'Local hero': Indian-origin Sikh volunteer wins 2023 NSW Australian of the Year Award
Melbourne (PTI): A 41-year-old Indian-origin Sikh volunteer, who experienced ethnic slurs because of his beard and turban, was honoured along with three others with the prestigious 2023 New South Wales Australian of the Year Award for supporting the community during floods, bushfires, drought and the pandemic.
The New South Wales government made the announcement in the "local hero" category on November 3.
The national award honoured the achievements of community members, while emphasising the importance of service to the nation of Australia.
Amar Singh, a Sikh, founded the "Turbans 4 Australia" seven years ago, a charity organisation that works towards supporting the displaced and the vulnerable impacted by natural calamities.
Singh, a key advocate of multiculturalism and social cohesion, has experienced ethnic slurs because of his beard and turban, a press release issued by the New South Wales government said.
"The 41-year-old believes helping others should not be limited by religion, language or cultural background," it said.
"Every week, Turbans 4 Australia package and distribute up to 450 food and grocery hampers to people experiencing food insecurity in Western Sydney. Turbans 4 Australia has delivered hay to farmers experiencing drought; supplies to flood victims in Lismore and bushfire-impacted people on the South Coast; and food hampers to the isolated and vulnerable during COVID-19 lockdowns," it added.
"I want to thank all the volunteers of my team working day and night effortlessly the credit goes to them," Singh was quoted as saying by news portal sbs.com.au.
"With a charity van running in Queensland's Brisbane and a new warehouse coming up in Victoria's northern suburb of Thomastown, I can proudly say that ours is a national charity and as a humbled Sikh I hope that our team will continue to promote charity, compassion and multiculturalism for many years to come," he explained.
Singh moved to Australia as a teenager, and said he was passionate about community service from a young age, the report said.
"I also volunteered during the Sydney 2000 Olympic games, Invictus games, Gold Coast commonwealth games and many other community events," it quoted him as saying.
Singh and three other recipients of this award will join those from other states and territories as finalists for the national awards ceremony to be held in Canberra in January next year, the NSW government press release added.
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet congratulated the recipients and said that the awardees' leadership and activism for change positively impact the public and make a tangible difference in people's lives.
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IPL first phase schedule announced amid travel concerns caused by war in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru on March 28 as the BCCI announced the first phase of the tournament schedule amid concerns around players' travel arrangements due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.
All matches scheduled at the Chinnaswamy Stadium remain subject to clearance from the Karnataka government appointed expert committee, which is scheduled to meet on March 13 to assess venue preparedness in the wake of the deadly stampede at the stadium last season.
The BCCI announced the schedule of the first 20 games on Wednesday and will unveil the full schedule once the dates of elections in three states -- Tamil Nadu, Assam and West Bengal -- are announced.
Besides the state elections, the escalating conflict in West Asia will also be at the forefront of BCCI officials' minds. The war has wreaked havoc to international travel with operations of major airports like Doha and Dubai being heavily restricted.
As a result of that, some of the squad members of South Africa and West Indies are yet to reach home a week after the completion of their T20 World Cup campaign.
It remains to be seen if IPL bound players of those two nations report to their respective teams in time.
"There was a substantial delay in departure of West Indies and South Africa players. It would be a tough task to get them back to India on time. Plus the airfares have gone up substantially due to the war in West Asia," a team official told PTI.
Additionally, hotels across India are facing cooking gas shortage due to the raging conflict and on Tuesday, the central government invoked Essential Commodities Act to ensure uninterrupted supply of domestic cooking gas.
Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanthan told PTI that he is expecting his players from the West Indies and South Africa -- Akeal Hossein and Dewald Brevis, to join the team well before their IPL opener.
"We are expecting no delays from their end," he said.
The second game of the opening weekend will see Mumbai Indians host Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium and the opening weekend will not feature any double-headers.
A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
"During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur," said the BCCI in a statement.
"During this period (the first 16 days), the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST.
"Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
"The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka," the BCCI added.
