Pune Has Given The World These Talented Sports Stars And We’re Beaming With Pride!

Pune is known by many names. While some call it the Oxford of the East, others identify it as the cultural capital of the state. However, that’s not all the city needs to be proud of. Pune has also been home to many exemplary sportspersons who have made their mark on the world with their talent and we have compiled the list of these great athletes who used to stroll in the same streets as you.

Dhanraj Pillay

 Picture Credit: India TV News 

First on our list we have the Hockey tornado of India aka Dhanraj Pillay. Known to be one of the best hockey players in the history of Indian hockey, the former captain of Indian Hockey team has earned laurels and admiration from people nationwide. Born in Pune, Pillay first connected with the sport by playing hockey on soft and muddy surfaces using makeshift sticks and old hockey balls with his gully friends and brothers. However, it was his mother who drove him to pursue the sport as a career. What makes his achievements even more special? He is the only Indian Hockey player to play in four Olympic tournaments, four World Cups, four Champions’ Trophy and four Asian Games. The Indian Hockey federation has no track of his official goals but it is believed that in a career spanning 15 years, he has scored 170 goals and played in 339 matches. This Punekar was even awarded India’s highest sports award (Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award) for his exceptional performance in 1999 and 2000.

Kedar Jadhav

 Picture Credit: ESPN 

Local cricketing hero Kedar Jadhav needs no introduction. Son of a retired clerk with the state electricity board, Jadhav’s story is truly a rags to riches story. From hitting the nets at PYC Hindu Gymkhana to representing India (the only Punekar) at the World Cup, the cricketer has worked hard to achieve the stature that he has reached today.  As an ode to the city, Kedar Jadhav opened his very first state-of-the-art Cricket academy in Pune, in Kothrud to be precise, to help budding cricketers become international stalwarts like him. 

Wilson Jones

 Picture Credit: India TV 

Anglo-Indian by ethnicity, Wilson Jones, the renowned Billiards player was also born in Pune and did his schooling from  Bishop’s School and St. Vincent’s High School before he joined the War Services in 1939. As a kid, Jones often used to watch his uncle, the India hockey centre-half OB Massey play Billiards for hours in a saloon close to his house. He too got bitten by the Billiards bug and pursued it as his career. His dedication and love for the sport was such that he never missed a practice session in 20 years. Be it weekends or weekdays, he was always at the table. It was only his tireless hard work that earned him many prestigious awards like the Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award and the Padma Shri. 

Abhijit Kunte

 Picture Credit: Chess Base

Chess prodigy and city lad Abhijit Kunte has bought the city a lot of name and fame on an international level. This Indian chess grandmaster has participated in the Indian Chess Championship multiple times and won gold twice (in 1997 and 2000). Not only this, he also won two medals in the Commonwealth Chess Championship held in Edinburgh in 2003. Going beyond the realm of being just a sports star,  looking at the rising number COVID-19 cases, Kunte also managed to gather the support of the Maharashtra Chess Association and collected a financial support of Rs 60 lakh.

Nikhil Kanetkar 

 Picture Credit: Wikipedia

It is believed that Pune is the birthplace of Badminton in India and the British Army officials who used to live in the city (then Poona) brought it from Europe. Ironically, Badminton was also known as Poona. But did you know that besides being the birthplace of the sport, the city is also the hometown to an extremely talented Badminton player, Nikhil Kanetkar? This Olympic Badminton player was born and raised in Pune and did his initial training in the city itself. The most famous player from the city has also represented the country at Thomas Cup, All England Open, Asian Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, SAF Games, Swiss Open, French Open, Toulouse Open and numerous other championships. Some of his greatest achievements include winning the silver Medal at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, silver at the 2006 Asian Games in Colombo and bagging the gold in the men’s team as well. After retirement, Kanetkar even opened his own academy ‘ Kanetkar Badminton Academy (NKBA)’ situated at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi to motivate other athletes to pursue the sport as a career.

Anisa Sayyed

 Picture Credit: Indian Women Blog

Last but definitely not the least, we have Anisa Sayyed. The very talented female pistol shooter who has not only participated but also won many international and national competitions. Originally hailing from Khadki, Anisa Sayyed won two gold medals in 2010 Commonwealth Games and has inspired girls around the country to follow their dreams. She also won a bronze medal in the 2014 Asian Games and Silver medal in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the same year. She also set a new national record by winning a gold medal in women’s 25 m air pistol at the National Shooting Championship Competition in 2017 which is a testimony of how talented she is. Sayyed developed her interest in shooting during her training in the National Cadet Corps and was even awarded the title of best NCC shooter in her school. Even though, today she lives in Faridabad, her roots have always remained in Pune.

Information Source: Wikipedia, The Hindu and A Hockey World