplay with just 18 runs coming from four overs as New Zealand made it to 70 for three at the halfway stage.

However, Guptill started to motor and brought up an excellent half-century off just 34 balls with an almighty 102m six off Chris Greaves, becoming the first man to hit 150 T20I maximums. 

Guptill found solid support in the form of Phillips but his partner was given a reprieve on 20 when Leask, struggling with the sun in the deep, shelled a catch off Greaves.

Leask could have redeemed himself shortly after by snaffling Guptill on the boundary edge but again he lost the flight of the ball as it landed just over the rope for a six off Brad Wheal. 

Despite visibly struggling with the heat in Dubai, Guptill set about trying to ruin Sharif’s figures, lamping the seamer for two sixes in the 16th over which cost 17.

Scotland persisted with bowling back of a length and Guptill continued to oblige by sending the ball out of the park and soon brought up the 100 partnership with Phillips from just 71 balls with a single off Watt, who escaped with impressive figures of one for 13 from his four overs.

A stand of 105 was soon ended when Phillips, 33 off 37 balls, skyed one to Greaves in the deep off Wheal.

An exhausted Guptill fell agonisingly short of a century the very next ball, chipping straight to Calum MacLeod at long-on and trudging off for a very well-made 93, 66 of which came in boundaries.

Those two wickets helped Scotland restrict New Zealand to just 22 runs from the last three overs, leaving them 173 to win when it could have been even more. 

Back in the side after injury, Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer made a sprightly start to the chase, hitting four boundaries on his way to 17 from 11 before Trent Boult’s knuckle ball deceived him and he was caught by Tim Southee in the third over.

Adam Milne’s searing pace greeted Cross’s arrival to the crease and the Scottish gloveman initially had no answer, facing out a maiden.

But when the two were reacquainted in the final over of the powerplay, Cross certainly made up for his slow start by smoking Milne for five consecutive fours to drag Scotland up to 48 for one after six.

George Munsey, 22 off 18, took up the gauntlet after Ish Sodhi’s introduction to the attack, swatting the spinner for back-to-back sixes over the legside.

But the opener perished two balls later when he did not get all of a full toss, allowing a knee-sliding Southee to take a splendid catch on the move down the ground.

Richard Berrington joined Cross and after ten overs Scotland were 76 for two, six runs and one wicket better off than New Zealand were at the same stage but still needing another 97 to pull off an upset.

However, Southee poured cold water on Scotland’s hopes of an unlikely win when his nip-backer bowled Cross for 27.

And when MacLeod’s attempted scoop ended in him being bowled by Boult for 12, Scotland needed a miracle with 71 runs off 31 balls required.

Berrington’s departure for 20 realistically signalled the end of Scotland’s hopes and although Leask entertained with three late sixes it only served to narrow the deficit as they finished on 156 for five.

Brief scores: 

New Zealand beat Scotland  by 16 runs

New Zealand 172/5, in 20 overs (Martin Guptill 93, Glenn Phillips 33; Safyaan Sharif 2/28, Brad Wheal 2/40)

Scotland 156/5 in 20 overs (Michael Leask 42 not out, Matthew Cross 27; Trent Boult 2/29, Ish Sodhi 2/42)

Player of the Match: Martin Guptill (New Zealand)

