28102026-JTR-01.qxd 27-10-2026 23:39 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune SAD DISTRIBUTES 25,000 FEEDBACK FORMS SHAAN SURPRISES FANS, PAYS TRIBUTE TO MJ FASHION INSPIRATION FOR KARWA CHAUTH The party aims to use the feedback to identify voters concerns and shape its poll promises. P2 At Dubai, Shaan paid tribute to pop legend Michael Jackson by performing his hit song Billie Jean.P3 Discover festive wear, from elegant sarees to embroidered suits, for a glamorous Karwa Chauth look. P3 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 30°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 14°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.42 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:40 AM » WEDNESDAY | 28 OCTOBER 2026 | JALANDHAR Young fans flock to Surjit stadium for their heroes Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service A cultural performance marks the inauguration of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar. PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Hockey fever has cricket jerseys unsold Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 27 Reaching here for some business, the match-day hawkers were left disappointed as no spectator stopped at their roadside arrangement. Reason: They had brought blue jerseys bearing the names of cricketers, which held little appeal for hockey enthusiasts flocking to the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium to witness the historic Asian Champions Trophy matches. While the grand ceremony scheduled for evening, the opening match of the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) between China and Malaysia witnessed a vibrant crowd. The spectators, surprisingly, fought the peak of afternoon sun and enjoyed the stunning match, which ended in 5-4 in favour of Malaysia. Observing the crowd, the hawkers were hoping to have a good business. However, Hawkers selling jerseys bearing names of cricketers wait for customers in Jalandhar on Tuesday. ended up having long faces. “People usually buy jerseys for the love of Indian cricketers, but we literally recorded no business here. The spectators coming here did ask us about the jerseys with names of hockey players, but we had nothing to offer,” said Anil, who was here from Vadodara. One of his partners, Deepak Mondal, added, “We had planned to take some (sports) goods back home from Jalandhar, as it’s a bit cheaper here. However, the visit seems to be a waste. We didn’t expect such a dull response and, on reaching here, we realised that we could have brought jerseys of Indian hockey teams instead of the cricket team.” He further added, “Hopefully, by the time the tournament reaches Mohali, we may have something to offer to the hockey fans.” A policeman standing nearby added, “They have no permission to sell these goods from the footpath. How- ever, we still allowed them to carry their business, considering it a temporary arrangement. However, barring a few caps, they sold nothing.” While vendors struggled to attract customers, the atmosphere inside the stadium was festive. A live band entertained spectators ahead of the opening ceremony, cheerleaders dressed in salwar suits added a local flavour, and loud music kept the crowd engaged throughout the match. To honour Punjab’s rich hockey legacy, a special enclosure was created for the families of former hockey players who contributed to India’s success in the sport. “It was really good to bunk the college and enjoy the match here with my friends. Both (China-Malaysia) played exciting game and, unexpectedly, China fought back strongly in the first two quarters and even in the last minutes of the game,” said Arshpreet, a student from Kapurthala. He was not the only one travelling here from another area. As the day progressed, the 7,000-capacity stadium was full to its capacity with people reaching here to enjoy two more matches between Japan-South Korea and IndiaBangladesh. And, it will be exciting to see, if the fans turn up for next matches wearing the jerseys with hockey players’ name, which was missing on the opening day. Jalandhar, October 27 Holding posters of their favourite hockey players, a group of young children from Dilpreet Singh’s village in Batala, Amritsar, made their way into Burlton Park, their faces brimming with excitement. The posters featured Indian hockey stars, including captain Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Krishan B Pathak and others. Ten-year-old Agam was particular about how the posters were being held. Spotting another young player holding Dilpreet Singh’s photograph, she quickly instructed her to adjust it. “Edro theek kar. Jidda main fadi hai Harmanpreet paaji di,” she told her, urging her to hold Dilpreet’s photograph as carefully as she was holding the poster of Harmanpreet Singh. For many, it’s the first opportunity to watch their idols in int’l tournament For many of these children, it was their first opportunity to watch their idols play in an international tournament. The experience offered them a glimpse of the world they aspire to enter one day — an exposure that could leave a lasting impression on their young minds. Mehar Singh, a coach at the Roundglass Academy who trains the children, said they were finding it difficult to contain their excitement. “The players are extremely excited. They can barely contain their emotions right now,” he said. The excitement was equally palpable among a group of budding hockey players from Dhotian village in Tarn Taran. With shy demeanours and eyes sparkling with anticipation, the young players arrived at the stadium car- rying dreams much bigger than their years. Sahibpreet Singh (11) was clear about his ambition: he wanted to represent India one day. “I have never seen an Indian team player before. I am excited today,” he said, his enthusiasm reflecting the significance of the moment. Young hockey players from Mithapur village also arrived at the venue, eager to catch a glimpse of the captains and players representing the six participating international teams. As they walked towards the stands, their pace gradually slowed whenever their eyes fell on the posters of the hockey stars. They paused to look at the photographs with awe and admiration, as if trying to picture themselves in those very frames someday. Budding players from villages at the Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Three nabbed with pistols, 1,644 students of IKGPTU awarded degrees cartridges in Kapurthala Our Correspondent Our Correspondent Phagwara , October 27 The Kapurthala police, headed by SSP Gaurav Toora, have arrested three men and recovered three pistols along with nine cartridges from their possession. A car allegedly being used by the