
Saurabh Duggal
Saurabh Duggal is based in Chandigarh and has over 15 years experience as sports journalist. He writes on Olympic Sports.
Articles by Saurabh Duggal

Punjab sports minister likely to head Chandigarh Olympic body
By Saurabh Duggal, Chandigarh
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2021 12:48 AM IST
Punjab sports minister and former international shooter Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi is likely to head the Chandigarh Olympic Association (COA)

Bhiwani’s first boxing Olympian Mehtab Singh dies at 72
By Saurabh Duggal | Chandigarh
UPDATED ON JAN 06, 2021 10:23 PM IST
Twice the winner at the Asian championship, light heavyweight boxer Mehtab competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Haryana govt’s decision to rename Faridabad’s Badshah Khan Hospital irks public
By Saurabh Duggal, Chandigarh
PUBLISHED ON DEC 17, 2020 12:12 AM IST

Top kabaddi players, wrestlers lead sporting twist to farm agitation
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Sonepat
UPDATED ON DEC 12, 2020 09:59 AM IST
Vijender Singh, India’s first Olympic medallist in boxing, also went to the protest site on December 6. Unlike many of the other athletes at the site, he has clear political ambitions, but the man from a village called Kaluwas in Haryana is also intimately connected to farming.

Punjab minister Ashu set to head state badminton body
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Chandigarh
PUBLISHED ON DEC 09, 2020 05:39 PM IST
Ritin Khanna, former national-level badminton player and part of Jalandhar’s executive body, says sixteen district units have openly announced their support in favour of Ashu

For unstoppable Karandeep Kochhar, the next stop is Olympics
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Chandigarh
PUBLISHED ON DEC 07, 2020 10:59 PM IST
21-year-old Chandigarh golfer wins Jeev Invitational tournament in tough playoff, pockets Rs 24.24 lakh, says he’s playing his best golf now

Sport stalwarts extend support, threaten to return honours
By Saurabh Duggal | Sonepat
UPDATED ON DEC 07, 2020 09:37 AM IST
The sports stalwarts from Punjab and Haryana’s Vijender Singh have extended support to the farmers from Punjab, pledging to return the honours received from the central government.

Golf pioneer Jeev Milkha Singh eyes the senior circuit
By Saurabh Duggal | Chandigarh
UPDATED ON NOV 18, 2020 08:35 AM IST
Jeev Milkha Singh is preparing to play in the world’s top events in the senior circuit - the Majors and European, Japan and PGA tours.

Chandigarh golfer Karandeep Kochhar pockets maiden pro title
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON NOV 12, 2020 11:32 PM IST
The leader of the last two days, Kochhar taking full advantage of his home course, played a round of three-under-69 to complete his tally at 18-under-270 and pocket the winner’s cheque for ₹4.84 lakh

Finally, the four-year waits end, Kochhar pockets maiden pro-title
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON NOV 12, 2020 11:04 PM IST
Now, after a long wait of almost four years, 45 tournaments in the PGTI circuit, finally, Kochhar won his maiden pro title at the Tata Steel Players Championship 2020 presented by the Chandigarh Golf Club on Thursday.

Caddy-turned pro Akshay wins post-lockdown inaugural PGTI tourney, equals India’s four-round record of under-24 par
UPDATED ON NOV 08, 2020 08:26 AM IST
After buying a house for family, the 30-year-old golfer’s next on radar is a marriage and four-wheeler; the today’s win got him a cheque of Rs 4.84lakh.

Caddy-turned-pro Akshay Sharma wins post-lockdown inaugural PGTI tourney
By Saurabh Duggal, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON NOV 08, 2020 12:27 AM IST
Another Chandigarh golfer Karandeep Kochhar finished second with a tally of 19-under-269

In-house weekly prize money tourneys gear up local golfers for pro circuit
By Saurabh Duggal, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON NOV 01, 2020 11:52 PM IST
India’s professional circuit is resuming on November 4 from Chandigarh and Panchkula simultaneously

A house for golfer Akshay Sharma
By Saurabh Duggal | Chandigarh
UPDATED ON OCT 19, 2020 10:41 PM IST
From a one-room rented accommodation to moving in a six-room house of his own, the 30-year-old caddy-turned professional golfer now eyes travelling in Asia.

