Bihar Government honours 170 sportspersons

Patna: August 29, 2009
Bihar Government on Saturday honoured 170 sportspersons with cash awards and citations to commemorate the National Sports Day, the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyanchand. In a glittering function held at Sri Ksrishna memorial hall here. Bihar government’s chief secretary Anup Kumar Mukherjee gave away the awards.

Top of the list was ace weightlifter Shiv Shankar Singh of Chapra, who won a silver medal at Commonwealth Youth Games held at Pune from October 12 to 18, 2008. Singh was given best sportsperson award.

Powerlifter Sudha Kuamri , who got a bronze medal in the senior Asian powerlifting championships (May 1 to 8, 2008) at Tashkent, was second in the list.

It was another year in business for Carrom Queen Rashmi Kumari. She was adjudged the third best of Bihar for winning women’s singles title at 12th SAARC carrom championhips. Altogether 12 carrom players including Rashmi were felicitated by the Bihar government in the function.

Speaking on the occasion chief secretary Anup Mukherjee said Bihar Government would construct 125 stadia in rural areas to give a much needed boost the sports.He said State Government had planned to constitute a talent pool of sportspersons, which would be sent to participate in national and international events.

Presiding over the function, secretary, Art, Culture and Youth Affairs Department, Vivek Kumar Singh said though, compared to other states, Bihar lagged behind in sports, however, the state’s achievements in the field of education, art and culture were remarkable.

For promotion of sports, he said a pool of coaches would be formed to train the sportspersons of the State and our department would work with human resources department in tandem.

Chief Secretary also honoured two former sports personalities turn radio commentators and sports writers Dr Prem Kumar and Badri Prasad Yadav for their contributions to Bihar sports.

Photo caption: From top: Bihar Government's chief secretary Anup Mukherjee gives away sports award to noted commentator Dr Prem Kumar at National Sports Day felicitation function in Patna on August 29, 2009.

Second from top: Leading sportspersons with their awards.

Fourth from top: Noted commentator Badri Prasad Yadav (left) receives the award.

Fifth from top: Art, Youth Affairs and Culture secretary Vivek Singh and chief secretary Anup Mukherjee realeasing the souvenir.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

President gives away Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards

New Delhi, August 29, 2009:
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil gave away sports and adventure awards in a glittering ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan here today. Several Union Ministers including Dr. M.S. Gill, Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, P.P Patil , Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, the Chief Ministers of Haryana, Manipur, several States Sports Ministers and eminent sports persons attended function.

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award this year as a special case was conferred upon three sportspersons, M.C.Marykom for her outstanding in women boxing, Vijender and Sushil Kumar for winning bronze medals in Beijing Olympics, 2008.The award carries a medal, citation and enhanced cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh each.

Ishar Singh Deol (athletics) and Satbir Singh Dahya (wrestling) were conferred Dhyan Chand Awards for the year 2009, for their contribution to sports by their performance and efforts to promote the sports. The award carries a statuettes, citations and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.

The President also gave away Dronacharya Awards for this year to Pullela Gopichand (badminton), Jaydev Bisht (boxing), S. Baldev Singh (hockey) and Satpal (wrestling), in recognition of their meritorious achievements in the field of coaching. The award carries a statuettes, citations and enhanced cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.

Mangal Singh Champia (archery), Sinimole Paulose (athletics), Saina Nehwal (badminton), Laishram Sarita Devi (boxing), Tania Sachdev (chess), Gautam Gambhir (cricket), Ignace Tirkey (hockey; men), Surinder Kaur (hockey; women), Pankaj Navanath Shirsat (kabaddi), Satish Joshi (rwing), Ronjan Sodhi (sooting), Poulomi Ghatak (table tennis), Yogeshwar Dutt (wrestling), Girdhari Lal Yadav (yachting) and Parul D. Parmar (badminton (disabled) were conferred Arjuna Awards for the year 2009, in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the respective field of sports. The Award carries a statuettes, citations and enhanced cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.

With a view to recognizing the contribution made to sports development by entities other than sportspersons and coaches, the Government has instituted this year, a new award entitled Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar, which has four categories, namely, community sports development, promotion of sports academies of excellence, support to elite sportspersons and employment to sportspersons. Tata Steel Ltd. was conferred upon this Award for the year 2009, under two categories of Community Sports Identification and Nurturing of Budding Young Talent and for Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence.

Mamata Banerjee received the award on behalf of Railways Sports Promotion Board under the category for Employment of Sportspersons and sports welfare measures. The Award carries a trophy and citation.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy (MAKA) for the year 2007-08 has been awarded to Punjabi University, Patiala. The winner receives a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh and Rolling Trophy along with a small replica of the MAKA Trophy for retention by the University.

