DAVSSS-8 face St. Stephen’s School Togan for Coca Cola Trophy

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir) CHANDIGARH, MARCH 31  St. Stephen’s School, Togan, defeated Baby Model School, Kapurthala ,by 48 runs in the semi -final played at Guru Nanak Public School Ground in Sector 36 here today. Winning the toss the Kapurthala outfit put St.Stephen boys  in to bat. Jashanpreet Singh made a strokeful (70, 13x4s)  and was involved in a 4th wicket stand of 67 runs  with Akash Sharma  (21).   Gaurav Bedi (25) and Karan Aggarwal  (24) were the other contributors with the bat.  Kapurthala bowling was wayward as they bowled 29 wides. Mr Extras contributd 39 runs, second highest scorer in the St.Stephens School innings. St. Stephen scored 217 for 9 in 47 overs. The match was reduced to 47 overs because of the wet conditions. Ankush (5 for 36) was the main wicket taker for Kapurthala. Replying Kapurthala were bowled out for 169 in 41.2 overs. Vikramjit Singh  (42) and Amandeep Singh (27) were involved in a 60 runs partnership for the 2nd wicket. The other notable contribution came from Gandhi who hit a quick fire  37 off 30 balls inclusive of four boundaries and one six. Shivam Bedi  4( for 32 ) and Gaurav Bedi (2 for 35) and Manan Jain (2 or 15) were the main wicket takers for St. Stephen. Brief scores : St. Stephen's: 217 for 9 in 47 overs (Jashanpreet Singh 70, Akash Sharma  21, Gaurav Bedi 25, Karan Aggarwal  24,Ankush 5 for 36).  Baby Model School Kapurthala:  169 in 41.2 overs (Vikramjit Singh  42, Amandeep Singh 27 , Gandhi   37,Shivam Bedi  4 for 32, Gaurav Bedi 2 for 35, Manan Jain 2 or 15).  In the second semi-finals local outfit of DAV Sector 8  got the better of DAV Amritsar by 10 runs in a well contested match. Batting first DAV Sector 8 Chandigarh had a disastrous start when their opener Bhagminder Singh and Pardeep Yadav were back in the pavilion with just two runs on the board. Then Satyam ( 29) and Jasnoor ( 09) added  47 runs for the 3rd wicket. Another fruitful partnership for the 8th wicket between Shubham Chand  (33) and Ramesh Panchal  (25) was worth 47 runs. DAV Sector 8 folded up for 201 in 47.2 overs. K Gill  3 for 34 and Lovedeep  2 for 23 were the main wicket takers for DAV School Amritsar.  Amritsar started their reply through Abhinav Sharma and Karan Sharma who put on 78 runs for the opening stand. Abhinav Sharma got 25 while Karan Sharma scored 49.  Thereafter Marshall  40 and Navneet Singh 32 were involved in a 52 runs partnership for the 2nd wicket.  Amritsar were all set to wrap up the match till left arm spinner Ramesh Bishnoi in a tantalizing spell of 5 overs snared 4 for 9 to take his team to an exciting 10 runs wins. Shubham Chand  2 for 40 complimented his efforts. DAV Amritsar were bowled out for 191 in 46.3 overs. Brief scores : DAV School  Chandigarh: 201 (Satyam   29, Shubham Chand  33, Ramesh Pachal  25 K.Gill  3 for 34, Lovedeep  2 for 23).  DAV Amritsar: 191 all out in 46.3 overs (Karan Sharma  49, Abhinav Sharma  25, Marshall  40 Navneet Singh  32, Ramesh Bishnoi  4 for 9, Shubham Chand 2 for 40).

Salgaocar scrape past Air India

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com

MARGAO, MARCH 31

 Salgaocar Sports Club relied on a solitary penalty strike from Ryuji Sueoka to scrape past Air India in a 22nd round I League clash at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda on Saturday.

Sueoka converted a 22rd minute penalty to give Salgaocar three points and some good morale before they travel to Jordan for their AFC Cup clash against Al Widhat.

  Salgaocar took the field without suspended Nigerian striker Edeh Chidi but the home side were never short on attacking firepower. Sueoka himself was breathing down Air India’s neck all the time while Beevan D’Mello’s paces also created several problems for his markers.

Salgaocar, however, could not translate their domination into goals as several chances were muffed by the likes of Sueoka, Beevan, Francis Fernandes and Ishfaq Ahmed.

The only goal of the match happened in the 23^rd minute when Kali Alaudeen tripped Nicolau Colaco inside the box. Sueoka then converted the penalty with ease.

Air India were pinned on the back foot for most of the first half but showed some spunk in the second session, although that made them susceptible to counter attacks. Air India striker Ezeh Henry tried to bulldoze his way most of the times but with rival captain Luciano Sobrosa hot on his trail, he could not do much.

Air India did not trouble Salgaocar goalkeeper Karanjit Singh. There were a couple of feeble attempts which did not raise much sweat in the rival camp.

Salgaocar now have 39 points from 22 outings while Air India are stuck on 28 from 22 matches.

