Basant, Deepak guide Odisha to dominate Punjab
Bhubaneswar: A four wickets each haul by Basant Mohanty and Deepak Behera of Odisha powered the team to restrict Punjab for 167 runs and scored 54 runs by losing one wicket at day one stumps of their four day long group-B Ranji Trophy match at Mohali on Thursday.
Batting first Punjab never got a chance to build up their first innings. Opener Jiwanjot Singh scored 27 runs, Odisha bowlers Basant and Deepak dominated the Punjab batting lined up and they struggle at stage scored 73 runs for the loss on nine wickets. The last wicket 94 runs partnership between MS Gony and Sandeep Sharm managed to save Punjab’s face. While Gony contributed an unbeaten 51 runs and Sharma scored 35 runs. Odisha gave a fitting reply, opener Paresh Patel and Girija Rout stitched 51 runs for the partnership. While Patel scored 27 runs and Girija batting with 24 runs by the end of day one.
Brief score: Punjab 167/10 in 57.2 overs (Jiwanjot Singh 27, Manpreet Singh Gony 52 n.o; Sandeep Sharma 35; Basant Mohanty 4/43, Deepak Behera 4/47, Alok Mangaraj 2/50) Vs Odisha 54/1 in 22 overs (Paresh Patel 27, Girija Rout 24).
JSPl Foundation Cup Football Inaugurated
Bhubaneswar: Pursuing its social mission of promoting Rural Sports JSPl Foundation, the Social Responsibility Wing of Jindal Steel and Power ltd (JSPl) today launched its first ever Inter-Unit Football Championship–2015 at Mahitala Sports Ground, near Nisha in Angul district. Total Six teams, composed of selected best players of the respective teams, from periphery villages of JSPl Plants in Jharkhand, Chhatishgarh and Odisha participated in this tournament.
Vincent Ekka, Project Director (R&R) graced the inaugural function as chief-guest. Mahendra Kumar Sahu, District Sports Officer Angul, Raghunath Sahu, Block Chairman Chhendipada, Nilamani Rout, Secretary of Dist Athletic Association Angul were present along with JSPl officials Damodar Mittal, EVP- DRI & SMS; S.K Sharma, VP-CSR&R; Dr. Saroj Kumar Mahapatra, VP- HR & ES, Sujit Pradhan, VP R&R, Ashish Pandey, DGM and Pushpalata Satapathy, DGM-CSR. The first match of the tournament was played between Angul Warriors and Jeraldaburu Tuskers, soon after the chief guest kicked off the ball as a mark of inauguration.
This tournament will continue for three-days and every team will get two matches to play before they reach the semi-finals and the final. On the first day, four matches were played where Angul Warriors played against Jeraldaburu Tuskers, Barbil Tigers Vs. Patratu Panthers, Tamnar Thunders Vs. Jeraldaburu Tuskers and Patratu Panthers played against Raighar lions. Hundreds of spectators from the periphery villages and school children from Jindal Vidyapitha and OP Jindal School witnessed this tournament. The Semi-Finals and Final match will be played on 30th & 31st Jan, 2015 Saturday. JSPl Foundation has been encouraging the rural sports talents in the sphere of Athletes, Kabbadi, Khoko, Volleyball and Cricket and also promoting the Players for higher coaching through State, District Sports Hostel facilities with scholarship support.
Nimpur win in State level Cricket inaugural
Bhubaneswar: Nimpur Cuttack defeated Angul Cricket Club by 14 runs in the State level Cricket Championship being organised by Sports Council, NTPC Talcher Kaniha under CSR from January 29 to February 4.This is for the second time such state level Cricket championship was organised at Kaniha. Total eight teams are taking part in the championship. The tournament was inaugurated by N K Kothari ,Group General Manager,Talcher Kaniha by hitting the cricket ball in presence of JVN Rao ,General Manager (O&M), U.K.Das Gupta, GM(Maintenance), V.A Rao ,GM(Operations), R C Patnaik,GM(Fuel Management) and other senior officials. In the inaugural match batting first, Santosh Kumar scored 63 runs and guided the Nimpur team to put a total of 184 runs in 30 overs. In reply, Angul scored 170 runs by losing all the wickets. Santosh of the winning team bagged the man of the match award.