The President also conferred Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards for the year 2008 to recognize the contribution and performance of the awardees in the field of adventure sports. Major HPS Ahluwalia was given Life Time Achievement Award. Sqn. Ldr Ramakant for Air Adventure, Chaitanya Datla for Water Adventure and Bachinapally Shekhar Babu for Land Adventure were also awarded. The award carries enhanced cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and Bronze Statuette along with a citation.

Source: Press release from Union Ministry of Sports

Patna Central School boys clinch Dhyanchand throwball title

Patna, August 28, 2009:
Patna Central School clinched the boys’ title of the Lucent Cup 14th Dhyanchand throwball championship beating Alliance Club 9-15, 15-6 and 15-13 in the final at the Bankipore Girls High School ground here on Friday.

Earlier, in the first semi-final, Patna Central School thrashed BMP High School 15-7, 15-8 and Alliance Club beat PN Anglo School 15-7 and 15-12 to set up final showdown.

Alliance Club took the lead winning the first game at 15-9. Patna Central School boys played brilliantly in the next two games and won the match. Avinash, Pankaj, Sandeep and Gautam of Patna Central School played well while Navin, Vishal, Chandan Das and Sonu of Alliance Club showed their mettle with great zeal and enthusiasm.

In the girls’ event final, Bankipore Girls High School will face Dayanand Kanya Vidyalaya.

Results: girls’ (semi-finals): Bankipore Girls High School beat Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kankarbagh, 15-4, 15-8; Dayanand Kanya Vidyalaya beat Arya Kanya Vidyalaya 15-12 and 15-12.

Photo caption: Patna Central School (sitting and in white) and Alliance Club (standing and in red) players pose for a group photograph after their Dhyanchand throwball final match in Patna on August 28, 2009.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Bihar State badminton: Aman Raj in Q-F

Patna, August 28, 2009:
Top seed Aman Ranjan of Patna sailed into the junior boys’ singles quarter-finals of the Bihar state badminton championship at the Secretariat badminton hall here on Friday.

Aman beat Tausif Alam 21-11 and 21-6. Divesh Kumar (Bhagalpur), Sudhanshu Kumar (Nawada), Ujjawal Prakash (Samastipur), Sudhir Kumar Singh (Patna), Rajesh Kumar (Madhubani), Gaurav Siddharth (Samastipur)and Akash Kumar (P&T) joined Aman in the last eight stage.

Rajesh Kumar (Madhubani), Md Tausif Alam (Purnia), Tafsir Alam (Aurangabad), Neeraj Kumar (Patna), Vibhuti Mohan Mishra (P&T), SamirVijay (Muzaffarpur), Zishan Ali (Aurangabad) and Nitesh Kumar (Jamui)entered the quarter-finals of the sub-junior boys singles event.

The veterans’ singles (above 45 years) event saw Neeraj Kumar (Patna),Mukesh Kumar Singh (Samastipur) and Omprakash (Patna) qualifying for the semi-finals.
Milan Singh (Gopalganj), Archana Kumari (Muzaffarpur) and AmritaThakur (Bhagalpur) won their respective women pre-quarter-finalmatches to move into the quarter-finals.

Results: Junior boys’ singles (pre-quarter-finals):
Aman Ranjan beat MdTausif Alam 21-11, 21-6; Divesh Kumar beat Shubham 21-18, 16-21, 21-18;Sudhanshu Kumar beat Manish Kumar 21-10, 20-22, 21-17; Ujjawal Prakash beat Kundan Kumar Sinha 17-21, 21-11, 21-14; Sudhir Kumar Singh beat Naushad Ali Haideri21-8, 21-9; Rajesh Kumar beat Abhishek Shantnu 21-16, 21-16; Gaurav Siddharth beat Sandeep Pal 24-22, 21-16; Akash Kumar beat Zishan Ali 21-17, 21-16.

Sub-junior boys’ singles (pre-quarter-finals): Rajesh Kumar beat NavnitRaj 21-5, 21-11; Md Tausif Alam beat Sagar Mirnal 15-21, 21-16, 21-15;Zishan Ali beat Anshul Sundram 21-13, 21-9; Shubham beat Shubham (Patna) 20-22, 21-16, 21-19; Nitesh Kumar beat Uday Raja 21-7, 21-4; Samar Vijay beat Kundan Kumar Sinha 21-14, 21-13.

Women singles (pre-quarter-finals): Milan Singh beat Vijya Mehta 21-13,15-21, 21-12; Archana Kumari beat Ankita Kumari 21-14, 21-7; AmritaThakur beat Archana Kumari 21-5; 21-7.
Veterans’ singles (above 45 years) quarter-finals: Omprakash beat RaviKumar 21-10, 21-10; Vibhuti Mohan Mishra beat SK Mohan 21-10, 21-7; Mukesh Kumar Singh and Neeraj Kumar got walk-over.