Sporting Clube edge past Lajong 1-0

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com

SHILLONG, march 31

 Sporting Clube de Goa earned full points as they beat host Shillong Lajong FC by a solitary goal in the 22nd round of I League at the JN Sports Complex, on Saturday. Sporting's Adil Khan scored the only goal of the match.
It was the Shillong Lajong who started the match on a aggressive note and controlled the proceeding in the first half. However, they missed as many as three opportunities to convert, closest coming in the 29th minute when Lajong skipper John D. Menyongar dribble pass three defenders and took the shot which went over the bar. Had John controlled the ball and try for the far post the story could have been different.
Changing over, the Goan side came heavy and exploded over the rivals weak defence line. In the 64th minute of the game Sporting’s Kalu N. Ogba had an open chance to score a goal, he just had to beat lajong custodian Lalthuammawia Ralte but his shot went wide.
In the 70th minute Lajong defence were caught napping when unmarked Adil Khan, who was later declared man of the match, tapped in a deflected ball off rival custodian into the net, which earned the Goan's full points.
Lady luck had forgotten to smile over home side as in the 77th minute Matthew Osvaldo Mayora’s powerful shot hit the bar. Had it been an inch low, it would have been a different story.
With this win Sporting Clube now have 34 points from 22 matches while Shillong Lajong stays at 27 points from 22 outings.

Amit and Yogeshwar qualify for London Olympics

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 30

Wrestlers Amit Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt qualified for the London Olympics-2012 after winning gold and silver medals, respectively, in the Asian Qualifying Tournament being held at Astana (Kazakhstan) from March 28 to April 1. So far two freestyle wrestlers have qualified for London Olympics.

The Indian Wrestling Team is participating in the Asian Qualifying Tournament being held at Astana [Kazakhstan] from 28th March to 1st April 2012.  So far following two Free Style Wrestlers have been qualified for 2012 London Olympic Games:

Amit Kumar defeated Japanese Yumoto Shinichi in 55 kg freestye final round and won gold medal while Yogeshwar Dutt won silver medal after losing to Iranian wrestler Esmaeil Poorjouybari Masoud Mahmoud in the 60 kg final.

Sushil Kumar won bronze medal in 66 kg but could not qualify for the London Olympics.

 The 120 kg freestye bouts and all weight categories of Greco Roman Style and female wrestling will be held on March 31 and April 1.

Stephen's School and Baby Model enter semis

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 30

Baby Model School defeated SGTBPS Patiala  by two wickets in a low scoring match  the Coca-Cola Under-16 Cricket Tournament at DAV  Senior Secondary School in Sector 8 here today. Winning the toss the Kapurthala Team opted to field. Their decision paid rich dividends as SGTBPS Patiala were bundled out for 98 in 21.4 overs. Karan Pathak 31 and Sukhbir  22 were the main run getter for SGTBPS Patiala.  Gaganpreet 4 for 23, Jaspreet 4 for 35 were the main wicket takers for Kapurthala.

Kapurthala replied with 101 for 8 in 39 overs. . Manjinder (20), Vikram (18) were the main scorers for Kapurthala team. Bupinder Singh 3 for 22, Mandeep Bawa  3 for 26 were the main wicket takers for SGTBPS Patiala. 

 In the second match played at GNPS Sector 36 Chandigarh the local outfit from St.Stephen’s School got the better of Police Public DAV School Jalandhar by 4 wickets.  Batting first the Jalandhar outfit were all out for 174 in 41.3 overs.  Himanshu  44, Mansab Gill  31, Nikhil Sukheja  20 were the principal run getters for Jalandhar. Manan Jain 4 for 43 and Gaurav Bedi  2 for 30 shown with the ball for St. Stephen’s School.  Replying St. Stephen’s School scored 176 for 6 in 43 overs. Kunwar Pathak  56 and Siddharth Singh unbeaten  67 put on  103 runs for the 3^rd wicket. The Jalandhar team bowled a wayward length as they conceded 37 sundries.

Brief scores: SGTBPS Patiala: 98 all out in 21.4 overs (Karan Pathak 31,Sukhbir  22,Gaganpreet 4 for 23, Jaspreet 4 for 35).

Kapurthala: 101 for 8 in 39 overs (Manjinder 20, Vikram 18 ,Bupinder Singh 3 for 22, Mandeep Bawa  3 for 26).

 Jalandhar: 174 in 41.3 overs (Himanshu  44, Mansab Gill  31, Nikhil Sukheja  20,Manan Jain 4 for 43 ,  Gaurav Bedi  2 for 30).

 St. Stephen’s School: 176 for 6 in 43 overs (Kunwar Pathak  56, Siddharth Singh  67not out, Sahil Khosla 2 for 31).

 Tomorrow's fixtures: DAV Sr.Sec. School Sector 8 vs DAV Sr. Sec. School, Amritsar at 9.00 am at DAV Sr. Sec. School Sector 8 Chandigarh.

St. Stephen's vs Baby Model School Kapurthala  at GNPS Sector 36, Chandigarh at 9.00 a.m.

