Bridge Girls Do Delhiwallas Proud
It was a great day for Delhi ladies at the National Winter Women Bridge competition in Jaipur the other day. Dr. Ekta Chadha and Bina Malhotra bagged the Runners Up Trophy. They have returned home from the Pink City, smiling all the way, after being declared the second best pair at the end of a full day of bridge competition with other state champions in the event. In fact, another Delhi woman, Gopika Tandon, was part of the pair which was crowned as the Ladies Champions. This was Ekta Chadha and Bina Malhotra’s first event on the national scene at a competitively fought tournament in Sawai Man Singh stadium held on 12 December. The pair of Bindiya Naidu from Bengaluru and Gopika Tandon from Delhi were declared top winners after they competed with 22 pairs at 11 tables. Ekta Chadha is a dentist and a well-known ‘Smile Designer’. Bina Malhotra is an educationist and consultant in curriculum, reading and listening skills. They both took to online bridge during Covid-19 pandemic. Talking to The Sunday Guardian, Ekta Chadha said, “Today, bridge is rated over chess in Olympics and Asiad Games. In China, people learn bridge at an early age in schools. There are different systems to be played but you and your partner have to have the same system for better communication while the opposition’s system and their defence has to be understood.”
Indians visit Doha To Watch FIFA World Cup Final
India is not playing at Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. But Indian lovers of football are in Doha in large numbers. Many of them have never missed a FIFA World Cup since their youth days. A good number of Indian fans are NRIs from across the world. Close vicinity of Qatar and growing spending power among the Indian tourists has played a key role in bringing them in large numbers to Doha. Indians were the second largest group of visitors to Doha during the Group games, according to a report by FIFA after the end of the first round. With around 60,000 Indian visitors at the World Cup, the number is already more than the number of Indians who had gone to Russia for the previous world cup. The top five visitors (top 5 nationalities) are from Saudi Arabia with 77,106 nationals, India at second with 56,893 nationals ,USA, UK and Mexico complete the top five with 36,236, 30,719 and 25,533 nationals at the end of the group stage games in Qatar. Indians are expected to touch near 70,000 visitors mark for the final match tonight.
Deepika Padukone Expected To Unveil FIFA Trophy
Interestingly, even hard-core Islamic State’s football gala event has not remained unaffected by the glamour of Bollywood. According to reports, the honour of unveiling the World Cup Trophy during the finals at the Lusail iconic stadium will be by Bollywood sensation Deepika Padukone. If it happens, Deepika will be the first global actor to unveil the FIFA World Cup trophy during the finals, possibly the first in FIFA history. It will be a great honour for the 36-year-old actress also. This exposure will boost Deepika’s forthcoming movie Pathaan alongside Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham, scheduled to be released on 25 January 2023. Besides India, it has been shot in eight countries: Afghanistan, Spain, UAE, Turkey, Russia, Italy and France. Nora Fatehi, a Bollywood actor and dancer, performed last week at the FIFA World Cup Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park in Doha.
Puri’s Subtle Offer Cheered LS Opposition Members
Opposition Members were asking questions in the Lok Sabha on Thursday about the Housing and Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural Gases Ministries. Union minister Hardeep Puri invited them to his office for a cup of coffee or tea to get more details. When Jayadev Galla, TDP MP, asked Puri about the ministry’s move to stop work on the masterplan for Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh, Puri replied that the question was “far removed” from what he had come prepared for but said he would be happy to invite him for a cup of tea or coffee and sit down with him. The Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury chipped in to ask, “Sir, coffee or high tea?” Diplomat-turned-politician Puri’s reply pleased and cheered up the Opposition benches and they thumped desks as the Minister smilingly said: “Whatever you prefer, and depending on the time of the day. If you like to come a little (late) in the evening, we can organise that, too.”
Congress LS MP Objects To Irani Calling Opposition MP ‘Gentleman’
Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani and many others in the Lok Sabha were amused on Friday when the Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury protested over her calling another Opposition MP a ‘gentleman’. While responding to a supplementary question by BJD’s Chandra Sekhar Sahu on fortified food for children, Irani referred to him as ‘gentleman’ which was objected to by Chowdhury, who said that as per parliamentary procedures she should have referred to him as ‘honourable member’. Chowdhury was supported by another Congress member, K. Suresh. Irani said Chowdhury was interrupting her reply “to impress his political masters”. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was present in the House.