Four young girls from Punjab have brought laurels to the state by playing in the Indian women’s baseball team that won the silver medal in the recently concluded BFA (Baseball Federation of Asia) IV Women’s Asian Baseball Cup 2025 Qualifier.
Four young girls from Punjab have brought laurels to the state by playing in the Indian women’s baseball team that won the silver medal in the recently concluded BFA (Baseball Federation of Asia) IV Women’s Asian Baseball Cup 2025 Qualifier held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Among the four, two girls are from Ludhiana, while the other two are from Moga and Muktsar. The Indian team’s silver medal finish has also secured their qualification for the prestigious Asian Cup to be held in China in October. These four players are now aiming for a spot in the Indian squad for the Asia Cup and have already begun intense practice sessions.
Er Harbir Singh Gill, Secretary of the Punjab Baseball Association, told The Tribune that it was a proud moment for the state. “It is a significant achievement that four girls from Punjab made it into the nine-member Indian team and clinched the silver medal at the international level,” he said.
Harwinder Kaur and Navdeep Kaur hail from Ludhiana, while Manveer Kaur is from Moga and Ramandeep Kaur from Muktsar. Gill informed that eight countries participated in the championship, including Indonesia, India, Thailand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Cambodia and Malaysia. In the first match, India defeated Sri Lanka by 12-4. In the second, India edged past Pakistan with a 2-1 win. The team went on to beat Iran with a commanding 13-0 score. In the semi-final, India triumphed over host Thailand 6-5. However, in a closely contested final, India lost to Indonesia 4-5.
He added that all four players were National Gold Medalists, having won medals in the Senior National Championship held last year while representing the Punjab team. Their standout performances earned them a spot at a training camp in Sangrur, organised by the Amateur Baseball Federation of India, where both national and international coaches mentored them. It was from this camp that the four were selected for the Indian Women’s Baseball Team.
“Since these four players were already part of the Indian team and performed exceptionally, there is a 99 per cent chance they will be included in the final squad for the upcoming Asia Cup,” Gill said. Notably, the two Ludhiana girls received their initial training from a centre at Government Senior Secondary School, Gill village, under the aegis of the Punjab Baseball Association.
The Tribune
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/punjab-girls-make-mark-in-indias-baseball-silver-medal-win/
Seven feet tall, Punjab sub-inspector makes striking impression as hoopster
Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, May 1 Standing seven feet tall, Amritpal Singh, a sub-inspector in the Punjab Police, makes a striking first impression.
Tarn Taran : Standing seven feet tall, Amritpal Singh, a sub-inspector in the Punjab Police, makes a striking first impression. Born in 1991 at Fattuwal village near Rayya, he has gained a rare reputation for his good conduct and sporting achievements.
It all started at the age of 17 when he took basketball seriously while studying at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Police Public School, Phillaur. Credit goes to his height. Of course, there are some quirks of the game as well. “I often get requests for selfies when I am in public, but that’s because of my height,” he shared lightly.
Amritpal scaled several professional sporting highs, including leading the country’s national basketball team as the captain for 14 years. His sports career paid him dividends too and earned him a job as a sub-inspector under the sports quota. At present, he has been posted with the Tarn Taran police.
Recalling his beginnings, when he took up basketball—an unconventional sport in Punjab’s context—Amritpal said, “I was in eleventh standard when I first joined Ludhiana Basketball Academy and side by side carried on with my studies. Initially, it was difficult as there were very few competent coaches and one had to train extensively. But when I made it to the national team for the first time, the achievement and a sense of surrealism never left.” Over the years, he has won over 20 gold, silver, and bronze medals as a member of the team. In 2011, he was made the captain for the Asia Cup team and carried the crown of captaincy till 2025. Since 2011, he has played four times each in the Asia Cup and Asian Championship competitions. He also played once each in the Commonwealth Games and in the Australian league in 2017.
Helping him hone his skills with the ball and up his game, his colleagues and superiors in the police force have backed him and supported his game. “It’s not just a platform to further boost my career in the police force, but also develop and promote the game. Basketball is a huge sport worldwide and Indians too follow it. But we hardly see any support for the Indian basketball team as we see in the West. We need to bring in money and young athletes to develop the game,” he said.
The Tribune
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