Delhi Wizards master Sher-E-Punjab

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com
NEW DELHI, MARCH 30
It was payback time for all those heartbreaks. Though, it looked like a familiar story when Sher-E-Punjab went ahead in the eight minute through Gagandep Singh but the young Victo Singh equalised five minutes later and then Pakistani import Shakeel Abassi went on to grab a sensational three-goal haul in his name, the experienced Vivek Gupta struck a brace and star forward Rajpal Singh bagged one and, the local fans at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium were still chanting “goal, goal”.
The match ended 7-5 in favour of the Wizards, who finished sixth in the league after playing all their 14 matches in the Bridgetsone WSH, while title favourites Shers will move on to play the semifinals against Karnataka Lions in Bengaluru on April 1, but this was sweet revenge.
Wizards skipper Shakeel Abbasi ushered his team to realize the mission, scoring three goals including the 300th of the WSH when he converted a stroke which he earned in the 61st minute. He was fittingly declared the ‘man-of-the-match. Wizards scrapped through Shers in the first round with a tight 2-1 score, but today it went all out in churning out seven goals while conceding five. The fluent 7-5 win marked Wizards’ sixth win in 14 matches, fourth at home. The huge Delhi crowd could not have been happier to witness a match that produced a dozen goals, the highest tally in a WSH match. It stands at par with the scoreline of the Strykers-Marines tie played on the Mumbai turf on March 1.
After conceding a soft goal to Gagandeep Singh, it was young gun Victo Singh who opened the floodgates for the Wizards with a close range scoop. Midfielder Vivek Gupta produced the second goal, giving a superb finishing touch to his own solo, his strong forehand from the top of the circle landing home past the hapless goalkeeper Dinesh Ekka.
Shers, despite being slow in moves in this tie, woke up and equalized before changing sides. It was left to the genius of old war horse Prabhjot Singh to do the damage-control within two minutes, as he bounced on to a rebound, and then hit a diagonal that smashed into the net.
The change of sides saw the fortunes change for the Wizards. Abbasi, who came close to scoring in the first half on umpteen occasions but could only create penalty corners, struck a brace in the space of five minutes for a solid 4-2 lead. However, the Shers sent shivers down the spine of the hosts when Karamjit Singh’s solo ended fruitfully in the 53rd minute. But the Wizards retrieved the situation with a counter attack and bounced back quickly. Midfielder Vivek Gupta, who honed his skills on this very ground as an Air India Academy trainee, added another to his booty and was instrumental in setting up the other goals.
Overall, the Wizards had a mixed outing in the inaugural edition of the league, finishing sixth out of eight teams with 19 points, ahead of Bhopal Badshahs and Mumbai Marines. They produced some exhilarating hockey in the last one month and certainly won the hearts of their fans by displaying their best performance in the last match. Young Wizards like Gurwinder Singh, Victo Singh, Upendra Pillay and Manot Antil have been very impressive while established stars like Shakeel Abbassi, Rajpal Singh, Kamaldeep Singh and Philip Sunkel dished our some mesmerising hockey on their day.
SEMIFINALS (APRIL 1, 2012)
1st Semifinal: Sher-E-Punjab (Rank 2 Team) vs Karnataka Lions (Rank 3 Team) at KSHA Stadium, Bengaluru, 7pm.
2nd Semifinal: Chandigarh Comets (Rank 1 Team) vs Pune Strykers (Rank 4 Team) at MHA Mahindra Stadium, Mumbai, 9 pm; Live on Neo Cricket & Neo Sports.

Chandigarh Comets outclass Karnataka Lions 6-1

 

   by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 29
Chandigarh Comets thrashed Karnataka Lions by 6-1 in their Bridgestone World Series Hockey match at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here tonight. It was an inconsequential since both teams are safe for the semis, but a lot is at stake to determine who meets whom in the last-four stages.
In a game of constant momentum shifts in the first half, the Lions led through Sandeep Singh in the 25th minute, but they were numbed into the most perfect stilliness when Gurjinder Singh struck four goals, including a hat-trick, as Comets rained six goals in 38 minutes. Comets have also scored a mind-boggling number of goals – 46 in 14 matches, more than any team in the league. The win catapulted the Comets to the top position in the Bridgestone WSH for the first time, replacing the invincible Sher-E-Punjab, with 28 points from 14 matches. The Shers are now three points behind them and have one match remaining to play.
Drag-flicker Gurjinder Singh’s four goals in the match helped him to join Chennai Cheetahs’ Pakistani import, Imran Warsi at the top of the Golden Stick race, with 18 goals each.
For this match, the Lions had rested some of their key players, including penalty-corner specialist Len Aiyappa, but will now be looking to forget this match as early as possible and focus on the semifinals. On the other side, Chandigarh Comets unleashed their penalty corner specialist Gurjinder Singh, who was in full flow.
 However, it was the Lions who took the lead after missing a couple of sharp chances in the barren first quarter, through Sandeep Singh, who converted from a set-piece when his drag flick brooked no answer from the Comets goalkeeper in the 25th minute. But their joy was short-lived, as Comets began to dominate the action with better exchanges and more ball possession.
They earned a short corners in 33rd minute and Gurjinder Singh converted to get the equalizer. Soon after, Comets shot into the lead with a brilliant goal when a diving Ramandeep Singh sent in a reverse hit after collecting a rebound from the custodian at the top of the circle at half-time. Then, Gurjinder scored twice in the space of two minutes to make good use of two short corner in the 55th and 56th minutes to get his hat-trick and a 4-1 lead for Comets.
 He added one more towards the end, his fourth goal which took his tally to 18 in the charts in the 68th minute. In between, Barkat Singh scored a field goal in his second attempt after the goalie blocked the first try in the 64th minute. Ramandeep Singh was declared the man-of-the-match.
The Lions’ decision to rest their key players may appear to be a cool strategy, but the Comets certainly seem to be the team which is on fire.

