World's Largest Cricket Tournament - Guinness Record To Be Set by Himachal's T-20

Mahasangram, the second edition of the Jaypee Twenty20 , a local version of Twenty20 league and billed as the world's largest cricket tournament, began in Himachal Pradesh Monday, an organiser said here.

Mohit Sood, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) press secretary, stated to IANS, "The knock-out tournament that would see 1,342 teams playing, mainly from rural areas across the state, began this (Monday) morning. The inaugural matches were played at Kalpa (in Kinnaur district), Dharamsala (in Kangra district), Nadaun (in Hamirpur district), Kullu and Bilaspur,"

“150 matches would be played daily at 75 grounds that have been improved and developed by the HPCA”, he said.

Mr. Sood added that Nearly 19,000 players would showcase their cricketing skills in the tournament that would see 2,000 matches. Around 500 officials of various cricket bodies are on duty to supervise the matches.

Previous year, 14,300 players from 1,017 teams participated in the tournament and matches were played at 60 places. Cash prizes of about Rs.3 million were distributed among the teams and the players.

Anurag Thakur, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee chief said, “The HPCA is spending around Rs.7 million on the tournament. Of this, Rs.3 million would be given as cash prizes to the winners”.

Teams even from the most remote places such as Pangi, Bharmour, Holi and Tissa in Chamba district, Leo, Spillo, Sangla and Kalpa in Kinnaur district, Sissu and Udaipur in Lahaul and Spiti district and Shillai in Sirmaur district are participating.

Mr. Sood told, "We have got the maximum number of 226 teams from Chamba district, one of the remotest and most backward regions in the country".

He stated that the event would enter the Guinness Book of World Records.

He also added that Officials of the Guinness Book of World Records have decided in principle to include this tournament as the biggest cricket show on earth.

The semi-finals and the final to be held under lights at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. The picturesque stadium, situated nearly 4,000 feet above the sea level, has already hosted two Indian Premier League (IPL) matches earlier this year.

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Longest Distance Travelled With a Fridge Guinness World Record by Tony Hawks

Longest Distance Travelled With A Fridge Guinness World Record has been set by Comedian, Tony Hawks. He travelled 1,025.26 miles. Tony Hawks hitchhiked round Ireland with the appliance after making a drunken bet with a mate.

The adventure book of Tony Hawks, Round Ireland with a Fridge was so well read that they made a film out of it, which is released this month on DVD. It's directed by Ed Bye and stars Tony Hawks, Ed Byrne, Sean Hughes, Valerie O'Connor, Josie Lawrence and Sara Crowe.

The fridge travels in many different cars, vans and lorries, is taken surfing, christened, blessed by nuns, accompanied by a bagpiper, taken to a bachelor festival and becomes the hero of a national radio station.

Hawks says, ‘Hitching with a fridge teaches you to put your trust in the kindness of others and not to worry about the future, because as you soon realise when you're fridge-hiking, it's a pointless activity’.

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Elephant in the Room - India's Biggest Art Work by Ryan International School

Today, 3,000 Ryan International School (Rohini) children joined aerial artist Daniel Dancer in New Delhi to form the image of an elephant to remind their leaders that they can’t afford to ignore climate change – the elephant in the living room.
 

On October 22 of this year, India's Environment Ministry, Jairam Ramesh, declared the elephant a “National Heritage Animal” to highlight it's unique role in India's history, culture, and ecology. It is for that reason that thousands of school children came together to form a giant image of an elephant in the country’s capital as a symbol of India's wish to preserve their history, culture, and ecology by countering the threat of climate change and taking actions that can lead the world back below 350 ppm CO2.
 

Like the tiger and other fauna of India and South Asia, the elephant, too, is affected by climate change. Increased drought from climate change as well as increased competition with humans, both as a result of development practices and climate migrations, could lead to significant loss of habitat. Not only is that bad news for elephants, but these habitats are now some of the vital remaining carbon sinks across the globe. If lost, it would further exacerbate climate change. Other potentially disasterous repercussions would include the rising seas along India's coasts.
 

Many thanks to Daniel Dancer, the 350 India team, the Ryan International School, and everyone who joined the event!