Chandigarh Golf Club: Teammates turn rivals, Birinder Singh Gill, Ravibir Singh Grewal vie for top post
Deepankar Sharda
Chandigarh, January 15
Two old “friends” will be up against each other to attain the top post in the upcoming Chandigarh Golf Club (CGC) annual elections, scheduled for January 28. Both former presidents — Birinder Singh Gill (Gilly) and Ravibir Singh Grewal — are vying for the top post once again, but this time against each other.
Both Gill and Grewal were in one team when they contested for the top post in the past. While Gill remained the club president four times, Grewal held the post thrice (once acting and twice elected).
Will cut wasteful expenses
We will engage professionals for various golfing facilities and training and stop wasteful expenditure. Club members are looking ahead for betterment and my team will not leave any stone unturned to achieve that. —Birinder Singh Gill
Members’ interests first
We will regulate tournaments to ensure minimum disturbance for members. Our priority will be to promote golf among women, juniors and underprivileged. We will work with the UT Admn for the welfare of the club. —Ravibir Singh Grewal
On all these occasions both candidates supported each other. As many as 1,800 registered members have the right to vote in the upcoming election to choose the 31st president of the club. The polling will be held from 11 am to 4.30 pm on January 28. Votes will be counted from 9 am onwards on January 29, followed by the announcement of the winner. The counting of votes will continue the next day for choosing the 11-member executive committee.
A lawyer by profession, 63-year-old Gill had broken the rotational partnership at the top post between IAS and retired Army officers. He was first elected to the top post for 2009-10 term, followed by his second consecutive term in 2010-11. He was again elected in 2014-15, followed by another term in 2018-19. His team includes Major Rajinder Singh Virk (retd), SPS Ghai, Sukhjit Singh Lehal, Rajinder Singh Pammy, Atul Grover, Balbir Singh Mangat, Col AD Singh, Jyoti Singh, Col HS Mann (retd) and Bala Sanjit Singh.
A businessman, Grewal was appointed acting president of the club in 2016-17, after the then president Ishwar Partap Singh Mann breathed his last. In the following year (2017-18), Grewal won the elections. After two successful terms, Grewal was once again filed papers for the top post in 2020-21. But after the withdrawal of nomination by his opponent, he was elected unopposed. His team includes three former captains and some new faces.
His team includes Dr Agnish Rajesh, Anil Gakhar, Kulbir Singh Brar, Gurpreet Singh Bakshi, Gursimran Singh Sibia, Gursimrat Singh Jawandha, HS Kang, Dr Raman Abrol, Rohit Singh Dagar, Sanjeev Verma, Brig TS Mundi (retd) and Vijjay Wadhawan.