Pardeep Yadav hits 117 for DAVSSS-8 in Coca Cola Cup

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

 CHANDIGARH, MARCH 29 

DAV School of Amritsar defeated Shivalik School, Nangal by 78 runs in the quarter-finals match in the  Coca Cola Cup Cricket Tournament for Under-16 at Guru Nanak Public School ground in Sector 36 here today.

Batting first DAV Amritsar scored 262 all  in 49.1 overs. Marshal Bhagat  (77), Navneet Singh (37), Karan Sharma (34), Himanshu Arora (29) were their principal run getters.  For Shivalik School Nangal Anmol Sharma (2 for 32), Avikash (2 for 16) and Arsh Kumar (2 for 12) were the main wicket takers.

Replying Shivalik School, Nangal were bowled out for 178 in 41 overs.  Puneet Rana  (54), Saurabh  (33), Anmol Sharma (25) were their main scorers.  Jawahar  (2 for 14), Karan Sharma  (2 for 46) and Navneet (2 for 26) were the main wicket takers for Amritsar.

Brief scores: DAV Sr. Sec. School, Amritsar: 262 all out in 49.1 overs (Karan Sharma 34, Marshal Bhagat 77, Navneet Singh 37, Abhishek 24, Himanshu Arora 29, Anmol Sharma 2 for 32, Avikash 2 for 16 and Arsh Kumar 2 for 12). 

Shivalik Model School, Nangal: 178 all out in 41 overs (Saurav  33, Puneet Rana 54, Anmol Sharma  25, Jawahar  2 for 14, Karan Sharma  2 for 46, Navneet 2 for 26).

 In the second quarter-final played at DAV Sr. Sec. School ground in  Sector 8, DAVSSS-8 thrashed Government Model Sr. Sec. School PAU Ludhiana  by 378 runs.

Batting first DAV Sector -8 posted  377 for 4 in allotted 50 overs. They were well served by Pardeep Yadav who hit a smashing century  (117,  121 balls, 12x4s, 1x6) and Jasnoor  (72, 7x4s). They were involved in a 190-run association for the second wicket. Raman Bishnoi (unbeaten 67, 9x4s, 3x6s) and Rajesh Panchal  (37, 6x4s, 1x6) were involved in an  unbeaten stand of 117 runs for the fifth wicket in 7.2 overs.  Sajit Khan  (1 for 73), Noor Alam (1 for 38) and Sher Bahadur (1 for 73) were the main wicket takers for Ludhiana team.

Replying Ludhiana outfit were skittled out for 109 off 36.5 overs. Nipun Dogra scored  50 (5x4s, 1x6) while Puneet Kapoor got 15. They put on 46 runs for the opening stand in 9.2 overs. From thereon Ludhiana team lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 104. Satyam  (4 for 11) and Shubham Chand  (3 for 14) were the main wicket takers for Chandigarh team.

 Brief scores: DAV Sr. Sec. School, Sector 8, Chandigarh: 377 for 4 in 50 overs (Pardeep Yadav   117 , Jasnoor 72, Vineet Dhaka  25,  Raman Bishnoi  67 not out and Rajesh Panchal  37 not out, Sajit Khan  1 for 73, Noor Alam  1 for 38 and Sher Bahadur 1 for 73).

 Govt. Model Sr. Sec. School Ludhiana: 109 all out 36.5 overs (Nipun Dogra 50,  Puneet Kapoor 15, Satyam  4 for 1, Shubham Chand  3 for 14).

===Balbir Singh, 09417153533==

Prinkle Singh and Sumit Pal in line for a double each

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 29

Prinkle Singh of Jammu and Kashmir is in line for a double title in the CLTA-AITA Championship Series Tennis Tournament being played at the Sector10 Tennis Stadium here today. Playing a consistent game, Prinkle Singh entered the girls under-12 as well as under-14 finals.

In girls under-12 semi-final, Prinkle Singh rallied to overcome a stiff resistance from Bani Singh of Punjab in three sets 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (4). Her opponent in the final will be Sabhyata Nihalani of Delhi who ousted Aarja Chakraborty of West Bengal 6 -3, 6-3.

Prinkle went on to defeat Bani Singh of Punjab in straight sets 6-4,6-3 in the girls under-14 semi-final. The Jammu and Kashmir player is now pitted against Aarja Chakraborty of West Bengal in the final tomorrow. Aarja eliminated the challenge of Sachi Belwal (UTK) 6-3, 7-6 (4).

