Santiago Games 2023-It was Indians at the Pan Am Games

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Santiago 2023: It was Indians Day in the Pan Am Games It may sound strange, but it is true. Sportspersons of Indian origin are participating in the ongoing Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile. Indian Diaspora is the world over. And it has been making headlines in every sphere of life, be it politics, business, technology, medicine or even sports. In the Pan Am Games, several sports officials of Indian origin are participating in the Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games. Yesterday, many of them were in the playing arena. A maximum number of them were on the hockey playfield. When the opening match of the hockey event started, two players of Indian origin were in the original line-up of the game between Canada and Brazil. Both Keegan Pereira and Balraj Panesar are experienced players who have been representing Canada in various international events for many years. Also with them is Harbir Sidhu, on the reserve list. Harbir Sidhu wears a patka and if he gets a chance to play, he would be the only one with a patka or mini turban. Canada started well with a 2-0 win over Brazil. It is pertinent to mention here that the winner of the Pan Am Games Hockey tournaments, both for men and women, will get a direct entry to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Also, in the hunt for a berth to Paris is the US hockey team that incidentally is being trained by a former Chief Coach of the Indian hockey team, Harendra Singh. Harendra has been with the US team for a while. In his team are four players of Indian origin, including Ajay Dhadwal, who has led the US in several tournaments. With him are Mohan Gandhi and Permeet Singh. All three had played in the previous edition of the Games at Lima in Peru. The fourth player of Indian origin in the US team is Mandeep Grewal. Harendra, Ajay, Permeet, Gandhi and Grewal were all on view as the USA moved to the top of the table with three points from its first game. Though Canada also won its opening game, it is placed at number two because of goal difference. The most surprising was the presence of a player of Indian origin in the Trinidad and Tobago team. He is Tarell Singh. While hockey matches were on, another player of Indian origin, Omni Kumar was playing quarterfinals in men’s doubles tennis tournament. Omni and his Chinese-American partner lost to the Jamaican pair of Rowland Randolph Phillips and Blaise Bicknell 4-6, 3-6. Earlier, in the men’s singles, Omni Kumar had lost to Justin Boulais of Canada in an exciting three-set thriller. Omni lost 6-4, 5-7, 4-6. Another tennis player of Indian origin, Rajeev Ram, who won his third consecutive men’s doubles title in the US Open early this year, however, is not competing here. Rajeev Ram, it may be recalled, had won a silver medal in mixed doubles in the 2016 Rio Olympic games in partnership with one of the Williams sisters. In the semi-finals, Rajeev and Venus defeated the Indian pair of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna. It was a mere coincidence that this year in the US Open, both Rajeev and Rohan Bopanna were face-to-face with each other in the title match. Another player of Indian origin who participated in Santiago 2023 is boxer Gurinder Takhar. She lost in the round of 16 to Jajaira Gonzalez of the USA. She is perhaps the first woman boxer of Indian origin to represent Canada.