SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020 (PAGE 12) DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU One of Indian football’s greatest, BWF cancels five more tournaments Olympic flame arrives in Japan amid COVID-19 pandemic PK Banerjee dies at 83 NEW DELHI, Mar 20: the All England Championships amid Coronavirus fears KOLKATA, Mar 20: old in 1952 to a stint as He retired as a player in 1967 despite the rising threat of the TOKYO, Mar 20: sons." The flame, dubbed the Mohammedan Sporting coach 51 after being laid low by recurring The Badminton World deadly virus. He admitted it was a "heart- "Flame of Recovery" by the PK Banerjee, a footballing years later, Banerjee takes leave injuries. But then went on accu- Federation (BWF) today sus- "The health, safety and well- Olympic flame arrived in breaking decision", but prom- organizers, will be displayed in colossus of his time and a racon- as one of India's greatest. mulate a staggering 54 trophies as pended five more tournaments, being of all athletes, their Japan today amid Coronavirus ised to stage a "safe and secure" three northern prefectures hit teur for life, died here today aged A member of the holy trinity, a coach. including three continental cham- entourage, officials and the fears with only four months 83, having dribbled and dazzled that also included Chuni He pulled off a heist as pionships crucial for Tokyo greater badminton community until the scheduled opening for a good part of his mind-bog- Goswami and Tulsidas Balaram, Mohun Bagan coach when they Olympics qualification but remains the top priority for all rel- time of the Tokyo Games. gling 51 years of service to the famously held New York Cosmos stripped of that significance now, evant parties," the BWF said. The Tokyo 2020 Go, a char- game. 2-2 in an exhibition match star- in view of the COVID-19 pan- "Heightened travel and quar- tered aircraft carrying the He was suffering from respi- ring Pele in 1977. demic in the host cities. antine restrictions and the subse- flame, landed at the Japanese ratory problems due to pneumo- The star of Indian football The announcement came a quent extreme logistical compli- Air Self-Defense Force base in week after the BWF put a halt to cations this has caused also con- nia and had an underlying history when the sport was at its peak, Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture all of its events till April 12. tributed to the suspension," it of Parkinson's disease, dementia Banerjee never played for Mohun today. and heart problem. Banerjee, who Bagan and East Bengal, repre- "...A further five tournaments added. have also been cancelled or post- The European Three-time Olympic gold was on life support at a hospital senting Eastern Railways all his medalists Tadahiro Nomura and here since March 2, breathed his life. poned," the BWF said in a state- Championships were scheduled Saori Yoshida took the flame at last at 12:40pm. "Chakri charle khabo ki ment. in Ukraine, while Asia event was He is survived by daughters (What will I eat, if I quit)," was "This includes the suspension to be held in Philippines. the gate of the aircraft and Paula and Purna, who are Banerjee's famous answer to not of the three Continental The Asia Championships had handed it to a waiting Tokyo renowned academicians, and playing for the 'Big Two'. Confederation championships already relocated once, switching 2020, President Yoshiro Mori. younger brother Prasun Banerjee, Having started off his Kolkata scheduled for week 17 on the from Wuhan, China to Manila All three people were in a a sitting Trinamool Congress MP. club career with little success at BWF Tournament Calendar - one due to the COVID-19 outbreak in canceled delegation for the Born on June 23, 1936 in Banerjee was the last surviving Aryan FC, Banerjee was rejected of the last chances for athletes to that city. All top Indian shuttlers, flame handover ceremony in Moynaguri on the outskirts of scorer of the 1962 Asiad gold- by Mohun Bagan after a "disas- gain qualification for Tokyo 2020 including PV Sindhu, Saina Athens after Mori reportedly Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, winning team. trous" exhibition match against Olympic Games before the April Nehwal, B Sai Praneeth and had met Japan Football Banerjee's family relocated to his Another one his bright the legendary T Aao-led Manipur. 