The semi-finals in the boys under-14 semi-finals were decided in contrasting styles. Now it will be an all-CLTA affair as Paramveer Singh Bajwa will cross swords with Param Pun in the final. In semi-finals, Paramveer Singh Bajwa ousted Karandeep Singh (Punjab) 6-2, 6-3 while Param Pun bounced back into the game after losing the first set against Sumit Pal Singh, (J&K) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Sumit Pal Singh (J&K) and Nihit Rawal (Chandigah) beat Sidharth Basnet (Sikkim) and Rohit Kumar (Haryana) 6-3, 6-1 in the boys under-14 doubles final.

 Results: Results singles (semi-finals): Boys Under-12: Adil Kalyanpur (KAR) bt Rishabh Sharda (CHD) 6-4, 6-3,Vikash Singh (WB) bt Rithvik Chodhary (UP) 6-0, 6-0.

Girls Under-12: Prinkle Singh (J&K) bt Bani Singh (PB) 2-6, 6-0, 7-6(4), Sabhyata Nihalani (DLI) bt Aarja Chakraborty (WB)6 -3, 6-3.

Girls Under-14: Prinkle Singh (J&K) bt Bani Singh (PB) 6-4, 6-3, Aarja Chakraborty (WB) bt Sachi Belwal (UTK) 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Boys Under-14: Paramveer Singh Bajwa (CHD) bt Karandeep Singh (PB) 6-2, 6-3, Param Pun (CHD) bt Sumit Pal Singh, (J&K) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Doubles (finals): Boys Under-12: Himanshu Mor (HAR) & Amit Beniwal (HAR) bt M. S. Karthik (TN) & Chaitanya Chauhan (UP) 6-1. 7-6 (5).   

Boys Under-14: Sumit Pal Singh (J&K) & Nihit Rawal (CHD) bt Sidharth Basnet (SKM) & Rohit Kumar (HAR) 6-3, 6-1.

Chandigarh carrom teams for Nationals & Fed Cup

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 28 

The Chandigarh Carrom Association has selected its teams which will be taking part in the forthcoming 39^th Sub-junior National & Inter-State Carrom Championship, 40^th Junior National & Inter-State Carrom Championship and the 19^th All India Federation Carrom Cup scheduled to be held at Faridabad (Haryana) from 31 March 31  to April 5.  The Championship is being held by the Haryana Carrom Association under the auspices of the All India Carrom Federation.

The following are the teams:

Sub-junior: Boys:  Aarish, Ankush Taneja, Yishu Sharma, Sahibpreet, Ayush Kumar, Preet Kanwal  Singh.Cadet Boys: Chirag C. and  Mihir Yadav.

Girls:Tuba, Manu Gupta, Nidhi Gupta, Aakanksha Bhatia, Sanya Chadha, Pankhuri  Garg.  Cadet Girls: Somiya and Kasaf.

Junior boys: Shaqib, Talib, Aarish, Hassan, Tasavar Ali, Arib. Boys-Youth: Ekansh Goel and Ojhal Anand.  

  Girls: Farheen, Tuba, Manu Gupta, Priya Sharma, Gulshan, Nidhi Gupta.

     Girls-Youth:  Gurkiran and Ramanpreet .                         

Federation Cup: Men: Mohd. Hassan, Mohd. Talib, Neeraj Bharti and Shaqib.

  Women: Farheen and Priya Sharma.

While Mazhar Khan and Anup Gupta would accompany the team as  Managers of the Sub-junior boys and girls respectively. the junior boys and girls, respectively.

                                                                          

Chandigarh Comets book berth in WSH semi-final

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 28 

Formidable Chandigarh Comets booked their berth in semi-final after beating Mumbai Marines by 4-3 in the first edition of the Bridgestone World Series Hockey at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here tonight.

 Chandigarh Comets had launched their campaign in the WSH with a defeat to Bhopal Badshahs at the same venue almost a month back, but today they became the second team in the league to be guaranteed a place in the semifinals.

 For the first time, Sher-E-Punjab find themselves a team hot on their heels, Comets, who are just behind them on goal average but with equal points (25 from 13 Matchs) . They will be cautious in their last league match, which could decide whom they meet in the semis.

 Comets, known for striking early goals to put their rivals on the backfoot  and then dictating the course of match, deployed the same strategy against the Marines with initial success but the visitors came bavk strongly to neutralise their three-goal lead, but Robert Green struck the winner from what appeared to be an abortive penalty corner a minute before the hooter, to give the Comets a famous victory and full points.   

Winger Ramandeep Singh turned full to tap in a cross from the right flank as early as three minutes to give the Comets a dream start. Thereafter, Devinder Walmiki, with his brlliant interceptions, came in their way to deny them any further leeway.

Penalty-corner expert  Gurjinder Singh, who failed in the first three against Walmiki’s athleticism and anticipation, sent his low drag to the left netting in his fourth attempt to enhance the lead.

The Marines forwards came charging in the second quarter, and penetrated Comets’ territory with vengeance, but the fitter and faster hosts overcrowded them to deny any elbow room. Comets replied every Marines’ surge with a matching, if not more, aggressive counter attack, often coming close to scoring. Sharp-shooter Amir Khan fittingly deflected an Adrian D’Souza’s rebound to post what at that juncture appeared an assailable 3-0 lead.

