1. Hockey India recommends Sardar Singh for Khel Ratna award
i. India captain Sardar Singh has been nominated by Hockey India (HI) for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
ii. According to a statement issued by the national federation, Sardar’s name was recommended by the Hockey Award Recommendations Committee.
iii. Sardar has been the captain of national men’s hockey team since November 2012 and under his leadership, India reached the semifinals of last year’s FIH Champions Trophy in Melbourne after a period of 30 years.
iv. The Sardar-led team also won the silver medal in the second men’s Asian Champions Trophy in Doha last year.
v. He was recently declared Asian Hockey Federation Player of the Year 2011. He was also a part of the FIH World Star Team in 2010 and 2011, and was nominated for FIH Player of the Year last year.
vi. Apart from Sardar, HI has nominated Danish Mujtaba, V.R. Raghunath, Tushar Khandekar and former skipper Bharat Chetri for the Arjuna Award in the men’s category.
vii. Among women players who have been recommended for Arjuna Award are Indian captain Ritu Rani, former skipper Saba Anjum and defender Joydeep Kaur.
viii. HI has also recommended Olympian Syed Ali’s name for Dhyanchand Lifetime Achievement Award.
2. Li Na of China ranked World No. 2 in WTA Singles Ranking
i. Li Na of China was ranked World Number 2 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles ranking released on 17 February 2014. Li Na became the first Asian player, Male or Female, to hold the WTA World No. 2 singles ranking.
ii. She moved to second spot with 6690 points behind the American great Serena Williams, the 17-time Grand Slam title-winner, on 12380 points. She was ranked World No. 3 in WTA singles ranking in 2013.
iii. Li Na, 32, won the Australian Open 2014 adding to her only Grand Slam title French Open which she won in 2011.
3. Indian Bank, Apollo Hospitals roll out health card
i. Indian Bank and Apollo Hospitals have launched a health card that will enable select customers of the bank get a discount on the hospital’s services and products.
ii. Customers can get up to 20 per cent discount from the Apollo Hospitals chain for a range of services, including room charges, medical check up, investigation fees and pharma products.
iii. T. M. Bhasin, Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Bank, said this is a gesture from Apollo Hospitals to mark its long-standing association with the bank. Indian Bank, in turn, will use this card to reward its customers.
iv. To start with, the bank plans to extend this card free of cost to customers with deposits of Rs 10 lakh and more with the bank.
4. Vijay Bahuguna resigns as Uttarakhand CM, Harish Rawat set to take over
i. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna visited the Rajbhavan in Dehradun and submitted his resignation letter to the Governor Aziz Qureshi on Friday. Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat is all set to become Bahuguna’s successor in the state.
ii. Bahuguna, who was under fire for poor handling of relief work after last year’s flash floods, handed over his resignation to Governor Aziz Qureshi at Raj Bhawan in Dehradun.
iii. The decision to replace Bahuguna was reportedly taken at a meeting between Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and senior party leaders on Wednesday.
iv. Rawat is scheduled to reach Dehradun on Friday. Congress sources said it was believed that Rawat would galvanise the party workers and boost the party’s prospects in the general elections.
v. Currently an MP from Haridwar parliamentary seat, Rawat also served as state party president when ND Tiwari was chief minister between 2002 and 2007.
vi. After the 2012 Uttarakhand assembly polls, Bahuguna was said to be the Congress high command’s “favourite choice” for the chief minister’s post.
vii. He is the son of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister HN Bahuguna, and his sister and party spokesperson Rita Bahuguna Joshi is also said to be on good terms with the party’s central leadership.
i. India captain Sardar Singh has been nominated by Hockey India (HI) for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
ii. According to a statement issued by the national federation, Sardar’s name was recommended by the Hockey Award Recommendations Committee.
iii. Sardar has been the captain of national men’s hockey team since November 2012 and under his leadership, India reached the semifinals of last year’s FIH Champions Trophy in Melbourne after a period of 30 years.
iv. The Sardar-led team also won the silver medal in the second men’s Asian Champions Trophy in Doha last year.
v. He was recently declared Asian Hockey Federation Player of the Year 2011. He was also a part of the FIH World Star Team in 2010 and 2011, and was nominated for FIH Player of the Year last year.
vi. Apart from Sardar, HI has nominated Danish Mujtaba, V.R. Raghunath, Tushar Khandekar and former skipper Bharat Chetri for the Arjuna Award in the men’s category.
vii. Among women players who have been recommended for Arjuna Award are Indian captain Ritu Rani, former skipper Saba Anjum and defender Joydeep Kaur.
viii. HI has also recommended Olympian Syed Ali’s name for Dhyanchand Lifetime Achievement Award.
2. Li Na of China ranked World No. 2 in WTA Singles Ranking
i. Li Na of China was ranked World Number 2 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles ranking released on 17 February 2014. Li Na became the first Asian player, Male or Female, to hold the WTA World No. 2 singles ranking.
ii. She moved to second spot with 6690 points behind the American great Serena Williams, the 17-time Grand Slam title-winner, on 12380 points. She was ranked World No. 3 in WTA singles ranking in 2013.
iii. Li Na, 32, won the Australian Open 2014 adding to her only Grand Slam title French Open which she won in 2011.
3. Indian Bank, Apollo Hospitals roll out health card
i. Indian Bank and Apollo Hospitals have launched a health card that will enable select customers of the bank get a discount on the hospital’s services and products.
ii. Customers can get up to 20 per cent discount from the Apollo Hospitals chain for a range of services, including room charges, medical check up, investigation fees and pharma products.
iii. T. M. Bhasin, Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Bank, said this is a gesture from Apollo Hospitals to mark its long-standing association with the bank. Indian Bank, in turn, will use this card to reward its customers.
iv. To start with, the bank plans to extend this card free of cost to customers with deposits of Rs 10 lakh and more with the bank.
4. Vijay Bahuguna resigns as Uttarakhand CM, Harish Rawat set to take over
i. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna visited the Rajbhavan in Dehradun and submitted his resignation letter to the Governor Aziz Qureshi on Friday. Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat is all set to become Bahuguna’s successor in the state.
ii. Bahuguna, who was under fire for poor handling of relief work after last year’s flash floods, handed over his resignation to Governor Aziz Qureshi at Raj Bhawan in Dehradun.
iii. The decision to replace Bahuguna was reportedly taken at a meeting between Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and senior party leaders on Wednesday.
iv. Rawat is scheduled to reach Dehradun on Friday. Congress sources said it was believed that Rawat would galvanise the party workers and boost the party’s prospects in the general elections.
v. Currently an MP from Haridwar parliamentary seat, Rawat also served as state party president when ND Tiwari was chief minister between 2002 and 2007.
vi. After the 2012 Uttarakhand assembly polls, Bahuguna was said to be the Congress high command’s “favourite choice” for the chief minister’s post.
vii. He is the son of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister HN Bahuguna, and his sister and party spokesperson Rita Bahuguna Joshi is also said to be on good terms with the party’s central leadership.