Ramkumar wins singles and doubles first rounds in Germany

  CHANDIGARH, NOV 3 

Ramkumar Ramanathan of India, ranked 190th, toiled to overcome a fighting Lucky Loser Aldin Setkic  7-6  (7), 4-6, 6-3 in the first round of the  € 44,820 Challenger Eckental, Germany.
The Indian player, raned 187th, served as many as 23 aces and committed 12 doubles faults while Aldin served eight aces and committed nine double faults. Ramkumar won 87 per cent points on his first serve and 57 percent on second serve. Aldin won 78 percent points on his  first serve and 68 percent on his second serve.
Ramkumar saved three out of five breakpoints while Aldin saved seven out of nine breakpoints. The match lasted nearly two hours.
Chennai-based Ramkumar will next face 199th ranked Maximillan Marterer of Germany
In the doubles Ramkumar, partnering Victor Vlad  Cornea of Romania defeated  Jack Draper of United Kingdom and Evan Furness of France in the first round by 6-2, 6-4..
ANIRUDH/PRASHANTH LOSE: In the € 44,820 Trofeo Faip-Perre, Bergamo (Italy) Wild Cards Indians  Anirudh Chandrasekar and N Vijay Sundar Prashanth were beaten by third seeded  duo of Radu Albot of Moldova  and Artem Sitak of New Zealand in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.
Later, fourth seeded Indian pair of  N Sriram Balaji and Divij Sharan will begin their campaign with a first round doubles match against Italian duo of Francesco Forti and Federico Gaio.
JEEVAN/RAJA WIN: In the € 44,820 Tenerife Challenger (Spain) second Indian pair of  Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and  Purav Raja easily defeated Thomas Fabbiano of Italy and Frederico Ferreira Silva of Portugal in straight sets 6-1, 6-4 in the doubles first round fixture.

=====balbirsingh227@gmail.com

Haryana Steelers launches new logo for Pro Kabaddi League 2021

MUMBAI, NOV 2 

The Haryana Steelers, owned by JSW Sports, unveiled a new logo for the eighth season of the Pro Kabaddi League, which is set to begin on 22 December 2021.

  

The brand-new logo, which is a dynamically posed Bhima wielding his heavy mace, powerfully leaning forward with his arm and reaching out strikingly, exemplifies Haryana Steelers' core values of resilience, strength and tenacity. The logo also captures the action and emotion of an energetic and fierce warrior, be it on the battleground or on the Kabaddi mat.

Speaking about the brand new Haryana Steelers logo, Mustafa Ghouse, CEO, JSW Sports said, "With the Pro Kabaddi League making a return this year, we wanted to present our identity in our logo for the eighth season. The Haryana Steelers has always signified the strength and tenacity of not only the kabaddi team, but the entire state of Haryana. And therefore, we are ecstatic to reveal the brand new logo with a dynamically posed Bhima, which exemplifies all aspects of the Haryana Steelers. I hope the new logo brings us luck and reminds all the Haryana Steelers players about their idenity each time they give their all on the mat."

Also showing support for her home team’s new logo is Haryana’s Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik who lent her voice for the logo’s launch video. Always an advocate for the development of sports in her native state, the wrestler, who is an avid follower of kabaddi, says, “Haryana has a rich legacy of producing some of the country’s top sporting talent. It is always an honour to represent the state every time I step onto the mat. I am delighted to support the Haryana Steelers as they similarly strive to make Haryana proud in the upcoming season of the Pro Kabaddi League.”

The Haryana Steelers, which finished fifth in the 2019 Pro Kabaddi season, acquired Rohit Gulia, Mohammad Esmaeil Maghsodlou, Hamid Mirzaei Nader, Rajesh Narwal,  Brijendra Singh Chaudhary, Ajay Ghanghas, Vikas Jaglan, Ravi Kumar, Surender Nada and Rajesh Gurjar at the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League Auction 2021 which was held in Mumbai from 29 August to 31 August 2021.

The Haryana Steelers retained Vikash Khandola, Vinay, Vikas Chillar and Chand Singh from season 7 of the Pro Kabaddi League in 2019. The eighth seaon of the Pro Kabaddi League will be held in Bengaluru in a biosecure bubble.

=====balbirsingh227@gmail.com

National Sports Awards 2021 announced

 Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2021 will be given to 12 Sports persons; 35 Sports persons will receive Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2021; Panjab University, Chandigarh to receive Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy

NEW DELHJ, NOV 2

Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2021 today. The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on 13^th November, 2021(Saturday) at 1630 hrs.National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports.

‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’ is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of previous four years.

‘Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games’ is given for good performance over a period of previous four years and showing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.

‘Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games’ is given to coaches for doing outstanding and meritorious work on a consistent basis and enabling sportspersons to excel in International events.

