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C OM | N E W DE L HI

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TODAY’S your kids into avid readers Champions, Man THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021

EDITION
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City
Education

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CLICK HERE: PAGE 1 AND 2 ENGLISH CHAMPIONS

TIMES NIE
Answers Your Query
CBSE's 'dost for life' app to counsel
Arv Srivastava,
class IX to XII students anchester City won their
class X, Jayshree
Periwal Global school,
Jaipur
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched a mobile app to solve
the mental health problems of students from classes IX to XII during the ongoing Covid
M fifth Premier League title in
nine years after crosstown
rivals Manchester United slumped to a
pandemic. With the help of the app, students and parents will be able to get answers to 2-1 loss to Leicester City on Tuesday
How can kids
Q protect them-
selves from a sup-
their questions on education, health and social topics...
night, marking an extraordinary rise to
power since the takeover of the club by
the Abu Dhabi royal family.
posed 3rd wave?
Named 'dost for life', the app 'DOS
T
To ask queries Kids should stay at home,  Pep Guardiola's men will
eat home-cooked food, can be used to improve
FOR
regarding Covid-19 now aim to top it off with their
and Vaccination from wash hands well and wear students' psycho-social wellness
maiden European trophy, when
masks even at home, if
LIFE
our experts, scan the Free live counselling sessions will

possible. Children should
QR Code or visit
take immunity booster in
https://bit.ly/331RxDn
diet like multivitamins,
vitamin C, and D along
with fruits and vegetables.
Besides, taking a good
nap, limited usage of
gadgets, regular gargle,
and steam inhalation can
work wonders. And of
1
they face fellow English side
be conducted for the students
'
Chelsea in the Champions
through this app, the CBSE said.
League final on May 29. A
At least 83 volunteers have already European trophy would mark a
joined for live counselling. Of these, 66 treble for the side, having
are in India, and the rest 17 are in already won the League Cup
tions, internet addiction disorder,
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nepal, Oman,
depression and special learning this season
Kuwait, Japan and the USA. The coun-
disability will be removed through the  Crosstown rivals
selling sessions will be held three days
help of this app Manchester United, the only
a week— Mondays, Wednesdays and
The app contains many features, side with a mathematical

course, wait for shots for
kids in India.
Rudrakshi Singh,
class XII, Cambridge
Court World School,
Jaipur
Do masks limit our Oxygen intake?
Q How are doctors and para medics
keeping their morale high?
3
Fridays from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm and
1.30 pm to 5.30 pm including counselling sessions, chance of taking the English
expert advice, guidance on what trophy before Tuesday, conced-
Content related to education,
2 society, emotion and behaviour
will be made available in the app.
The anxiety related to the examina-
to do after class XII, mental health tips,
and an audio-video protocol related to
Covid-19
ed early against Leicester but
levelled the scoreline just 5
minutes later. But a 66th-
minute strike by Caglar
Apart from this, the CBSE Board will give another chance to the students of Soyuncu proved to be the win-
class X to pass the exams. Students of class X will pass on the basis of ner for Leicester, wiping away
United's slim chances and con-
internal assessment and half-yearly examination. Despite this, if a student
fails, he/she will be given another chance to take compartmental examination
firming City as the English
champions.

