Sports in Chandigarh

The people of Chandigarh have been quite excited about various sport activities from the very beginning. Earlier the Sports department in Chandigarh was operating under the Education department but now it has started its full fledged establishments of Chandigarh Sports Council, District Sports Officer and Sports Directorate.

Games and Sports play a vital role in the mental, physical and social development of individuals. Moreover, excelling in sports boosts the sense of accomplishments. Chandigarh administration operates well equipped playgrounds and stadiums in various disciplines of sports in different regions of the city. Chandigarh is well prepared to furnish the requirements of players in sports such as - football, hockey, golf, cricket, skating etc.

There have been a plethora of National as well as International athletes and players in Chandigarh in the different fields of sports like - Cricket, wrestling, hockey, table tennis, judo, boxing, skating and weight-lifting.

Football in Chandigarh:

Football is extensively played in the city of Chandigarh. The renowned JCT team which is quite popular in Chandigarh plays the Indian National league. The football stadium in Chandigarh lies at the Sector 17. It was set up in 1960 and occupies an area of about 4 acres. This stadium consists of the following amenities: 

• Multi gym
• Spectators gallery
• Changing room
• 2 more rooms

In this stadium many important tournaments have been arranged such as- All India Football invitation tournament and the North Zone football tournament (in 1977). This is one of the best football training centres, which is full of the newest training gadgets. The stadium arranges numerous state level and local level tournaments.

Cricket in Chandigarh:

The people of Chandigarh are over-enthusiastic about cricket. Chandigarh possesses the top-notch cricket stadium which is famous for hosting many international matches. This cricket stadium is located in the Sector 16. It was established in 1960 and has an area of 10 acre. This stadium can accommodate about 35,000 individuals and it has the following facilities:

• Spectator gallery
• Multi gym
• Changing rooms
• TV towers
• Media centre
• Practice nets

This stadium has hosted a plethora of world cup and international cricket matches. The place has given fame to numerous cricket masters like Chetan Sharma, Kapil Dev and Yograj Singh.
In greater Chandigarh there is another stadium located in SAS nagar. This stadium has hosted several memorable ODIs in past and is hosting many international cricket tournaments in the recent times.

Hockey in Chandigarh:

Hockey is undoubtedly one of the most admired sports in Chandigarh. Moreover, the city boasts its love for hockey by possessing an International Hockey Stadium located at Sector 42. It was built in 1988 and can accommodate around 20,000 people. Chandigarh has bestowed many renowned hockey players in past as well as in present. The stadium facilities include:

• Multi gym
• Coach room
• Changing room

Many important tournaments have been a part of this stadium such as- National women hockey (in 1989), All India Gurmeet memorial hockey is being played here for the past 20 years. Since 2003, one more six n side hockey tournament has been initiated in the remembrance of Shri Dharam Singh.  

Golf in Chandigarh:

Chandigarh has a few but top quality Golf players. The Golf club located in Sector 6, Chandigarh was established in 1960. This Golf club started developing slowly and in the present day it has expanded into “18-Hole Golf Course”. The city celebrates the Chandigarh Golf open championship every year which is considered to be one of the most admired Championships in India. 

Apart from the aforementioned disciplines of sports in Chandigarh, there are several other centers for sports:

• Table tennis hall in Sector 23
• Skating rink in Sector 10
• Sports complexes in Sector 42, Sector 7 and Sector 46
  
  

All the aforementioned facilities are available not only to the players, but the general public can also avail these sport centers. There are numerous coaches who are working in the different centers to provide training to the players to polish their capacities and skills. 

The Football and Hockey Academy in Chandigarh:

The Chandigarh football academy was founded by Lt. Gen. J.F.R. Jacob, PVSM (retired), and the Governor of Punjab and Administrator U.T. Chandigarh (at that time) in August, 2000. Initially, the academy welcomed 24 boys of the age group of 9 to 10. In the year 2002, in August, the academy started Chandigarh Hockey Academy by admitting 24 boys who were between the age group of 11 and 12. Thus, the academy was again renamed as the “Chandigarh football and hockey academy”.

This academy offers all the facilities to its players totally free of cost. The Hockey stadium in Sector 42 consists of the most recent gym machines which are imported and worth approximately Rs 1 crore.   

Facilities offered by the Chandigarh Sports Department:

The Chandigarh sports council and sports department provides the training and coaching to the players in various sport departments. The training is provided by experienced and proficient coaches of the particular department. The sports department of the city also permits to use the grounds to carry out coaching camps or competitions of national, state and international levels.

There are supervisors who work on full time basis in the stadiums to ensure the upkeep and smooth operation of the stadiums. State level scholarships are also there for the students of schools and in universities and colleges. The junior category winner gets Rs 600 every year and for the senior category winner the scholarship is 1000 Re per year. The department also provides degrees in different disciplines of sports.