Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 21: Punjabi University Patiala dominated day-2 of the All India Inter-University Korfball Championship, defeating Bilaspur University and University of Pune by convincing margins, here today.
Earlier, in the first match of the day, SG Baba Amravati University defeated Kota University by fourteen goals to five (14-05) to advance in the Championship.
In another match, Punjabi University Patiala drubbed Bilaspur University in the first match by twenty four goals to six (24-06), while in another match Punjabi University Patiala trounced University of Pune by eighteen goals to eleven (18-11) to seal berth in the third round.
Prof Naresh Padha, Registrar, University of Jammu was the chief guest in today’s proceedings and interacted with players on the occasion.
Prominent among others present on the occasion were Prof Dhian S Bhau, Director Sports and Physical Education, University of Jammu, Manjeet Singh, general secretary J&K Korfball Association, Ram Kumar, treasurer JKKA, Dr Brij Baloria, Romesh Sharma, Romesh Magotra, Jai Bharat, Sanjeev Jamwal, Nisha Kumari and Raj Kumar Bakshi.
The matches were officiated by Tarandeep Singh, Deepak Dutta, Amit, Ashok, Gajandeep Singh, Ashwani Sharma, Amandeep Singh, VP Sharma and Irfan Chowdhary.

Chennai, Feb 21:
The Test championship mace is out of their reach but a plump prize purse of USD 750,000 is at stake when India will take on Australia and England clash with New Zealand in their respective series in days ahead.
South Africa are assured of top place and a prize money of USD 450,000 at the 1 April cut-off date but a further USD 750,000 will be distributed among the teams finishing second (USD 350,000), third (USD 250,000)and fourth (USD 150,000).
Australia are currently ranked third and lead fifth-ranked India by 12 ratings points. However, this could potentially change, depending how the series, beginning tomorrow here, pans out. (PTI)

New Delhi, Feb 21:
India’s junior fencing team will not be able to participate in the Asian Junior & Cadet Championship scheduled to be held in Thailand under national flag owing to IOC’s ban on India and this move could also hit the progress of the game as government may stop funding.
Following IOC’s ban on India in December last year, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) had suspended the national body but the Indian fencers have been allowed to take part in the March 2-11 Asian event in Thailand under the banner of Fencing Confederation of Asia.
If the fencers take part in the Asian Junior and Cadet Championships under the FCA banner, it will be the first time in India’s sports history to represent an international entity.
The fencers are also still uncertain to take part even under the FCA banner as they have to find private sponsors as the government have not responded to their request for financial help with just a week left for the event.
Even in normal times, the fencers have been given help on case by case basis as the Fencing Association of India does not get Government grant as the sport is now in the ‘other sport’ category of the ministry. (PTI)

Excelsior Sports Correspondent
Nadaun, Feb 21:Parvez Rasool’s all-round effort went in vain as Jammu and Kashmir lost their final North Zone league fixture to Haryana by 40 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, here today.
Rasool picked up three wickets for 48 runs in his 12 overs and then struck 62-ball 47 while chasing the 231-run target but could not prevent his team’s innings from falling apart.
Apart from Rasool, opener Ahmed Bandy came up with an effort of 70-ball 53 as J&K were bundled out for 190 in 45.3 overs at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium.
Rasool’s knock was laced with four hits to the fence while Bandy struck seven fours and a six. Youngster Paras Sharma contributed 43-ball 29 runs with 3 crispy boundaries.
For Haryana, Yuzvendra Chahal and Sonu Rathee accounted for three wickets each while Amit Mishra and Ashish Hooda chipped in with two strikes each.
Earlier, electing to bat, Haryana were left reeling at 102 for seven but Rahul Dalal (56) and Harshal Patel (69 not out) steadied the hosts’ sinking ship to provide some semblance of respectability to the score.
While Dalal’s 87-ball effort had two fours and a six, Patel found the fence five times.
Apart from Rasool, Manik Gupta picked up two wickets for 33 runs.

Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Feb 21: Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 Udhampur celebrated its ‘Integrity Club’ Day in the school premises, here today.
School Principal, Dr R Prasad was the chief guest on the occasion.
Earlier, the programme began with the lighting of the traditional lamp by the chief guest and other dignitaries present on the occasion, which was followed by an introductory speech presented by incharge of Integrity Club.
On the occasion, competitions were held in dance, skit, poem recitation, rangoli making, story writing, drawing and painting.
Purple Group, Green Group and White Group were adjudged first, second and third in the dance competition, while the Senior Group bagged first position in skit competition and Junior Group claimed second spot.
In the poem recitation competition, Blue, Orange and Golden Yellow Groups bagged first, second and third spot respectively.
Meanwhile, in drawing competition, Pratibha bagged first position, Upmanyu clinchéd second and Tushant claimed third place.
Later-on, chief guest distributed certificates among the students for showing their talent and proficiency in various field.