A fitted, good quality mask, if worn properly, will pre-

vent the person from coming in contact
with the virus. Besides, it does not influ-
ence the intake of Oxygen in any way.
Masks are the most-effective way to be
safe in this pandemic and is easily avail-
able, cost-effective, and covers all age groups. One life
saved by any health care worker is worth a million-dol-
lar smile and is the best gift of God. That's the way we
keep our morale high by supporting
one another.
EXPERT ADVICE GIVEN BY
Dr Sushil Poddar, child special-
ist, Director Poddar
Hospital, Jaipur
TEARS OF JOY: MILAN'S
LA SCALA OPERA HOUSE
REOPENS TO PUBLIC
THIS AI SYSTEM CAN US AUTHORISES PFIZER- FY22 GROWTH MAY SLIP TO
DETECT,SARCASM IN BIONTECH VACCINE FOR 8.2% IF SECOND WAVE PEAK
12-15 YEAR OLDS COMES IN END-JUNE: CRISIL
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ndia's economic growth may slip to 8.2 per cent if
C
omputer science researchers have developed an artifi-
cial intelligence (AI)-based sarcasm detector for posts on
social media platforms. Sarcasm has been a major
hurdle to increasing the accuracy of sentiment analysis,
T
he US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
authorised the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-
19 vaccine on children aged 12 to 15 years old.
Acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock described
the move as a "significant step in the fight against the
I the second wave peaks in end of June, domestic rat-
ing agency Crisil warned on Monday, maintaining its
baseline estimate of 11 per cent uptick in activity. The
especially on social media, since sarcasm relies heavily on vo- Covid-19 pandemic." Today's action allows for a younger agency made it clear that the risks to its 11 per cent
cal tones, facial expressions and gestures that cannot be rep- population to be protected from Covid-19, bringing us growth forecast are "firmly tilted downwards", and pre-
resented in text. closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to end- sented two likely scenarios. If the second wave peaks in
ing the pandemic, Woodcock said in a statement. "Par-
May-end, the GDP expansion will come at
ents and guardians can rest assured that the agency
undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all avail- 9.8 per cent, and can go down to
 The team TECHAWAY able data, as we have with all of our Covid-19 vaccine
emergency use authorisations," she added.
8.2 per cent, if the peaking
happens in June-end,
taught the
computer model to find patterns that often it warned.
 The
indicate sarcasm and combined that with
FDA said,
corona
update
teaching the programme to correctly pick out  As per official esti-
cue words in sequences
some 1.5 mates, the economy con-
million Covid-19 cases in individuals aged
that were more likely to
11 to 17 years old have been reported to
tracted by 7.6 per cent in
FY21, because of the national lockdown. There have been a slew of
indicate sarcasm downward revisions in growth estimates after the emergence of the
the Centers for Disease Control and
 They taught the second wave, which has overwhelmed the healthcare apparatus
Prevention between March 1, 2020
model to do this by and also led to localised lockdowns across the country.
through April 30, 2021 The agency said two "gigantic challenges" confront the country,
feeding it with large
 The course of the disease is generally including the spread of the second wave and vaccination. On the
data sets and then
milder in children but they can pass it on former, it said, while the second wave have been bigger spreaders
checked its accuracy globally, the death rates are falling in India with the rise in infec-
to older, more vulnerable adults
tions. However, India ranks lowest among fully-vaccinated popula-
tion, it said, recommending that rendering jabs to half of the popu-
lation by festivities in October would be good.

M
ilan's
leg-
Entertainment
Meet the world's most- BAMBOO BATS MAY DRIVE
endary
La Scala opera
house erupted into huge applause on Monday to
hail a stirring performance at its triumphant
'Instagrammable' bird CRICKET IN FUTURE
T
he likes of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and Kane Williamson could
well discard their English willow bats for those made from bam-
reopening after six months of silence imposed

by the coronavirus pandemic. The performance
came a day before the 75th anniversary of a
historic concert in 1946 that celebrated the
post-war reopening of La Scala, which had been
bombed three years earlier and rebuilt. The
musicians and performers were greeted by loud
applause and volleys of "Bravos!" from the
small but enthusiastic audience of 500 lucky
music lovers. Bass clarinettist Stefano Cardo
called it "a double rebirth," as conductor
Arturo Toscanini had opened La Scala after the
war "and we are trying to revive it after the
pandemic".
S
cientists claim to have identified the world's most- 'Instagrammable' bird boo. British scientists have come up with a research saying that
– the strange, scruffy-looking frogmouth (Podargidae) from Asia and Australia. cricket bats made of bamboo are a viable option given that they don't
Researchers in Germany collected 27,621 photos of birds from nine bird-relat- compromise on the 'sweet spot' of traditional willow. "Willow has been
ed Instagram accounts, including data on how many likes each photo gar- the principal material for cricket bats for cen-
turies," said Darshil Shah from the Univer-
nered. Using an algorithm to analyse their 'aesthetic appeal', they found that the photos sity of Cambridge, who is the co-author of Bamboo,
of frogmouths received the highest number of likes, relative to the posts' exposure to the study. "Despite a good innings, there a grass, is a cheap,
the accounts' followers. are problems with the supply of Eng-
plentiful, fast-growing
lish willow. It takes about 15 years be-
fore a tree can be harvested, after and sustainable materi-
 Often mistaken for an owl, the  The frogmouth was given the which new trees must be planted. Be- al. Shoots are able to
frogmouth is known for its messy title of 'the world's most-unfortu- tween 15 and 30 per cent of the wood grow from previous
plumage and comical facial expres- nate-looking bird' in a 2004 paper, is also wasted during bat production," stumps, and maturity is
he added. Bamboo, being a cheap com-
sions, evocative of Beaker from meaning this new title is a 'matter modity, could be used in the mass pro- reached after seven
The Muppets of poetic justice,' researchers say duction of bats. Besides, the prototype years
bat blade can be made by pasting strips of
bamboo shoots to form layers.
 02 “Life is short, but there is always time
enough for courtesy.”
RALPH WALDO EMERSON, POET
FAMILY TIME
THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021