The Marines gave an early hint  of their intention with a goal in the dying seconds of the lemon time. One of the young finds of the WSH, Vanmali Xess cut a high feed that came his way in the middle of the circle, and then as the ball was falling, he whacked it high to bring life into the contest.

The sharp and shrewd Troy Sutherland reduced the scoreline when in a quick reflex action, he picked up a fast-moving ball that came after a fellow forward unsuccessfully tried to control a high ball, and cut its direction and velocity, to bang in the middle of the net. Sutherland’s superb goal set the pace with each side leaving no stone unturned to test the goal.

Marines, who missed three penalty corners, used the fourth one to  finally bring parity. In the indirect penalty corner drill, Sutherland scooped the ball from close quarter, and it hit Gurjinder Singh’s right leg which was overlooked by umpire Savio but the Comets got it right through referral. Ajmer Singh had no difficulty in striking the ball home. The remaining 15 minutes witnessed brilliant hockey from both sides.  Green then came on gamely to provide the spark that the Comets needed to script another great win. 

Schedule for March 29: Chandigarh Comets vs Karnataka Lions in Chandigarh at 7pm; Bhopal Badshahs vs Pune Strykers in Bhopal at 9pm. Live on Neo Cricket & Neo Sports.

 

Centre's assistance for sports infrastructure

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Sports’ being the state subject, creation of sports infrastructure is the responsibility of the State Governments. However, Union Government is supplementing the State Governments through various schemes/central assistance. This was stated by Shri Ajay Maken, Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs & Sports, in the Lok Sabha today, in a written reply to a question by Shri Govind Prasad Mishra.
The Minister further stated that under the Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS), which has been introduced in 2010-11 on pilot basis, Rs. 37.42 crore has been provided to State Governments upto 29.2.2012 for creation/upgradation/ modernization of sports infrastructure i.e. construction of multi-purpose hall, laying of synthetic surface for hockey ground, football ground and athletic track including for training of coaches and preservation of playing spaces/playfields.
Under the Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) scheme, Rs.730.40 crore has been provided to the State Governments from 2008-09 to 2010-11 and the current year upto 29.2.2012, for development of playfields in village/block panchayats and for holding annual sports competitions at block/district, state and national level. Massive sports infrastructure facilities were created/upgraded to the level of International standards for staging the Commonwealth Games, 2010 in and around Delhi. A budget provision of Rs. 3732.72 crore was made for this purpose. Additional Central Assistance of Rs.67 crore and Rs.110 crore were given to the Government of Jharkhand and Government of Kerala for creation and development of sports infrastructure for the conduct of 34th National Games and 35th National Games, respectively.
The PYKKA scheme provides for strengthening the sports infrastructure in schools and linking the community sports as an integration of physical education and sports with school education. School playgrounds are given overriding priority in the selection of PYKKA playfields for promotion of community sports beyond school hours. More than 75% of the PYKKA playfields are located in schools. Sports competitions are conducted annually at block/district, state and national level wherein the participants are mainly from the schools. Under the USIS, Government colleges and Universities are provided grants-in-aid to develop sports infrastructure facilities.
The Minister further stated that Sports Authority of India (SAI) is running various training centre, mostly in schools across the country and nurturing about 15,000 boys and girls in different sports disciplines. Recently, an STC Centre of SAI has been sanctioned for North Eastern Hill University, Shillong with elaborate sports infrastructure such as hostels, multi-purpose indoor hall, archery ground and other play facilities. Under National Sports Development Fund, Rs.2.27 crore was sanctioned in 2009 for creation of sports infrastructure in 10 colleges in Dibrugarh district, Assam.
Under ‘Legacy Plan of Commonwealth Games,Delhi-2010, sports infrastructure facilities were created/upgraded with the Central Assistance of around Rs. 9 crore in 18 schools/colleges in and around Delhi during 2009-10 and 2010-11. Grant-in-aid of Rs.5.39 crore has been provided to Association of Indian Universities (AIU) during 2009-10 and 2010-11 for organizing Inter-University tournaments in India, coaching camps and for participation in Inter-University tournaments abroad, the Minister added.

Baroda eclipse Punjab by 8 runs in final

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 27

Baroda snuffed out the challenge of Punjab by eight runs in a fiercely fought final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for T-20 Cricket Tournament at Brabourne Stadium  in Mumbai today.

Baroda winning the toss opted to bat first but were soon on the backfoot when VRV Singh induced an edge from A.A. Waghmode to Harbhajan Singh in the slips before the batsman had opened his account.  Baroda kept on losing wickets at regular intervals. They lost M.K. Patel (17), K.H. Devdhar (12) and Ambati Rayudu (0) reducing them to 40 for 4. At this stage Yusuf Pathan and Pinal Shah got together to retrieve the position.Yusuf Pathan was the first to go when he holdout to Amitoze Singh of left arm spinner Bipul Sharma for 27 off 29 balls inclusive of two huge sixes.

