Pranab Roy completes 90km OotyUltra Marathon in less than 8 hours

Mohali based ultra-runner Pranab Roy completed a 90km grueling run from Mohali to Ropar and back in 7 hours 58 minutes and 16 seconds at Chandigarh while participating for OotyUltra Marathon. 

Ooty Ultra Marathon organized by Eagles Dare had physical event in the Nilgiris hills where 200 runners were flagged off on 27th March for while virtual ultrar marathon was also opened to the participants in the country. 

According to the organisers, Pranab Roy created a new national record in ultrarun as an Indian participant in an Indian ultrarun event. 

This was his first major trail-run after his accident in 2019 which injured his spine and had rendered him crippled below the waist. 

Running is my passion and only the right motivation, meditation and right physiotherapy under the supervision of PGI doctors helped me  get back to the trail, he said.

Pranab Roy is a Guinness Book World Record holder, and had been the only Indian to complete the Asian Trail Master 75kms run in Thailand in July 2018, and was selected by Athletics Federation of India to represent the country in many other similar events but his accident put a temporary halt to his journey but not his spirit that has made him come back.

He was the only one running from north India in this virtual ultramarathon event which was being monitored through GPS.

As per a message from the organizers, he has broken the world record and established new national record with his timings.

Rotarians on the forefront of fight against COVID19

Rotarians had been doing their bit behind the scene and taking care of the medical supplies as well as feeding the hungry in the city.

Past Rotary International President Rajendra K Saboo along with members of Rotary Club of Chandigarh had been spearheading the task force to help the Administration and the medical authorities.

Rotary Club Chandigarh had been supplying N95 masks for doctors, as well as gloves and 3-ply masks for the nurses and paramedic staffs.

Already 50 N95 masks, 25,000 3ply masks, 200 PP gowns and 10,000 examination gloves have been supplied to PGIMER, informed Club President Surinder Pal Kaur. 

The Club is arranging another consignment of 1000 PPE sets for the doctors of PGIMER and 500 PPE for GMCH Sector 32, she said.

The Club has already spent over Rs.12 lakh for the medical supplies alone so far, she added, while another senior Rotarian of the Club, Past District Governor Kawal Bedi is coordinating the daily supply of 1000 food packets for the junior doctors and nursing staff in PGIMER.

In so far as the food for the daily wage earners and migrant labour in the industrial area, the Club has been organizing 400 food packets daily with the logistic support of DGP Sanjay Beniwal, besides 145 families in the club’s an adopted project at Saketri village have been supplied ration with the active involvement of Rtn Neenu Vij and Rtn Dr Seema Gupta.

The Inner Wheel Club members have taken care of nearly 50 families of the daily wagers supplying them with ration for a month.

Rajendra K Saboo informed that 2100 kg of rice was handed over to the Chandigarh Administration through Rotary’s District Governor Rtn Jitendra Dhingra as soon as the lockdown was announced, and is mobilizing another Rs.15-20 lakh for the Administration to arrange food for the daily wage earners and migrants.

There are Rotarians from other clubs especially in Mohali and Panchkula who are working closely with the Administration to manage this crisis situation.

Rotary Chandigarh to setup India's first Health Education Centre

·     MoU signed between Chandigarh Administration and Rotary Club Chandigarh·     Rotary to spend nearly Rs.2.2 crore for the project
·       Governor of Punjab and UT Administrator Shri VP Singh Badnore offers all support to Rotary in various development projects

Chandigarh Administration and Rotary Club of Chandigarh have signed a memorandum of understanding for setting up one-of-its-kind Health Education Centre in the city.

The MoU was signed by B.L. Sharma, Secretary Education, representing the UT Administration and President of the Club, AP Singh in the presence of Shri V.P.Singh Badnore, Governor of Punjab and Administrator UT, Shri Parimal Rai, Advisor to the Administrator, DGP Shri Sanjay Baniwal, former world president of Rotary International Rajendra K. Saboo and other senior officers of the UT Administration.

Shri Badnore commended Rotary’s endeavours for this unique project and the first one in the country to be setup in the city, and said that this is a new beginning and Administration would like to partner with Rotary Club Chandigarh for its various other initiatives.

Former world president of Rotary International, RK Saboo said that the Club would be spending approximately US$ 300,000 (Rs.2.2 crores) for the Centre for which expertise, and know how shall come from US-based, McMillen Health Centre, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

This state-of-the-art Health Education Centre is meant to educate school students about fundamentals  of medical science, human physiology, and  would also serve as Training Centre to impart training to master trainers as well as teachers, informed former world president of Rotary International Rajendra K Saboo who had conceived the project.

Chandigarh Administration has decided to setup this Centre in Government Model High School, Sector 22C, in the first phase, and later a site would be identified by a committee comprising representatives of the Engineering, and Architecture departments and the District Education Officer.

It would also work as centre of excellence in providing basic medical education, health checkup and training, and would be managed by a team of administrative staff, team of doctors and experts under a society which shall have Advisor to the Administrator as Chairman while Home, Health, Finance and Education Secretaries of the Chandigarh Administration as members along with various other members from various departments as well as the head of the PGI, and two members of the Rotary Club.

Rotarians present on the occasion included past district governor Madhukar Malhotra, Past Presidents Baldev Agarwal, Charanjit Singh and Manmohan Singh Kohli, and incoming club president Surinder Pal Kaur, DPS Principal Reema Dewan, Head of Community Diseases PGI Dr JS Thakur, Vinod Kapoor, Abha Sharma, among others. 

30 Bridge Enthusiasts to participate in Chandigarh Open Bridge Championship at The Lalit Chandigarh

Chandigarh Bridge Association (CBA)is hosting its annual national level Chandigarh Open Bridge Championship  at The Lalit Hotel in the city.

CBA President Mr. H.S. Dhariwal informed that more than 30 teams comprising five to six players each are expected to participate including from Punjab, Haryana, Uttrakhand, UP, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, and Chandigarh.

Sponsored by the Steel Strips Group, the tournament shall have team events of eight rounds of Swiss League of 10 boards per round to be played on 21st and 22nd April, out of which the top eight teams will play Super League on 22nd and 23rd April.

The pair event will consist of three sessions to be played on 22nd and 23rd April, President Dhariwal informed. There is a prize money of Rs.2 lakh for eight teams and eight pairs in the tournament.

Chandigarh Open has been a major attraction since its inception in 2000, and Bridge being the game of patience and intellect, fascinates every age group, he added.

CBA also runs training workshops at the Bridge Coaching Centre that it has opened in the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium, where those interested to learn the fundamentals of this game can join.

Chandigarh team has been participating in international bridge tournaments , and the game stands on the verge of being included as an Olympic sports.