TURN YOUR KIDS INTO

TRY INTERACTIVE
BOOKS
You can make reading fun by using interactive
books, which will bring stories to life, thus engaging
young readers more.

AVID READERS CREATE A READING

Positive
parenting

SPACE
Have a designated reading space
in the house for keeping all read-
ing materials – it could be a book- MAKE
shelf in a corner or a table in
the kid’s room. The idea is to READING
make books and other read- FUN
ing materials accessible Make reading a fun
for children at home. activity by enacting
the scenes or char-
acters while reading
MAKE them to your child
READING A or by picking books
DAILY HABIT with attractive
Just like eating healthy illustrations. Involve your child in
food and exercising daily are doing so too as it will motivate
essential for staying fit, reading them to read more in the
regularly is important for keep- process.

To learn to
ing the mind sharp. And
so, parents should make
reading daily a part of
read is to their and their child’s
routine. It is also impor- Reading is a habit that not only educates but also makes
light a fire”? tant to read in front of
kids – they learn
one reflect upon life and teaches valuable life RE-
— Victor Hugo quickly from what READ lessons. And so, many parents are READ FAVOURITE
they observe. TO YOUR KID
Whether it is reading the news to chil- always on the lookout for ways on BOOKS
It is okay if your child is a bit confused as to
TAKE
dren from the newspaper or reading stories to
them at bedtime – make it a habit to read to your
how to inculcate the habit of what they would like to read – in such times, you
can encourage them to re-read their
YOUR CHILDREN TO THE kids every day. This will teach them that reading and reading in children. Here are favourite books. It will not
storytelling are important in life and they will be
LOCAL LIBRARY OR BOOKSTORES some tips for parents on only bring back happy
encouraged to read more.
Make trips to your local library or bookstores with your memories to them but will
children, and give them the opportunity to browse through how to raise readers also give them a better/
different books and choose what they want to read. This is not different perspec-
just an enjoyable way of spending quality time together but it will tive of their
also encourage them to read. Also, many bookstores and LET favourite
libraries these days have story time or YOUR CHILD PICK stories.
literary programs that are aimed at kids of
various age groups. You can try taking WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO
your kid to these activities. READ
Be it at home, in the library or at bookstores – give
your child the freedom to choose what they would like
to read instead of telling them so. This will motivate them
to read a book of
their choice and
ASK
preference. They’ll QUESTIONS
also explore vari- Make it a point to discuss the book you
ous genres and finished reading with your kid and encourage
them to do the same with you. Ask
Books are a writers while
broadening them questions
about the book
their reading
uniquely portable taste. they read, the
characters, what it
magic.” taught and if they enjoyed
reading it. This will help in
making reading an enjoy-
— Stephen King TNN
able hobby for kids.