Thereafter Pinal Shah was joined by Irfan Pathan and the duo took the total to 139 when Pinal Shah was caught by Bipul Sharma of Manpreet Gony for 39 off 28 balls studded with two boundaries and two sixes. Irfan Pathan who was batting with lot of confidence then carted Manpreet Singh Gony’s 5^th ball of the last over for a boundary to follow it up with a towering six of the last delivery of the innings to take the team’s total to 149 for 6 in 20 overs. In fact these two telling blows finally proved to be the difference between victory and defeat. For Punjab Manpreet Gony 2 for 21 and Bipul Sharma  2 for 15 were the most successful bowlers.

  Replying Punjab started on a dismal note losing their openers Sarul Kanwar (4) and Chandan Madan (4) in quick succession. Sarul Kanwar holdout to B.A.Bhatt off Munaf Patel while Chandan Madan snicked one to the wicket keeper Pinal Shah off Irfan Pathan. Gurkirat Singh and Mandeep Singh then tried to steady the innings before Gurkirat Singh was castled by S.K. Singh for (12). Bipul Sharma then joined Mandeep Singh and the duo started rebuilding the innings by rotating the strike and maintaining the run rate. Mandeep Singh’s quick fire  40 off 31 balls inclusive of six boundaries and one six ended when he lofted Yusuf Pathan into the safe hands of Munaf Patel. Amitoze Singh then joined Bipul Sharma and slowly and steadily the pair kept on inching towards the target. Munaf Patel broke the partnership when he had Amitoze Singh snapped by wicket keeper Pinal Shah for 21 of 11 deliveries inclusive of two boundaries and one six. Skipper Harbhajan Singh walked in to join Bipul Sharma and at this stage Punjab looked in full control of the game, before tragedy struck when Harbhajan Singh was run out by Irfan Pathan for 15 on the first ball of the 19^th over. Punjab at that stage had needed 15 runs off 12 balls.  Pathan struck another blow in the 19^th over when he had Taruwar Kohli caught at deep mid wicket by Murtaza Vohra off a short arm pull. In the last over bowled by Murtaza Vohra Punjab needed 10 runs but Bipul Sharma in trying to scoop the ball ended in the hands of Munaf Patel at short fine leg for 41 off 38 balls inclusive of 3 boundaries. Manpreet Gony and Rahul Sharma could just collect two runs of the last five balls to lose out the plot by 8 runs. In the end it was the difference of those two lusty blows by Irfan Pathan in the last over which fetched 10 runs while Punjab could etch out only two runs and the difference of 8 runs finally was the difference between victory and defeat. This was Punjab’s 2^nd abortive attempt at the T-20 title, having lost the plot earlier in the inaugural edition at the same venue.

Brief scores: Baroda: 149 for 6 in 20 overs (Yusuf Pathan 27 Pinal Shah  39, Irfan Pathan  36 not out, Manpreet Gony 2 for 21 and Bipul Sharma  2 for 15).

  Punjab: 141 for 8 in 20 overs (Mandeep Singh  40, Bipul Sharma 41, Amitoze  21, Harbhajan Singh 15, Irfan Pathan 2 for 24, Munaf Patel  2 for 21).

Aiyappa does the ' trick' for Karnataka Lions

  by sportswire4u.blogspot.com
BHOPAL, MARCH 27
Len Aiyappa’s breathless solo act –
A brilliant hat-trick by Len Aiyappa of Karnataka Lions took the winds out of the Badshahs’ sail in their crucial match in the Bridgestone World Series Hockey here on Tuesday. For the record, Karanataka Lions beat Bhopal Badshahs 5-2 and further cement their place for the semifinals but their classic contest will be remembered for the exemplary performances of the three stalwarts – Arjun Halappa, Aiyappa and Badshahs’ Pakistani import, Waseem Ahmad.
Each one of them scored one or more classic, textbook goals to lift the match to a superlative level though Aiyappa’s three out of three in the penalty-corners struck a chord which will be talked about by both the cognocenti and connoiseurs for a long time.
After Arjun Halappa posted a beauty of goal that broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, Aiyappa set the Aisbagh turf on flame in sync with his killer status. He struck each of them in style, first one on the right corner of the net, second in the middle and the third almost on the left. His third stunner, which came after the Badshahs threatened with a brace, doused whatever fire the home team had in its belly.
Veteran Waseem Ahmad and young gun Affan Yousuf combined effectively to give long spells of torrid time to Karnataka Lions in the first quarter which though remained barren despite the hosts getting numerous chances to go up, including two precious penalty-corners.
With Karan Baskaran on the bench, Baljinder Singh proved woeful in both the penalty corners and his counterpart Devesh Chauhan looking in form, the Lions were quick to smell their hunt.
Halappa showed his artistic touch as he converted a goal with a high scoop over the head of custodian Balljit Singh after poumcing on a half-chance – it was a pass from the young Naveen Kumar into the circle. Then, Aiyappa took charge of the assault.
To thei credit, the Badshahs tried to fight tooth and nail to retrieve the situation. Waseem Ahmed flummoxed the entire defence in a penalty corner drill to infuse life into the Badshahs, his long delayed scoop was almost a replay of Halappa’s feat in the first half. Karan Baskaran struck off the sixth penalty-corner, the ball smashing into the net between ’keeper Chauhan and Aiyappa on the right, but he failed thrice in the last 10 minutes that proved costly in the end.

