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Looking back at 2023: A year of wins, on and off the field for sports in Chandigarh
After a quiet few years due to the pandemic, 2023 was a great year for sports in Chandigarh. Highlights include the return of Punjab Kings to their home ground, Amanjot Kaur's debut for India, Kashvee Gautam's lucrative contract, and the success of Chandigarh University athletes in the Asian Games. The city also introduced its own sports policy and inaugurated its first synthetic athletic track. Shubman Gill scored a double century in an ODI, and Jaskirat Singh Grewal became the first golf coach in India to win the Dronacharya Award.
After three years of pandemic-induced lull, 2023 turned out to be a fantastic year for sports in the city, with many local players shooting into limelight with national and international victories, and the Chandigarh administration finally rolling out its own sports policy.
Here’s a look at the significant sporting developments that made headlines in the year gone by:
The Kings in their kingdom
Tricity cricket lovers were in for a treat as Punjab Kings made their much-awaited return to their home ground, Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, after a gap of almost four years. Due to the pandemic, the franchise did not get any opportunity to play Indian Premier League (IPL) matches at the Mohali stadium since 2019. The stadium hosted five IPL games in 2023.
Amanjot dons India hat
Mohali-based woman cricketer Amanjot Kaur made her T20I and ODI debut for India and also lapped up a Women’s Premier League (WPL) T20 contract, playing for Mumbai Indians at INR 50 lakh. Mumbai Indians eventually won the inaugural T20 tournament.
Kashvee joins crorepati club
20-year-old Kashvee Gautam, who was part of the U-23 India team that won the Asia Cup, bagged a ₹2 crore WPL contract from Gujarat Giants to become the first Chandigarh woman cricketer to gain such a lucrative offer. With this, she also became the most expensive uncapped player in the history of WPL auctions.
Yuvraj rules over the golf course
Golfer Yuvraj Singh Sandhu finished inside the top-10 in the Asian Development Tour’s Order of Merit to take a key step towards winning in the continental tour and beyond in 2023. He carded 9-under in the Aramco Invitational at the Rolling Hills Golf Course in Riyadh to finish tied 11th. It marked an important step in the golfer’s career. By virtue of that performance, Sandhu finished eighth on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit to earn his maiden Asian Tour card.
CU athletes shine in Asian Games
As many as 10 athletes from Chandigarh University won medals for India in the Asian Games held in China. Students who won medals were Arshdeep Singh (gold in cricket), Bhajan Kaur (bronze in archery), Kiran Godara (bronze in wrestling), Sanjay (gold in men’s hockey), Inamdar Aslam, Mustafa, Nitesh Kumar, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Pawan Kumar (men’s kabaddi), Sushma Sharma and Nidhi Sharma (women’s kabaddi).
City’s gets sports policy, first synthetic athletic track
Sports received a major boost in the city as the Chandigarh administration rolled out its own sports policy on the occasion of National Sports Day. With this, city’s players who bring medals in Olympics and Commonwealth Games can expect handsome rewards. On the same day, the city also saw the inauguration of its first international-level synthetic athletics track at the Sector 7 Sports Complex, which hosted the Indian Grand Prix, featuring India’s top athletes.
Shubman Gill hits 200
Tormenting the New Zealand bowling attack, opener Shubman Gill scored a whopping 208 in an ODI at Hyderabad, thus becoming the fifth Indian batsman to record an individual score of 200 in the 50-over format. Opener Gill (23y, 132d) surpassed his teammate Kishan (24) by becoming the youngest batsman to bag a double ton in ODI cricket. He got his early cricket lessons from his father in Mohali.
Dronacharya of Golf
City-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. Popularly known as coach Jesse Grewal, the 64-year-old has been an unsung hero for aspiring golf professionals. 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 took the eighth spot at The 2023 Open Championship.