Family & Nutrition

Long reads for serious
How to deal with cooking bookworms You know those fat books that have
forever been on your reading list and

burnout amid pandemic 1 ‘LES MISÉRABLES’

shelf, but end up collecting dust due
to your busy schedule. There’s no
time like the present to go back and

T
his is one activity

V
that everyone has ictor Hugo’s 1862 work has been
taken to, whether
they have tried it
adapted for the screen as well as the
stage, and while these are brilliant
finish those long reads
before or not. We ways on consuming the masterpiece, the
are talking of cooking. The book is a must read. Of-
‘ULYSSES’
3
pandemic even got kids to ten referred to as “the
pick up quite a few skills to greatest novel of the

I
help their parents, who have nineteenth century” it is f there are two things that are certain
been multitasking office also one of the longest about James Joyce’s
work, home chores and tak- novels, and one that re- ‘Ulysses’, they are 1.
ing care of children. But one- quires commitment to It is not the easiest read
and-a-half years (almost) and take you through the end. 2. It definitely needs to be
people are also feeling the fa- The story is about an es- read. Having established
tigue of managing cooking in caped convict on a path to this, if there is one book
the absence of helpers (for turn to the good side. that you can definitely
some people) and no meal out- pick up to utilise the
ings. Parents, especially, are spare time due to the pan-
feeling the cooking fatigue demic, it is ‘Ulysses’. En-
and because this trend will joy this good read.
‘NEAPOLITAN QUARTET’
continue at least for a couple
of months, here's how to re- 2
T
he four-novel series by Italian author
boot your culinary batteries. Elena Ferrante includes ‘My Brilliant
‘A SUITABLE BOY’
☛ Make a bigger quantity of a spices such as peppercorns. Use lot you can make ahead and
Friend’, ‘The Story of a New Name’,
‘Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay’, and 4
Tips to W
hen Vikram Seth wrote ‘A Suitable
base that can be used in multiple it in your soups and gravies. refrigerate. ‘The Story of the Lost Boy’ in 1993, he
dishes. You can make tomato Child’. The story cap- wasn’t the
☛ Make mashed potatoes ☛ Another easy idea is to pre-
make
tures beautifully the household name that he
puree, ginger-garlic paste or fried interesting by adding squash pare a home-made ramen bowl bond of female friend- now is. Yet, the 1,349-
onion, and save in an airtight jar. or cauliflower to the blend. ship, through its protag- pages long (in hardback)
with noodles (non-maida ones),
life ☛ Chop fruit and freeze them in
a bag to just remove and make a
☛ A good accompaniment to rev broth, veggies, sprouts, soy, gin-
up weeknight dinner is by having ger, garlic and rice vinegar. It is
onists Lila and Lenu. It is
the kind of storytelling
that will keep you up way
book soon became a best-
seller, ruling lists and

easier
smoothie out of them.
☛ Keep a stock ready by boiling
onion, carrots, celery, garlic and
bookshelves. The book
a dip around. From tahini and a filling food that is loved by beyond bedtime, and will follows the journey of a
leave you wanting for mother’s search for a suit-
baba ghanoush to simple roast- both kids and adults for its more when you are done. able boy for her daughter.
ed peppers or pesto, there’s a flavour and comfort value.
 CLICK HERE: FOR PAGE 3 AND 4
SCHOOL IS COOL
THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021
T
he International Fire-
fighters’ Day is ob-
served on May 4 to ho-
nour firefighters who
put their lives at risk to protect
people’s lives and property. It
is a day to express gratitude to
them for being such an inte-
gral part of society.
To honour these real life
heroes, the students of Pallavi
Aware International School or-
ganised a school-wide cam-
paign on May 4.
A video was screened that
demonstrated a fire drill car-
ried out by firefighters. It
showed how firefighters re-
spond to a fire emergency, the
challenges they face in their
work and how they are ever-
prepared to fight a fire acci-
dent at the shortest of notices.
The students went on to in-
form the audience about the
various ways in which Inter-
national Firefighters' Day is
celebrated across countries.
It’s not just a place where you get to learn Einstein’s Theory of
Relativity. It’s also a place where you can think beyond the
classroom. Hence we say, SCHOOL IS COOL!
03
A day to thank
firefighters who
Develop will power
The signifi-
cance of the brave the heat to complete tasks
H
red and blue rib- ow many of us finish a project or reach a tar-
bon, known as the In- get which we fix by ourselves, on time? Why
ternational Firefighters' Day is it so easy to start a project but difficult to
ribbon or simply IFFD ribbon finish? It's time to seriously introspect.
worn on this day, was men- What is required to finish a project is all known
to us but somehow in between we either lose inter-
Pallavi International School est or focus and quickly jump to some other project
or a different work. To continue a simple task like
Saroornagar going to gym, morning walk or enjoying nature in
the morning hours re-
tioned. The colour red sym- quires a lot of will power
bolises fire while blue is for and self discipline. Now,
water. how does one develop these
The campaign was brought two most important traits?
to a close with a quiz contest Think little more than
conducted by students which what you can and develop
widened everybody’s a plan.
knowledge on the topic. Do little more than what
you can but step by step.
Analyse non negotiable PADMAVATHI R,
recurring things in a day. Chemistry and