26 deadline," it added. Kidambi Srikanth were scheduled Association Kozo Tashima, uncle's place in Jamshedpur moments with the national team In Aryan too, he was an "out- The suspended tournaments to compete at the event. who tested positive for the before partition. was a fourth-place finish at the cast" and then coach Dasu Mitra are Croatian International (April "Badminton Pan Am also said coronavirus on Tuesday. The 1962 Asian Games gold- 1956 Melbourne Olympics, would shower him with the 16-19), Peru International 2020 it was no longer feasible to stage Mori, a former Japanese Olympic glod medalists Tadahiro Nomura (1st R) and Saori medallist's best days as a player where India beat Australia 4-1. (April 16-19), European the XXIV Pan Am Individual choicest of abuses, something, Prime Minister, told a small Yoshida (2nd R) light up the Olympic cauldron during the coincided with Indian football's In the final of the 1962 Asiad, Championships (April 21-26), Championships 2020 in Peru Banerjee said, had played a part crowd, "I would like to express Olympic flame arrival ceremony in Miyagi of Japan. golden era. He scored 65 interna- India prevailed in front of a hos- in shaping his career. Badminton Asia Championships because of health and safety fears my sincere gratitude for the tional goals in 84 appearances for tile crowd angered by chef de "I was seriously thinking of (April 21-26) and Pan Am linked to COVID-19. safe opening of this ceremony Olympic Games. by the 2011 earthquake and the national team. mission Guru Dutt Sondhi's leaving Kolkata and returning to Individual Championships 2020 "The tournament was origi- ... We originally planned to The arrival ceremony was tsunami before the start of the His contribution was duly remark that it was 'Jakarta Jamshedpur when Bagha Shome, (April 23-26). nally planned for Guatemala have children here to welcome closed to spectators and attend- torch relay on March 26 from J- recognised by FIFA which rated Games', for barring countries like one of the most respected coach- "The escalation of the City," the BWF said. the flame. But we've decided to ed by a small contingent of Village at Fukushima. him as India's greatest player of Taiwan and Israel. es then, offered me a job in the COVID-19 outbreak globally has All five tournaments were to do without them for safety rea- Tokyo 2020 officials. (Agencies) the 20th century, bestowing him Banerjee scored the opener in Indian Railways and an opportu- led the BWF, in close consulta- be played within the Tokyo with the Centennial Order of that game. nity to play for the Eastern tion and consensus with its Olympic Games qualifying peri- Merit in 2004. He was captain of the Indian Railway." Continental Confederations and od, but will "no longer contribute From his debut for Bihar in team that last played the The rest, as they say, is histo- Host Member Associations, to to Olympic qualifying as they the Santosh Trophy as a 16-year- Olympics in Rome 1960. ry. confirm the suspension of these will now fall outside the qualifi- A FIFA-certified coach, tournaments," the BWF said. cation window." J&K DENTAL COUNCIL Banerjee had a coaching career as The COVID-19 global death "BWF will make a further C/o Principal Office, illustrious as his playing one, toll has climbed past 10,000 with announcement on any implica- Indira Gandhi Govt. Dental College, beginning with Bata SC and more than 250,000 infected. The tions related to the Olympic qual- Eastern Railway. BWF had drawn severe criticism ification period at a later date," Rehari Chungi, Sarwal Road Jammu Tawi, 180005. Having struck gold as a play- from players for continuing with the BWF said. (PTI) Phone No. 09419181075, 09419143373 er, a young 35-year-old Banerjee Fax: 0191-2565588 was made a joint India coach with Snooker World Email: [email protected] G M Basha, and they delivered a bronze at the Bangkok Asiad in J&KDC/125-126/2020 Dated: 18/03/2020 1970. Championship postponed Within a year at the helm, LONDON, Mar 20: Advisory Banerjee guided India to a joint All the Dentists & Dental Clinics across the UT of triumph at the Singapore Pesta Snooker's World Championship has been postponed due to the Sukan Cup in 1971. Jammu and Kashmir are advised to strictly adhere Coronavirus pandemic, the World Snooker Tour (WST) announced East Bengal won five CFL today. to the advisory issued by DCI, endorsed by titles on the trot under his tute- The tournament was scheduled to be played from April 18 to May Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government lage. 4 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. He also delivered at Mohun The WST said it was aiming to stage the event in July or August of India/State Governments/UGC and they are rec- Bagan, guiding them to a treble -- instead. On Tuesday, the Tour Championship in Wales, scheduled to ommended to voluntarily suspend non IFA Shield, Rovers Cup and take place this week, was postponed until July 21-26. Durand Cup -- in 1977. WST chairman Barry Hearn said in a statement on Friday: "These essential/non urgent dental care up to 31st March He was coach of the Mohun are tough times for everyone but we are determined to get through it." 2020 to prevent further spread of the disease in the Bagan that famously held the then Soviet Union team, Ararat "I can assure everyone that we are doing all we can alongside our community.