Chandigarh’s Jesse Grewal first golf coach to get Dronacharya Award

Jaskirat Singh Grewal, 64, has been training golfers since 1988, including internationally acclaimed Shubhankar Sharma, Amandeep Drall, Irina Brar, Yuvraj Sandhu, Karandeep Kochhar, Angad Cheema, Abhijit Chadha, and budding golfers, such as Nihaal Cheema and Ojaswani Sehrawat

Chandigarh-based Jaskirat Singh Grewal, popularly known as Jesse Grewal, 64, has become the first golf coach in the country to be awarded the coveted Dronacharya Award.

Jaskirat Singh Grewal, popularly known as Jesse Grewal, 64, has become the first golf coach in the country to be awarded the coveted Dronacharya Award. His name resonates with golfing success in Chandigarh. (HT file photo)

Grewal’s name resonates with golfing success in Chandigarh. He has been an unsung hero for aspiring golf professionals. Rewarded for his efforts and achievements, the Government of India has named Grewal for the Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games, 2023, in the lifetime category. Bhaskaran E (kabaddi) and Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (TT) are other coaches to be placed alongside Grewal for this award.

Someone who has been training golfers since 1988, including internationally acclaimed Shubhankar Sharma, Amandeep Drall, Irina Brar, Yuvraj Sandhu, Karandeep Kochhar, Angad Cheema, Abhijit Chadha, and budding golfers such as Nihaal Cheema, Ojaswani Sehrawat, the honour comes a bit late but the coach is not complaining.

Hopeful of medals in Paris

“It’s better to be late than never for a golf coach to be considered for the Dronacharya award. It is very good for the sport as well as the hard-working coaches. Indian golfers have been doing well internationally and I’m hoping our golfers bag medals and prove their mettle in the Paris Olympics-2024,” Grewal said.

Grewal played in the PGA of India tournaments for two years before becoming a golf teaching professional. “It feels great to be recognised by the Government of India. I still recall the day when I was playing golf and someone asked me for a golf lesson. That;s when I decided to turn a coach. I’m glad that I made that choice and this day has come when I have been considered for this prestigious award,” he said.

He is the second Dronacharya awardee from Chandigarh. Desh Prem Azad, the coach of former India cricket captain Kapil Dev, was got the Dronacharya award after India won the cricket World Cup in 1983.

Chandigarh, a golfing nursery

Grewal is a Level 1 TPI golf fitness instructor, Level 2 junior coach (Titleist Performance Institute), Level 1 Sam Putt Lab and also done Level 2 from Harold Swash Putting School. Grewal has been coach to the golf teams at the 2023 Asian Games, where Aditi Ashok won a silver medal. He had been a coach to the 2008 and 2012 men’s team at The Eisenhower Trophy (The World Cup of Golf)

India’s top-ranked golfer Shubhankar Sharma has been his most successful trainee. An Arjuna awardee, Shubhankar has won twice on The European Tour and has been at the 8th position at The 2023 Open Championship, Order of Merit Asian Tour, Rookie of the year European Tour, multiple times a winner on PGTI.

“I am pinning my hopes on Shubhankar, Gaganjeet, Yuvraj, Ajeetesh and also Karandeep to go to Paris and make India proud by winning medals. In the past, Aditi Ashok has done well in the Asian Games and won a medal,” added Grewal, who is also a chief coach at the National Golf Academy of India and teaches professionals.

“Golf has evolved as a sport in India since the late ’90s. Chandigarh has been a golfing nursery and produced top-notch golfers like Jeev Milkha Singh, Irina Brar and youngsters like Shubhankar, Karandeep, Ajeetesh and Yuvraj. As a coach at the National Golf Academy of India I see so many aspiring golf coaches wanting to do well and pick up the tricks of the trade well,” he said.