IMBIBING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Control the flow of
awareness to understand
Biology HOD -
the manifestation of life like Middle School,
where am I going? What am Johnson Grammar
I doing? How best can I give School, ICSE,
IT IS HEALTH THAT IS THE REAL WEALTH AND NOT PIECES OF GOLD AND Delhi Public School Mahendra Hills the output?
Habsiguda
Create a schedule of all
SILVER. - MAHATMA GANDHI the plans and try to ac-
special assembly was held on the occa- There was a surprise aerobics session complish them and make a note in a diary of what

A sion of World Health Day at Delhi Pub-

lic School, Mahendra Hills. The theme
for 2021 was 'Building a fairer, healthier world.'
"Health is wealth" applies universally to
all and is the most important aspect of our
existence which cannot be denied. Students
actively participated in the assembly and ex-
plained ways to keep fit and take care of our
bodies.
Special guest Aditi Dev Sarkar, nutri-
tionist, was invited to grace and enlighten the
gathering. She spoke about the nutritional
food that must be taken during this pandem-
ic, so as to increase our immune system and
fight against any disease.
conducted for all and everyone enjoyed work-
ing out to the sound of music.
The audience learned that being fit and
healthy should be an essential part of their
you started and what you finished, thus giving your-
self an opportunity to pat yourself and feel great at
the end of the day. It is your self contentment that
you experience which will finally decide how suc-
daily lifestyle. Feeling good about ourselves cessful you are. So be strong willed and disciplined
and taking care of our health is important for to execute the tasks that come your way to be a win-
our self-esteem and self-image. Through this, ner eventually. Always remember, you are working
students understood that it is supreme to for your self worth and anything is worth it.
maintain a healthy lifestyle by doing what is
right for the body.
The parents, students, and the guest speak-
er thanked the school management and prin-
cipal Sunitha Rao, who organized this as-
sembly for the well-being of the younger gen-
eration. HARDSHIPS

MOTHER'S DAY
CELEBRATIONS
ONDING WITH
B
other's Day is a spe-

M cial day that cele- Prerna, Teacher,

brates the bond of
love and affection between
a child and its mother that
is everlasting. Mothers are
the emotional backbone of
a family, who hold a magic
touch to heal all wounds
and make all things beau-
FRIENDS!
Pallavi Model School Have a million thoughts, and a hurricane within,
Alwal Habituated to keeping oneself desolate
Can't endure to collaborate,
thoroughly enjoyed the Know that there is a way
programme and when
many of them walked on But, have no clue why I keep trotting astray.
the virtual ramp it raised

