ACHIEVEMENT -- 15:

SISTER-BROTHER DUO SELECTED FOR NATIONAL CUE CHAMPIONSHIP

 By P S SUNDAR 

 

Coonoor-based college student and her school going brother have brought laurels to The Nilgiris district by getting selected to represent Tamil Nadu in the National Billiards and Snooker championship to be held in Bhopal.   If selected at the Nationals, they stand a chance to represent India in international tourneys.

 

This follows their winning Medals and places at the 37^th TN State Championship 2021 held in Chennai.

 

Mariam Agnish (20) studying in BCom (final year) in Providence College for Women in Coonoor made a clean sweep by annexing Medals in both Snooker and Billiards in all the four categories she contested.

 

She told me, “In Snooker state championship, I won two Silver Medals each in Ladies and under-21 categories.   In Billiards, I won Silver in Ladies category and Bronze in under-21 category”.

 

Mariam had represented India in World Snooker championship twice in Russia and once in Belgium.

 

She holds the credit of being the only female from The Nilgiris district to have represented India in official international cue game tourneys abroad.

 

Her brother Sham Alwin (13), studying in VIII standard in Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, has bagged two ranks.

 

He said, “In the state championship of under-18 category, I bagged Fourth Place in Billiards and Fifth in Snooker and have been selected for the Nationals in both”.

 

Earlier at the selections held in Tirupur, he bagged Gold in both Billiards and Snooker.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com) 

 

 ACHIEVEMENT -- 14:

AGE IS NOT A DETERRENT:

AT 50, SHE RANKS No: 1 IN 100 DAYS RUNNING

 

By P S SUNDAR 

 

That age is not a deterrent to achieve in life has once again been proved right with 50-year-old mother of two adult sons living in Mount Pleasant in Coonoor emerging as Rank No: 1 in all-India level in 100 days of running each day.

 

Pamela Benny Alves, Ambassador for Nilgiris of the Bangalore-based ‘Life is Calling’ organisation, which specialises in endurance activities including running and cycling, undertook 100 days of daily running to cover 2050.32 kilometres and bag Rank No: 1 among the over 500 participants in the whole of India.

 

“On an average, I ran 20.50 kilometres daily totalling 268:13:23 hours of running for 100 days.  This marked an achievement of 7 minutes to cover a kilometre”, she told me.

 

“I also ran another event organised by the world famous HDOR for 100 days to cover 2,590 kilometres.   For this, for three days, I did full marathon of 42 kilometres, one day 60 kilometres and many days of half marathon of 21 kilometres.   The running was each day without break – the first in the Nilgiris to achieve this”, she disclosed.

 

“In this event, I bagged sixth rank in India among 5,998 participants and first in the Nilgiris.  Among the 307 participants in the 50+ age group, I bagged rank No: 1”, she noted.

 

Pamela said that she beat hostile terrain and high elevation of The Nilgiris to reach these national-level positions.   “My fitness trainer Cyril Gonsalves contributed significantly to keep me fit”, she noted.

 

She attributed the co-operation from her husband Sebastiao Alves in all aspects as a principal cause for her achievement.   Both of them run a NGO called ‘The Transcultural Mission’ as a charity trust in Coonoor.  As part of it, this summer, ‘The Mountain Gaur’s Club’ was formed.   “The aim is to enhance fitness, make non-walkers into walkers and walkers into runners”, Pamela said.

 

She added, “Anyone needing help to take up running as an endurance and fitness endeavour, irrespective of age or gender can reach me on 9626343774”.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)  

        

  

 ACHIEVEMENT -- 13:

ST ANTONY’S STUDENTS BAG GOVT’S NMM SCHOLARSHIP

 

By P S SUNDAR 

 

Six students of the Government-aided St Antony’s Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, have done proud to their institution and parents by winning the coveted National Means cum Merit Scholarship (NMMS) of Government of India.

School’s Headmaster Bro Dr Thomas Selvam honoured them with cash prize and certificate in the presence of their parents.

“The students – Franklin, Nitheeswar, Rishal, Ravishankar, Abuthakir and Dharshan – got the scholarship by successfully clearing the relevant competitive exams guided by teachers – George, Velanakanni and Leema”, the Headmaster said.

“These students are now studying in IX standard and this Scholarship comprises ₹ 48,000 to each student to complete his higher secondary course at the rate of ₹ 12,000 per year for four years from now”, he detailed.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

 

 CONTEMPORARY -- 1

CORONA PANDEMIC MANAGEMENT:

SCHOOL HEADS URGE PARENTS NOT TO LET CHILDREN PLAY OUTSIDE

 

BY P S SUNDAR 

 

In the context of corona second wave infecting children and experts calling for special care to protect children, Heads of Schools in The Nilgiris have urged parents not to let their children play outside especially with other children during the ongoing lockdown.

 

“Reports have it that some 50,000 children have already been infected by this deadly disease and some 12 and 13 year olds have died in various places in the country calling for more responsible parenting during this lockdown”, Principal of Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, Glenn Croning told me.

 

“We have strictly advised parents to ensure that their children stay indoors during this lockdown”, he said.

 

“As the Chief Minister M K Stalin said, ‘this is not leave but lockdown’.   The very purpose of closing the schools is to protect children from Covid-19 but if they are let to play with other children outside, it defeats the purpose of closing schools and exposes the children to getting infected”, Principal of St Joseph’s Boy’s Higher Secondary School and Academy Bro Solomon Alexander said.   

 

“I am addressing parents to be cautious on this”, he said.

