Grooming Soccer Players

In another endeavour to promote sports in Himachal, Divya Himachal brings out the achievements of successful coaches. They have put in hard work to tap and groom young budding sportspersons. First name is of football coach Deepak Sharma who not only achieved many achievements in his sporting days but also groomed many young soccer players as they excelled at different levels. Presently, he is football coach at Football Academy run by the state government in Khad village of Una district.

Jatinder Kanwar

Coach Deepak Sharma needs no introduction in Himachal’s football arena. He was attracted towards sports since childhood days and his natural talent not only made him a successful player but his hard work resulted in grooming of over six dozen players in football. Born on January 13, 1964 in Nahan, Depak Sharma was fascinated towards soccer right from childhood as his father MR Sharma was also a football player. Getting inspiration from his father to make a career in football, he has never looked back since then. Posted in State Police Department, Deepak’s father had also participated in different national football championships. Following his father’s footprints, Deepak had also participated in four junior national championships, three inter university tournaments and three Santosh Trophy championship. After completing Diploma from National Institute of Sports, Deepak started his career as a coach from AVN School, Nahan. During his stint, 20 players of the school were able to find a place in state and national teams.

Serving as a football coach in Sports Hostel in Rohru, he groomed many players who later found a place in sub-junior, junior and senior football teams to participate indifferent championship. Every year more than 20 players of Sports Hostel were representing different teams during Deepak Sharma’s stint as a football coach in Rohru from 1997 to 2003. His trainees participated in national championship while many of them became coaches after completing NIS Diploma. Not only this, others are serving in different departments also. Keeping view his services to the football, he was nominated as general secretary of Himachal Pradesh Football Association (HPFA) in 2010 and again in 2016. He also became first elected executive committee member of Indian Football Federation 2017.

Khad village: A Nursery of Football Players

Presently, he is serving as football coach in football academy run by the state government in Khad village of Una district since 2016. He has groomed many girls who have astonished everyone with their spectacular performances within a short span of one year.  Twenty girls have participated in senior national, 19 in junior national and 18 in sub-junior championships, all coached by Deepak Sharma. Football girls from here established a sort of record by winning All India Girls Football Tournament organised in Dharamshala. These girls had also brought laurels to the state by winning a competition organised in Katra in Jammu & Kashmir in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Solan Power Lifters Win Three Golds

Solan: Three power lifters from Solan have won gold medals in the state level power lifting championship organised at Rait in Kangra district. In all 110 power lifters from different districts participated in the championship. Those winning gold medals include Punit Chuahn in 66 kg, Ritesh Mehta in 83 kg and Shiv Kumar Dwivedi in 93 kg weight categories. After their good performance in the state level championship, they would participate in North India competition to be held from March 20, said Solan Power Lifting Association general secretary Shiv Kumar Dwivedi.

Two Himachalis For Pesapallo World Cup

Shillai: Two Himachalis, Prakashjit Singh Chuahan and Shallu Sharma, have been selected to represent India Team in Pesapallo World Cup 2017 to be held in Finland. Both, hailing from Sirmaur district, were selected for the India team after trials held during national coaching camp at Pali in Rajasthan, said Chetan Phagwad, general secretary of Pesapallo Federation of India.

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