tiful. No creature in this
universe can be as power-
ful as a mother! She can
manage and control every-
thing in any situation. In
other words, God has given
her the courage to take up
all the challenges of the
world. Celebrating Moth-
er's Day creates an oppor-
tunity to thank every sin-
gle mother in this world.
Students actively par-
ticipated on the spe-
cial occasion by
performing
dances and
reciting poems
dedicated to their
mothers.
The mothers who
were part of the online
celebrations,
the fun quotient. They also
took part in different games
conducted virtually.
The students bowed
and touched their mother's
feet to seek blessings. The
entertaining programme
stole the hearts of the au-
dience.
T
he times are strange indeed, for
classmates seem like former
schoolmates as we have not met
each other for more than a year.
Though video calls and WhatsApp
chats keep us in touch, it’s just not
the same as meeting in person. We
have managed to make our homes
classrooms and phones/laptops our
notebooks, but the loneliness lingers
and we crave for personal
bonding.
So imagine my
joy when a ‘reunion’
with a group of
friends was planned
over a family func-
tion! Yes, this week-
end I had planned to
meet my friends and catch
up on all the fun. We were
to meet at a friend's house
and go on a trip to a scenic
spot, strictly adhering to
Covid protocols. We planned
some activities and even a sumptuous
meal. My excitement knew no bounds
and I was eagerly looking forward to
a great weekend.
Alas! My plans came to
naught with the pandemic
second wave rearing its ugly
head. The lockdown has
come into force and now we
have to wait for normalcy
to return for our plan to
work out.
But I am not letting
this dampen our weekend plans. The
meeting is on and so is the tour,
though virtually! I am organising an
online meeting of my friends and am
readying videos of the world’s most
enchanting places where I hope to
take them on a virtual tour.
I have charted some online
games and hope the virtual get-
together would turn out to be
interesting, entertaining and
strengthen our bond.
RACHEL MARIA SAM, class X, SBOA
Public (Sr Sec) School, Ernakulam
Sleepless nights accompanied by restless days,
It's now the new normal
Though it seems quite abnormal,
Having facilitated agony, Can't
admire any fantasy.
All endeavours in vain
Only melancholy darkness in sight,
Let all the anguish drain
For there are better times in flight.
Surely after a rocky road, arrives a
picturesque,
Now is the time to start being brisk
Because struggles are just for a while
You'll soon reap what you've sown with a smile.
AYESHA ZUNAIRA, class X B, Madina Public School,
Himayatnagar

MUSIC ALBUM: FEARLESS

(TAYLOR’S VERSION)

