Women U-19 World Cup: India beat NZ by 8 wickets to enter final
Potchefstroom (South Africa), Jan 27: Opener Shweta Sherawat smashed an unbeaten fifty after Parshavi Chopra's triple strike as India notched up a comprehensive eight-wicket win over New Zealand to storm into the final of the inaugural Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup here on Friday.
India restricted New Zealand to 107 for nine with Parshavi (3/20) leading a disciplined bowling effort after skipper Shafali Verma won the toss and elected to bowl in the first semifinals.
The 16-year-old leg-spinner broke the backbone of the Kiwi batting line-up with three successive wickets to leave them at 74 for 5 in 13th over.
Titas Sadhu, Mannat Kashyap, Shafali and Archana Devi also scalped one wicket each.
For NZ, Georgia Plimmer (35), Isabella Gaze (26) and Izzy Sharp (13) and Kayley Knight (12) reached double figures as they struggled to score runs at the Senwes Park.
Chasing 108, the women in blue romped home comfortably after Sehrawat produced a scintillating 45-ball unconquered knock which was studded with 10 hits to the fence.
Following the early exit of Shafali (10), who has not performed as per expectations in the tournament, Sehrawat and Soumya Tiwari (22) added 62 runs to take them to the threshold of victory.
Sehrawat and Gongadi Trisha (5) then completed the job with the former bringing up the winning runs with a four off Browning as India scored 110 for 2 in 14.2 overs.
Parshavi was adjudged the Player of the Match for her three-wicket haul.
India will face the winner of the other semifinal between England and Australia.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand Women: 107 for 9 in 20 overs (Georgia Plimmer 35; Parshavi Chopra 3/20).
India Women: 110 for 2 in 14.2 overs (Shweta Sherawat 61; Anna Browning 2/18).
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Three teenage pregnancies reported in Karnataka within six months
Bengaluru: Karnataka has reported three cases of teenage pregnancies within the past six months, with the latest incident coming to light at a private school in Channarayapatna town of Hassan district, reported by The New Indian Express on Saturday.
Experts and child rights officials have expressed serious concern over the recurring cases, pointing to gaps in child protection mechanisms within educational institutions. They have cited the absence of child protection committees in schools, lack of awareness about the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, inadequate sex education, and parental ignorance as key factors contributing to such incidents.
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The commission’s chairman, Shashidhar Kosambe reportedly said, the main reason is not implementing the Karnataka State Child Protection Policy, 2016, in schools, especially at residential schools like those in Yadgir and Koppal where such incidents have taken place.
According to the policy, the commission must have two teachers or school officials and two outsiders who work in the interest of child rights, so that there is no prejudice whenever complaints are filed.
“It is the responsibility of the commission to monitor children and school staff. Awareness programmes on child protection policies, the POCSO Act, and sexual abuse must be conducted regularly for students and staff. Police must be informed immediately when a violation is detected. The policy and the commission must become part of the ecosystem and shouldn’t be treated as extra work,” TNIE quoted Kosambe as saying.
Psychiatry professor at ESI hospital, Rajajinagar, Dr Chandrashekar said, many adolescent girls become pregnant when they are sexually abused by their male friends. The victims undergo a lot of physical changes and mental trauma because of the way others respond. Therefore, whenever we come across a pregnant teenager, especially the victims of sexual abuse, we provide counselling to the victim as her family members.