accused was also seized. The arrests were made on October 26 when an investigation team acted on information received during routine patrolling. The police intercepted the three accused near the cremation ground at village Dhainwind. SP(D) Harinder Singh Gill said the accused have been identified as Harkrishan Singh of Dhapayi village, Gurjinderpal Singh of Dham village and Sarabjit Singh of Sidhwan village. During the search, the police allegedly recovered a country-made .32-bore pistol along with three cartridges from Harkrishan Singh, a Glock 9mm pistol with three cartridges from Gurjinderpal Singh, and another countrymade .32-bore pistol with three cartridges from Sarabjit Singh. According to the police, preliminary interrogation has revealed that all three accused had previously been booked in various criminal cases, including cases relating to clashes and assaults. The police further stated that Harkrishan and Gurjinderpal have faced multiple cases, while Sarabjit has also been named in previous cases under the NDPS Act. The police are conducting further interrogation of the arrested men to investigate the source of the recovered weapons, their intended use and any possible links with other criminal activities. Investigators hope that questioning may lead to further disclosures and recoveries. Kapurthala, October 27 Governor Gulab Chand Kataria presided over the 15th convocation of IK Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU) here on Tuesday. Degrees were awarded to 1,644 students at the function. The convocation commenced with Vande Mataram, shabad singing and traditional lamp-lighting ceremony. Vice-Chancellor Arvind Kumar Bansal presented the annual report. Addressing the degree recipients, Governor Kataria said the purpose of education should not be limited to individual success but include contributing to the Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at IKGPTU convocation in Kapurthala. progress of society, the state and the nation. He encour- aged students to follow honesty and discipline while remaining connected to their cultural roots. He also emphasised the role of the youth in promoting entrepreneurship, generating employment, fostering scientific thinking and building a drug-free Punjab. Appreciating the university’s academic and research achievements, the Governor stressed the need to promote research and innovation in emerging technologies, strengthen collaboration with industry, and develop practical solutions to social and rural challenges. Presenting the annual report, V-C Prof Bansal informed the gathering that 1,094 research scholars from the fields of engineering, management, pharmacy and human values were awarded PhD degrees. In addition, 281 postgraduate students and 269 undergraduate students were recognised for their academic achievements during the period from 2016 to 2023. The V-C stated that according to the latest Scopus report, the university’s total research publication count had reached 7,467. Of these, 1,000 research papers were contributed by faculty members of the main campus and constituent campuses. During the academic year 2025–26, the university campuses published 118 research papers, including 52 SCIindexed and 39 Scopusindexed papers. High-tension wires stall home plan, woman gets relief 4 cars damaged in Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 27 A 68-year-old woman, who paid Rs 20 lakh for a plot in the Jalandhar Improvement Trust’s Surya Enclave scheme, has been left waiting for years to build her house after the trust failed to remove high tension wires passing through her allotted plot. Adding to her ordeal, the trust demanded non-construction charges for failing to build on time despite the obstruction that prevented her from doing so, forcing her to approach the the District Consumer Redressal Commission for relief. The commission has now ruled that the woman could not be penalised for failing to construct a house when the electricity wires obstructed the use of her plot. It directed the trust to pay her Rs 30,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 10,000 towards litigation expenses. The case was filed by Kamaljit Kaur who had purchased the 500-square yard plot in Surya Enclave Consumer panel orders Jalandhar Improvement Trust to pay ~40,000 for harassment through a registered sale deed in September 2011. She told the commission that although she had paid the entire purchase price, the high tension wires prevented her from using the land for its intended residential purpose. The commission found that the trust had acknowledged the presence of the wires and corresponded with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) regarding their removal. However, the issue had remained unresolved for years. Nearly 12 years after its allotment, the trust was still seeking information from the electricity department. Despite the obstruction, the trust had demanded non-construction charges from Kaur. The commission held that c m y b the period during which the electricity lines affected the plot could not be treated as deliberate failure to construct a house. It ruled that charging her for a delay that was not her fault was illegal and unjustified. The trust argued that the possession initially had been offered in 2009 and that Kaur raised the issue of the wires years after the plot was transferred to her. It also alleged that she had filed the complaint to avoid paying nonconstruction charges. However, the commission held that she could not be penalised for the delay caused by the obstruction. The commission directed Kaur to submit a building plan within one month which the trust must examine under the applicable rules. Once the plan is approved, she will have two years to construct the house. The trust must comply with the order within 45 days of receiving a copy. If it fails to do so, it will have to pay additional interest at 3 per cent per annum on the amount deposited for the plot. JCT Flyover pile-up Phagwara, October 27 Four cars were damaged in a collision on the JCT Flyover in Phagwara on Tuesday morning. The impact was so severe that the airbags of one of the cars were deployed. No loss of life was reported in the incident. According to Sandeep, one of the car drivers involved in the accident, he was travelling towards Jalandhar in his car. When he reached the JCT Flyover, a black car moving ahead of his vehicle suddenly applied brakes, leaving him with little time to react. As a result, his car rammed into the vehicle ahead. Meanwhile, two more cars, which were coming from behind, were also involved in the collision, resulting in damage to all vehicles. Despite the force of the impact, the occupants reportedly escaped without serious injuries. — OC