T
aylor Swift has kept her promise. The cess. Adding to all this, she has done what
‘Taylor’s Version’ songs were released she always does best - connecting with her
recently and with the expanded track- audience. She has made them
list, she has shown how good she is in jump during the bridge of
understanding her fans. ‘You Belong With Me
When one (Taylor’s Version)’ and
starts to listen to has taken them back to
this album, they 2008. For one who
are reminded of is music-
how many of her savvy, this is
songs start with a must-listen, and for those
the play of instru- who loved the original version,
ments. To say that this is an almost perfect clone
she has succeeded with minute alterations. All in
in the battle against all, Swift has won the battle, AMAZING ART:
Scooter Braun would but with five more albums MRUDULA RAJU
be an understate- left to re-release, one KUCHARLAPATI,
ment. becomes more and more class X B,
The album speaks sure that the war belongs to FRONTLINE AMS P Obul Reddy
for itself, being the her. WARRIORS: Public School,
biggest musical RASHMI, Jubilee Hills
release of 2021. What V V RAMARATHINAM class VI D, DPS
was touted to be 'a fruitless exercise of IYER, class X C, Mahendra Hills
revenge’, has upended its critics on their Bharatiya Vidya
heels. From releasing ‘Forever and Always Bhavan’s Public
(Piano Version) (Taylor’s Version), to releas- School, Jubilee Hills, PRETTY PERFECT:
SAFETY FIRST: SRIKSHETRA.CH,
ing chart-toppers such as ‘Love Story' Hyderabad ABHAVYA SHREE,
(Taylor’s Version)’, the album is a major suc- class VII C, Bharatiya
class VI C, DDMS Vidya Bhavans Public
AMS P Obul Reddy School (Vidyashram)
Public School
 Manchester City crowned Premier League champions for the third time in four
seasons after Manchester United crashed to a 2-1 defeat against Leicester
Title handed on a platter
■ Pep Guardiola’s side are 10 points clear of
second placed United and have wrapped up
the title with three games to spare. In the
midst of a gruelling run of three games in
five days, United manager Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer effectively handed the title to
arch rivals City by picking a weakened
team with 10 changes. With many of
City’s players watching on television,
Luke Thomas’ 10th minute volley put
Leicester ahead before Mason Green-
wood equalised five minutes later.
Caglar Soyuncu’s towering header in
the 66th minute ensured City could pop
the champagne corks for a title party
that has seemed inevitable for months.
Delayed celebrations
■ City were denied the chance to celebrate
on Sunday when Chelsea won 2-1 at the Eti-
had Stadium, while United kept them wait-
ing with a victory at Aston Villa on Sun-
day. But the delay was only temporary and
Pep Guardiola
City, who also won the League Cup in April, can finally
savour a title triumph that is all the sweeter given the ob-
stacles they have overcome this term. “This has been a
season and a Premier League title like no other. This was
the hardest one,” Guardiola said. “We will always re-
member this season for the way we won. I am so proud
to be the manager here and of this group of players.
“They are so special. To come through this season, with
all the restrictions and difficulties we’ve faced, and show
the consistency we have is remarkable. It is relentless.”
Likely prelude to CL final
■ Treble-chasing City’s seventh top-flight title could be
the prelude to an even greater triumph on May 29 when
they face Chelsea in their first ever Champions League
final. Drained by the late finish to last season and ill-
prepared due to the subsequent lack of a proper pre-sea-
son, City were slow out of the blocks. After a dismal 1-1
draw against lowly West Bromwich Albion in Decem-
ber, City had won just five of their opening 12 Premier
League games. It was the worst start to a season of
Guardiola’s managerial career, prompting the Spaniard
in the startling admission that he didn’t like his team.
A coronavirus outbreak in the squad added to Guardio-
la’s problems in December. Having surrendered the ti-
Manchester City fans celebrate
winning the Premier League
outside the Etihad Stadium
Photo: AP
tle meekly to Liverpool the previous season, it seemed
City were heading for a period of regression.
Superb recovery
■ Guardiola masterminded such a superb recovery
that City turned the title race into a procession, giv-
ing him three Premier League crowns to go with three
La Liga trophies with Barcelona and three at Bayern
Munich in the Bundesliga. Following the West Brom
game, City powered to 21 successive victories in all
competitions, a record for an English top-flight club,
including a 4-1 rout of Liverpool at Anfield.
We have missed the fans so much. We wanted
to do this for them. We will enjoy this moment
and we hope the fans do too. Rest assured we
will continue to do everything we can to bring the
Champions League home this season. I am so proud
and so happy with what we have achieved. The
Premier League is the hardest league in world
football, every single game is tough. To win it
again means the world to me and the rest of the
squad. Winning the Premier League title is the
ultimate fulfilment of our ambitions. It’s what we
all dreamed of as young players, so to do it is a
wonderful feeling. To captain this team is an honour
and a privilege because the players have given
their all throughout the season, whether in training
or in matches. The teamwork has been amazing.
Football is everything to us and we strive every
single day to be as good as we can be in the hope
we can bring success to Manchester City.
FERNANDINHO,
Captain, Manchester City

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

NEED TO SCORE MORE

GOALS: LALREMSIAMI
S
ome important lessons learnt
from a recent tour of Ger-
many, India women’s hockey
team forward Lalremsiami
said the team will look to become a bet-
ter goal-scoring machine as it gears
Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan and flamboyant allrounder- turned specialist up for the Olympic Games. Lal-
remsiami has played 64 matches for
batsman Hardik Pandya will be locked in a two-way fight for India captaincy the national side and said that the
tour of Germany in February-
March this year as been quite an eye-