‘Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games’ is given to honour sportspersons who have contributed to sports by their performance and continue to contribute to promotion of sports event after their retirement.

‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ is given to corporate entities (both in private and public sector), sports control boards, NGOs including sports bodies at theState and National level who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development. 

Overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments is given Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy.

A large number of nominations were received for these awards this year, which were considered by the Selection Committee headed by Justice (Retd.) Mukundakam Sharma (former Judge of Supreme Court), consisting members from eminent sportspersons and persons having experience in sports journalism & sports administrator etc.

Based on the recommendations of the Committee and after due scrutiny, the Government has decided to confer awards upon the following sportspersons, coaches and entities:

1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 

S. No.	Name of the Sportsperson	Discipline
1.	Neeraj Chopra	Athletics
2.	Ravi Kumar	Wrestling
3.	LovlinaBorgohain	Boxing
4.	Sreejesh P.R	Hockey
5.	AvaniLekhara	Para Shooting
6.	SumitAntil	Para Athletics
7.	PramodBhagat	Para Badminton
8.	Krishna Nagar	Para Badminton
9.	Manish Narwal	Para Shooting
10.	Mithali Raj	Cricket
11.	Sunil Chhetri	Football
12.	Manpreet Singh	Hockey

 (ii)        Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2021

S. No.	Name of the Sportsperson	Discipline
	Arpinder Singh	Athletics
	SimranjitKaur	Boxing
	ShikharDhawan	Cricket
	Bhavani Devi Chadalavada Anandha Sundhararaman	Fencing
	Monika	Hockey
	VandanaKatariya	Hockey
	SandeepNarwal	Kabaddi
	HimaniUttamParab	Mallakhamb
	AbhishekVerma	Shooting
	AnkitaRaina	Tennis
	Deepak Punia	Wrestling
	Dilpreet Singh	Hockey
	Harman Preet Singh	Hockey
	Rupinder Pal Singh	Hockey
	Surender Kumar	Hockey
	AmitRohidas	Hockey
	BirendraLakra	Hockey
	Sumit	Hockey
	Nilakanta Sharma	Hockey
	Hardik Singh	Hockey
	VivekSagar Prasad	Hockey
	Gurjant Singh	Hockey
	Mandeep Singh	Hockey
	Shamsher Singh	Hockey
	Lalit Kumar Upadhyay	Hockey
	Varun Kumar	Hockey
	Simranjeet Singh	Hockey
	YogeshKathuniya	Para Athletics
	Nishad Kumar	Para Athletics
	Praveen Kumar	Para Athletics
	SuhashYathiraj	Para Badminton
	SinghrajAdhana	Para Shooting
	Bhavina Patel	Para Table Tennis
	Harvinder Singh	Para Archery
	Sharad Kumar	Para Athletics

(iii)       Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games 2021

1. Life-Time Category:

S. No.	Name of the Coach	Discipline
	T. P. Ouseph	Athletics
	SarkarTalwar	Cricket
	Sarpal Singh	Hockey
	Ashan Kumar	Kabaddi
	Tapan Kumar Panigrahi	Swimming

 Regular Category:

S. No.	Name of the Coach	Discipline
	Radhakrishnan Nair P	Athletics
	SandhyaGurung	Boxing
	PritamSiwach	Hockey
	Jai PrakashNautiyal	Para Shooting
	Subramanian Raman	Table Tennis

  (iv)      Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games 2021

S.No.	Name	Discipline
	Lekha K.C.	Boxing
	Abhijeet Kunte	Chess
	Davinder Singh Garcha	Hockey
	Vikas Kumar	Kabaddi
	Sajjan Singh	Wrestling

 (vi) Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2021

S. No.	Category	Entity recommended for RashtriyaKhelProtsahanPuraskar, 2021
1.	Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent	ManavRachna Educational Institution
2.	Encouragement to sports through Corporate Social Responsibility	Indian Oil Corporation Limited

 (vii)      Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2021: 

Panjab University - Chandigarh.

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