Chennai, Feb 21:
Shrugging off disappointments from the last season, India will seek to reaffirm their supremacy on home soil when they take on a new-look Australian side in the first cricket Test here tomorrow in what promises to a thrilling four-match series.
The Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s leadership will ideally look to re-establish their invincibility at home — which has largely been dented by their 1-2 Test series defeat against England last year.
Australia, on the other hand, will be happy to emulate England and considering that they have come with a no-so experienced side will make it even more praiseworthy.
India versus Australia series over the years have had some memorable matches and one would expect that it won’t be any different this time around.
While someone like Sachin Tendulkar would like to face the challenges thrown by Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson head on, the likes of Phil Hughes, Matthew Wade, Ed Cowan and David Warner will aim at successfully negotiating the spin threat of Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha.
Australia announced their playing XI 48 hours prior to the start of the game and predictably kept only one specialist spinner in Nathan Lyon in their line-up.
The visitors will have a three-pronged pace attack led by Siddle while Moises Henriques beat Glenn Maxwell to a ‘Baggy Green’ mainly because of his ability to bowl seam-up as Shane Watson will be playing purely as a batsman.
The Indians however have some brainstorming to do before selecting their playing XI.
Among the slots that will be up for grabs, the foremost will be that of Virender Sehwag’s opening partner.
Squads
Australia (from): Michael Clarke (captain), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Moises Henriques, Matthew Wade (wk), Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Glenn Maxwell (12th man).
India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Match starts at 9.30 am (IST). (PTI)

New Delhi, Feb 21:
The Sports Ministry has issued a fresh deadline to all National Sports Federations, which have not amended their constitution in accordance with the sports code, to make their position clear by February 28, failing which their government recognition could be “impacted”.
“The letter may be treated as most immediate and a reply in this regard must be sent by February 28, 2013. The NSFs are also advised that continuation of their recognition by the Government may be impacted if the already agreed amendments are not carried out,” a sources in the Ministry said.
So far, out of 53 recognised NSFs in the country, 29 have responded positively to the Ministry’s letter, dated January 11, 2013, for amending the constitution, incorporating the guidelines relating to age and tenure limits.
The Ministry yesterday shot off a fresh letter, not only to those 24 NSFs who are yet to make the required changes in their constitution, but also others, asking them to complete all the formalities by June 30, 2013.
“All formalities, including holding special General Body Meeting should be completed at the earliest and the amendments should be carried out latest by June 30, 2013,” the official said.
The 24 Federations, including tennis, football, boxing, wrestling, badminton, weightlifting and golf.
Even though the suspended Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) recently claimed that it had incorporated the government guidelines on age and tenure in its amended constitution, the Ministry said it hasn’t received anything from the boxing body.
“The Ministry hasn’t received anything from the IABF. It is there in the news but we don’t have any conformation,” the official said. (PTI)

New Delhi, Feb 21:
Ace Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap slipped out of the top-10 bracket but Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal continued to hold on to her second position in the latest World badminton ranking issued today.
The London Olympics quarter-finalist Kashyap (51690), who jumped to the ninth place late last month, held the position for three weeks but he now finds himself at number 11, a loss of two places. (PTI)

Rajesh Dhar
JAMMU, Feb 21: Brushing aside the politics over favouritism in selection of talented Jammu and Kashmir cricketer Parvez Rasool in the national side, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has rightly tweeted, “Parvez Rasool should play for team India when the selectors think he deserves to be there, don’t destroy everything he has worked this way”.
“It is insulting to Parvez and his entire life long effort and it is insulting to the people of Kashmir who don’t need artificially created icons,” Omar said.
It is pertinent to mention here that certain media said that with an eye on defusing the tense political situation in the State and building a local icon, Indian Government is understood to be pushing for promising Rasool to be fast-tracked to the national side, adding that such a move is exceedingly popular in Kashmir valley, where cricket has a huge resonance.
Meanwhile, when contacted, former India Test Captain and chief coach, Jammu and Kashmir Ranji trophy team, Bishen Singh Bedi said that if Parvez plays for India, he will play on his merit as he is immensely talented and there is no need to bat for him, adding that he has grit and guts to bat for himself and it was his performance in Ranji trophy this season that fetched him a berth in India (A) and Board President’s XI sides.
“How humiliating is it that politics is being played on a cricketer who has scalped 33 wickets and 600 runs in this season’s Ranji trophy, besides scoring over 1000 runs and taking 46 wickets in Under-17 cricket. Moreover, the visiting Australians too found his off-spin too hot to handle, as playing for Board President’s XI in a 2-day warm up tie, Rasool captured 7/45 in his 28.3 overs,” said a cricket coach while talking to EXCELSIOR.
Presently, Rasool is representing Jammu and Kashmir in Vijay Hazare trophy and producing fabulous performances, with 3/48 in 12 overs against Haryana along with 47 runs and 2/28 in 6 overs against formidable Punjab including the wicket of Yuvraj Singh and 34 off 32 balls.
“With such performances at his belt, Rasool does not need undue favour from any corner. So, talking about Government favouring him is simply rubbish,” said a cricket enthusiast while expressing anguish over the reports in certain media.
For that matter, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has rightly tweeted, “Of all the hair brained stupid ideas to now suggest that Parvez Rasool had to be foisted on the Indian Cricket Team is deeply insulting”.