I
ndia’s limited overs specialists will
be playing three T20 Internationals
and as many ODIs in the island
nation during the second half of
July, when big guns like Virat Kohli and
Rohit Sharma will be in England for a
marquee five-match Test series. If
Shreyas Iyer doesn’t get fit in time for the
white-ball tour of Sri Lanka in July, then
Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya will
be in contention. “It is still not clear if
Shreyas will recover fully and will be
match-fit in time for the tour of Sri
Lanka. Normally, a surgery of this scale
along with rest, extensive rehab and
training to get back in shape takes around
four months,” a senior BCCI source said
on conditions of anonymity. “In case
Shreyas was available, he would have
been the automatic choice for captaincy.”
Logical contenders
It’s only logical that the two contenders for
captaincy are 35-year-old Dhawan, who has
had good “one and half IPLs” in last two
seasons and Pandya junior, who is one of
the most accomplished match-winners.
“Shikhar has had two very good IPLs,
including this curtailed one, and being sen-
ior among those available for selection, he
is a very strong contender. He has been a
solid performer for past eight years,” an
official said.
Hardik’s reputation as a white-ball
match-winner can’t be discounted. “Yes,
Hardik hasn’t been regularly opener. “The tour of Germany was a
bowling for MI or India in recent tough one for us, but we got a chance
times. However, he is the man with to learn many things about our own
the X-factor. He is miles ahead of his game in the four matches that we played
peers as an impact performer. May
on the tour,” she was quoted as saying.
be extra responsibility will bring the
“I think we needed to create more
best out of him.” Pandya was
included in the four-Test series goal scoring opportunities in the tour
against England to increase his of Germany and that will be our main
bowling workload keeping the Hardik Pandya focus this year. It will definitely hold
England tour in mind but it is us in good stead, especially in an
learnt that the Baroda man is Olympic year,” added the 21-year-
unlikely to bowl more than an old. “I am looking to make a big-
odd over or two in the short- ger impact, especially in the
est format or ODI in near Olympics. I am very confident
future. After his back sur- and I sure I can make more
Lalremsiami
gery he is focussing on his contributions,”
match finishing skills. PTI she said. PTI

Q U IZ T IM E ! Q4: India’s Avinash Sable is

associated with which sport?
a) Boxing ❑ b) Hockey ❑
Q7: Shikhar Dhawan holds the
record for the fastest to
reach 1000 ICC ODI runs. Against
a) New Zealand ❑ b) Australia ❑
c) South Africa ❑ d) Sri Lanka ❑ Q10: In which country was
the first Paralympic
Games held?
In which year was Muham- c) Cricket ❑ d) Athletics ❑ which country was he playing when
Q1: mad Ali honoured with the
United Nations Messenger of Peace
he crossed the landmark? Q8: Which of these Indians
recorded the maximum
a) France ❑ b) United Kingdom ❑
c) Finland ❑ d) Russia ❑

award? Q5: The Commonwealth Games

were first held in which of
Shikhar Dhawan number of wins in the Fed Cup?
a) 1998 ❑ b) 1998 ❑ c) 2000 ❑ d) 2001 ❑
the following countries?
a) England ❑ b) Australia ❑
a) Nirupama Sanjeev ❑ b) Sania Mirza ❑
c) Manisha Malhotra ❑ d) Karman Kaur Thandi ❑ Q11: Which country tops the
all-time medal table in
the Commonwealth Games?
Which Indian player holds
Q2: the record of most ODI
ducks against Pakistan?
c) Canada ❑ d) India ❑

Q9: From which stadium in

Athens is the Olympic
a) India ❑ b) England ❑
c) Australia ❑ d) Canada ❑
a) Javagal Srinath ❑ b) Anil Kumble ❑
c) Rahul Dravid ❑ d) Sachin Tendulkar ❑ Q6: Which cricketer has been
inducted as a board
member of the Professional Golf
flame transferred to the current
year’s host city?
ANSWERS: 1 a) 1998 2 a) Javagal Srinath
3 d) Anthony Joshua 4 d) Athletics
a) Panathenaic Stadium ❑ 5 c) Canada 6 c) Kapil Dev
Who is the current WBA Tour of India?
Q3: heavyweight male title holder?
a) Isaac Dogboe ❑ b) Zolani Tete ❑
a) Sachin Tendulkar ❑ b) Saurav Ganguly ❑
b) Toumba Stadium ❑
c) Pampelop Stadium ❑
7 c) South Africa 8 a) Nirupama Sanjeev
9 a) Panathenaic Stadium 10 b) United Kingdom
c) Kapil Dev ❑ d) Yuvraj Singh ❑ Photo: PTI 11 c) Australia
d) Pankritio Stadium ❑
c) Gilberto Ramirez ❑ d) Anthony Joshua ❑