Corona, not Ravana, to go up in flames this Dussehra
By Saurabh Duggal, Chandigarh
PUBLISHED ON OCT 04, 2020 10:56 PM IST
From 221-foot-tall Ravana effigy in 2019, Ambala’s Tejinder Chauhan plans to make just 10-foot effigy this year, but with the face of Covid-19

Atal Tunnel: How winter sports athletes saved lives of construction workers during avalanches
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON OCT 04, 2020 12:27 PM IST
For the ten years that it took for the tunnel to be built, the seven members of the rescue team, all of them winter sports athletes, including an Olympian, acted as the lifeline for the construction workers.

Chandigarh philatelist to depict Gandhi’s journey through stamps on his birth anniversary today
By Saurabh Duggal, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON OCT 02, 2020 12:24 AM IST
Working to showcase Gandhi’s contribution in freedom movement through a story in form of stamps, first-day covers and post cards; exhibition to take place at Gandhi Smarak Bhawan in Sector 16 on October 2

Netting criminals, not goals: Former hockey skipper gets set for new innings, but Covid holds him up
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON SEP 24, 2020 09:09 PM IST
Sports star self isolating after contracting Covid-19 can’t wait to get back to ‘fascinating’ training in weapons handling and investigations at the Madhuban Police Academy

3 years on, Haryana’s youth world champions still await cash awards
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON SEP 21, 2020 01:07 AM IST
The gold medallists of youth world championships are entitled to cash award of ₹10 lakh as per the Haryana government’s sports policy

Haryana Olympic Association elections postponed
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON SEP 11, 2020 07:11 PM IST
A circular in this regard was issued on Friday by returning officer Sandeep Vermani.

Haryana sports minister and former Olympian Sandeep Singh front runner for HOA chief post
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times/Chandigarh
PUBLISHED ON SEP 10, 2020 12:53 AM IST
Incumbent president former ADGP Rathee, former Indian hockey skipper Sandeep will battle for the post

Parallel associations spoiling the broth in sporting powerhouse Haryana
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON SEP 08, 2020 11:04 PM IST
Many state associations, which are not affiliated to the national federations of their respective games, and not authorised to send teams to national championships, have got affiliation from HOA and will be voting in the state Olympic body polls scheduled on September 19 in Panchkula

Now, an extra green topping for Chandigarh Golf Club course
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Chandigarh
PUBLISHED ON SEP 07, 2020 10:29 PM IST
Hole 12 at the course gets three-tier greens, players likely to find putting more challenging

Defying MHA guidelines, Haryana Olympic Association to hold elections on September 19
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON SEP 05, 2020 08:34 PM IST
The four-year tenure of the current HOA body will be ending in September-October.

Haryana mountaineer’s Narender Singh Yadav award held for ‘fake’ Everest climb claim
By Saurabh Duggal | Chandigarh
UPDATED ON AUG 29, 2020 09:08 PM IST
Yadav attended the rehearsal of the national award ceremony in New Delhi on Thursday, but on Friday the ministry decided to withhold his award and an enquiry has been marked to validate his Everest claim.

Haryana man’s Everest claim in question
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON AUG 29, 2020 01:09 AM IST
Naba Kumar Phukon, who was the leader of the 14-member Everest expedition in 2016 with whom Yadav climbed, also said that photos of Yadav standing atop Everest are fake

Rani Rampal recounts rise to stardom after Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
By Saurabh Duggal | Chandigarh
UPDATED ON AUG 26, 2020 11:53 PM IST
Rani’s life revolves around hockey and in a 12-year India career she has emerged the face of Indian women’s hockey, which has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

Players from Punjab, Haryana get lion’s share in national sports awards
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times/Chandigarh, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON AUG 19, 2020 12:46 PM IST
A whopping 29 names were also recommended for the Arjuna award by the 12-member selection committee of the sports ministry. Of these, 10 hail from the region

Large hearted Ganpati gets smaller as festivities are toned down due to Covid-19
By Saurabh Duggal | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Chandigarh
UPDATED ON AUG 17, 2020 11:59 PM IST
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit idol-makers hard as demand dips and festivities go low key with large gatherings prohibited

Dronacharya awards: One player, several coaches
By Saurabh Duggal | Chandigarh
UPDATED ON AUG 18, 2020 12:13 AM IST
Multiple coaches applying for the Dronacharya awards claiming to have trained the same player has become the norm.