 

“Recently, we took measures to prevent some of our students from going for work as lockdown has hit the family income but we also notice some parents letting their children play in the open to drive away lockdown boredom”, Headmaster of Government-aided St Antony’s Higher Secondary School Bro Dr Thomas Selvam said.

 

“We do not want even a single student to suffer from corona especially due to the negligence of parents and have warned them”, he noted.

(response can be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

 LANDMARK -- 4:

GOVT OF INDIA CONFERS ‘FIT INDIA SCHOOL’ TITLE TO GURUKULAM SCHOOL.

By P S SUNDAR 

 Gurukulam School which has been imparting quality English medium education to rural children in Agalar village of Thuneri circle near Ooty has been conferred the title of ‘FIT INDIA SCHOOL’ by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of Government of India.

 

The Chief Educational Officer of The Nilgiris district Nasimudeen handed over the relevant certificates to Gurukulam Correspondent N Arjjunan and Principal Sureshkumar in the presence of District Educational Officer Pandiarajasekharan in Ooty.

The Chief Educational Officer Nasimudeen (right extreme) presenting ‘FIT INDIA SCHOOL’ certificates to Gurukulam School’s Correspondent Arjjunan (second right), Principal Sureshkumar (second left) in the presence of District Educational Officer Pandiarajasekharan (left extreme) in Ooty. 

“This follows the appreciation of the Government of the equal importance we give to academics and extra-curricular activities”, Arjjunan told me.

 

“We encourage all our students to participate regularly in any of the various sports activities.  In particular, all students are given yoga practice by lour teachers who hold Masters degree in yoga. Many of our students have bagged awards in various yoga contests”, he explained.   

 

The Government has confirmed that the school can henceforth use FIT INDIA flag and logo.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

 LANDMARK -- 3:

ST JOSEPH’S CALENDAR MOTIVATES STUDENTS TO THINK POSITIVE

 By P S SUNDAR 

 

After prolonged lockdown and online classes, when the 133-year-old St Joseph’s Boys’ Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School as also St Joseph’s Academy (for ICSE and ISC) re-opened for Tenth and Plus Two classes following Government orders, the school has welcomed each student with a wall calendar for 2021 on the theme ‘Positive Thinking’.

This is highly relevant in the current Covid-19 pandemic to uphold the morale of the students and keep them focussed on winning in life.

 

“We are paying special attention now to motivate the students to replace negative thoughts, especially arising from Corona-related issues, with positive ones to get positive results”, St Joseph’s Principal Bro Solomon Alexander told me.

“Underlining that ‘positive thinking’ changes our behaviour, we are counselling the students that even the darkest nights will end as the sun rises and optimism is a ‘happiness magnet’.  If you stay positive, good people will be drawn to you, we repeatedly tell the students”, he said.

“With this thought, we have designed this year’s calendar devoting each page to a positive aspect like leadership, dreaming vision, forethought, synergy, innovation, changing future with technology, exquisiteness, Art and Culture and compassion”, he disclosed.

“We also focus on contemporary aspects of hygiene and well being”, he added.

 

The calendar measuring 27 inches x 17 inches carries pleasing pictures of the infrastructure of the school hailed as an icon of Coonoor.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

 

ACHIEVEMENT -- 12:

MUJAMIL WINS NATIONAL MEDAL AGAIN; GETTING TRAINED FOR OLYMPICS

P S SUNDAR

A Mujamil (21) of Boys Company area near Coonoor has brought laurels to The Nilgiris and Tamil Nadu state yet again – this time by winning Bronze Medal in the 59^th National Open Athletic Championship held in Ranchi.

“Mujamil has scripted a new chapter in the sporting history of The Nilgiris as he is the first from this district all these years to win a Medal in Open Athletic Nationals in 800-metres running race”, his coach Mohammed Azarudeen told me.

 “He is also the first in the last 12 years to win a Medal for Tamil Nadu in 800 metres running event in Open Athletic Nationals”, he said.

Mujamil (left) and Azarudeen

“In August, I won Silver Medal in National Inter-state Senior Athletic Championship.  So, this is my second National Medal in two months.  I am happy to have brought laurels to the Tamil Nadu Athletic Association”, said Mujamil.

In March, he had won Gold in the Chief Minister’s trophy athletics and received the trophy and cash award of ₹ one lakh from the CM.       

“When I was a student at St Antony’s Higher Secondary School in Coonoor, I had won Gold in 800 metres and Silver in 1,500 metres at state level”,  recalled  Mujamil who has completed his college study in English Literature. He had also won Medals at university level athletic meets.

“I attribute my success to the high-altitude training received from my coach Mohammed Azarudeen because this training has given me the confidence to win in National and International level sporting competitions”, he said.

“Considering the consistent winning of Mujamil, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has chosen him for the Indian national Camp to be held in Patiala.   This will hone up his nuances to win Medal in the Senior Athletic Championship in March 2020 which will form the selection ground for 2020 Tokyo Olympics”, said Azarudeen, a certified coach of International Association of Athletic Federation who has trained a candidate each for Rio Olympics and Junior Youth Olympics.

Azarudeen has just returned from Indonesia after attending a fully-sponsored lecturers’ training programme for coaches.

It was a pleasure to see these youngsters being complimented by another Coonoor-residing international award winner Pooja Singh Yohan who has just returned from Greece after winning ‘Triple Crown’ in Haut Monde Mrs Worldwide 2019’ finals – First Runner-up (South), Mrs Style Icon and Mrs Porto Carras, Greece, making her the first woman from The Nilgiris all these years to win three titles in one international contest.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)