Naveen Kumar, who earlier played his hand in the first two goals, hit the last nail in the Badshahs’ coffin, tapping in a rebound from goalkeeper Baljit Singh. The Lions’ larger-than life fightback in the league, specially Aiyappa’s single-handed destruction of his opponents, have made them a marked team now. They will be watched carefully by all their opponents in the league.

Pune Strykers stun leaders Sher-E-Punjab in WSH

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com
PUNE, MARCH 27
Hosts Pune Strykers stunned table toppers Sher-E-Punjab 3-2  in the inaugural Bridgestone World Series Hockey here on Tuesday. The win allowed the Strykers a re-entry into the top-four in the league but they may have to settle for the fifth place depending on the oscillation in the Badshahs-Lions tie, the other match of the day.
For a team that impressed in the first round but slipped to mediocrity, the 3-2 win against the title favourites today will no doubt boost their side tremendously though their fans may fear that the wake-up call has come a bit too late. However, in tune with the latest trend in the league of the losing team striking first before losing steam continued here. Shers’ young star Bikramjit Singh stunned the home crowd, converting the first penalty corner to post the first goal of the match, but the Strykers came back strongly with some exhilarating display of grit and skill.
Livewire Vikas Pillay, who moments before had missed a sitter set up by Argentine import Mario Almada, was accurate in his penalty stroke to get the equalizer. The stroke was awarded after PC expert Gurpreet Singh’s drag flick hit Mathew Hotchkis on the right leg. The hosts could have added another before the end of the first quarter but the goal was disallowed after a video referral. Almada had bounced on to a rebound to strike the ball into the goal but the video referral turnd it down on the ground that Almada’s push had struck the foot of team-mate Roshan Minz before crossing the goal line.
But a rival’s leg came to the rescue of the Strykers shortly. Gurpreet Singh’s next penalty coner hit Shers’ Prabhdeep Singh Powar on his left leg and got deflected into the net. A couple of minutes later, Gurpreet Singh struck a gem of a PC conversion to put the Strykers ahead 3-1.
Unlike the second quarter which in every sense belonged to the Strykers, the second half witnessed a sea-change in the Shers’ approach. They came all out and earned half-a-dozen penalty corners, but the Shers were stonewalled by the Strykers’ goalkeeper and his band of defenders. Gagan Ajit Singh then reduced the margin with just seven minutes left for the hooter.Strykers’ Gurpreet Singh, instead of negotiating on his own which proved his team’s undoing in the second session, mispassed to Gagan on the circle line. The opportunistic Sher stryker pounced on the chance and aimed right into the right corner of the net where it landed after hitting Vikas Pillay’s stick. The favourites had a golden chance to equalise after bagging a PC seconds before the hooter but they lacked precision, and the Strykers managed to surivive those tense moments.

PU honours 243 outstanding sportspersons

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 27  

The Panjab University today honoured  243 outstanding sportspersons, who represented the country in international competitions and secured first three positions in Senior Nationals and All India Inter University Championships and new record holders in P.U. Inter College Tournament here. A sum of Rs 16.1 lakh was disbursed among them.
Internationals Ruby Tomer, Roopmeet Kaur Mann, Ajitesh Kaushal (shooters), Oscar Bansal, Saurav Kapoor, Purnica Bhandari, Suraj Beniwal (tennis), Jashandeep Singh (swimming), Akwinder Kaur (softball), Pardeep Dahiya (korfball) and Gurpreet Kaur (football) were among those who were felicitated.

Chief athletic coach of NS, NIS, Patiala Padmashree  Bahadur Singh,presided over the function and gave away the cash award to the players,  mementoes to the sports promoters and trophies to the winning colleges.

SGGS College of Chandigarh won the general championship (A Division, Men) by logging 544.5 points for the Sir Sadi Lal Trophy. Panjab University Campus finished runners-up for the KK Grover Trophy with 427.5 points.

Panjab University Campus, Chandigarh lifted the General Championship  for the PL Bains Trophy with 281.5 points. Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, got the PUSC Trophy with 253 points.

PU men’s teams secured first positions in badminton, football, handball and softball. They finished runners-up in swimming, rowing, yachting and yoga while PU men got bronze medals in basketball, baseball, hockey, netball and fencing. They men players also bagged individual medals in different disciplines.

The PU women’s teams emerged winners in baseball, handball and softball while obtained third positions in netball, yatching and yoga besides individual medals in different disciplines.
In the General Championship B.Ed. Colleges - C Division (Women) Dev Samaj College of Edu. for Women, Chandigarh bagged the PUSC Trophy with 100  while GHGH College of Edu. for Women, Sidhwan Khurd were runners-up with  86  points.      

G.N. College, Narangwal  obtained 80 points for winners  Dr. G.S. Dhillon Trophy in B Division for Women. SHSM College for Women, Chella Makshsupur were runners-up with 50 points.

    Khalsa College, Garhdiwala  were winners with 105 points for PUSC Trophy in general championship for men (B Division).