It has been a long cricketing journey for Deepinder Singh Chabra. From being a cricket club owner to being an ICC and BCCI-certified pitch curator, life has come full-circle for the 50-year-old.
In between all this, what Deepinder has never forgotten is his duty towards society and being a Good Samaritan. Last week, he donated blood at PGIMER for the 100th time to complete a milestone.
“Sport is a great institution. It teaches so many things, and I have learnt to be giving and nurturing. I have even donated blood during the time when the pandemic was raging in Chandigarh. It is our duty to give back to society,” said Deepinder, who is working with the Punjab Cricket Association as a pitch curator at their Mullanpur stadium. He was 18 when he donated blood for the first time in his life.
It may be recalled, Deepinder was known in the 90s and the 2000s as a huge cricket promoter who would provide platform to young talented cricketers by signing them up for his team Leaders in Cricket (LIC) Club. Players like Dinesh Mongia, Sourav Ganguly, Ranadeb Bose, VRV Singh and Yuvraj Singh had also played for his club.
“Back then club cricket was quite a big deal in the tricity. There were a lot of talented cricketers who were from poor backgrounds. I took them in my team and they flourished also. Cricket has evolved now and become a premiere professional sport,” shared Deepinder, who also played a pivotal role in converting a dumping ground at Bapu Dham Colony into a lush green cricket academy exclusively for girls.
{{/usCountry}}“Back then club cricket was quite a big deal in the tricity. There were a lot of talented cricketers who were from poor backgrounds. I took them in my team and they flourished also. Cricket has evolved now and become a premiere professional sport,” shared Deepinder, who also played a pivotal role in converting a dumping ground at Bapu Dham Colony into a lush green cricket academy exclusively for girls.
{{/usCountry}}The academy ran at GMSSS, Sector 26, where LIC Academy provided free coaching to women back in 2008. Also he has worked with Punjab Kings and Gujarat Lions in IPL in the operation department, apart from a stint at T10 league in Dubai in previous years.
“Women cricket saw a re-birth through this exclusive academy in Chandigarh. It feels great to see those young girls at the academy now playing for Chandigarh senior state team in domestic tournaments,” said Deepinder, who praised PCA office-bearers and management for fast-tracking the completion of Mullanpaur PCA Stadium.
PCA is supposed to host a T20I match in January against Afghanistan and the association is trying to make the Mullanpur stadium ready before that.