BCS – Life – Golf – The Phoenix 🦅
Esquires:
Chetan “Sunny” Singh ( I -1971)
Gurnir “ Niri” Gill ( L-1971)
Prithvi Prem (R-1971)
Prithvi Nat( I-1971)
Vivek “Bonnie” Bhasin (L-1970)
Sanjiv “Sunny” Chadha (L-1974
Atamjit Singh ( R-1974)
Sharat Bhasin ( L-1975)
Amarjeet Kuki Kukreja ( C-1988)
Hitesh Chauhan (I-2006)
Rajiv Sood (L-1979)
Gurnihal Mann ( I-1974)
Kanav Monga ( I-1989)
Manpreet Minhas ( L-1998)
Jaspinder Kochhar ( R-1998)
Simran Grewal ( C-1998)When Cottonians meet…
The Sky turns cobalt
The Sun’s warmth is complimented by the brotherhood
bonded 163 years ago
..7000 feet
on the Mighty Divine Himalaya…
And …C O N T I N U I N G…🙏It is indeed amazing how our togetherness as young lads at our fabulous BCS…be it 3,5,10,11 and even 13 years instilled in us the spirit of A “Cottonian” creating a bond stronger than the mightiest steel. We left to follow our destinies, navigating the jungles of this world.
I at least with butterflies in my gut….
but slowly the power of BCS won over and conquered my nervousness, anxiety, hesitant nature..Every one of us met many others along the way whom we befriended…
but the umbilical cord of our Alma mater held on ..when crossing a street, running through an airport, entering a restaurant, a corporate office, a hotel, at myriad social events, overcoming tremendously dangerous storms on the high seas, walking 900 km on the Camino to Santiago de Compostela… even navigating between Tierra del Fuego and Argentina, it was the force of our great school that made us survivors…as global citizens…A car zooms by with a BCS sticker .. you accelerate wishing to catch up with him at the next red light and shout across…
…you meet another, after years, crossing the street .. familiar face, faint recognition, a few changes…but his BCS vernacular makes you stop and skid in your tracks .. you’re that speed boat that suddenly drops revs from 20,000 to zero! ..
then it all comes back …you become young Cottonians again.Perhaps I am meandering, slicing, drawing, fading along my trajectory path just as when addressing the ball on the first tee… I shank it with my windmill swing and it’s gone out of bounds “OOB”..the mulligan I took, signified .. never give up, stand up and rise ….like the Phoenix 🦅 ( tattooed on Sunny Chadha’s left chest )..
Well.. Golf was not a sport during my days though Naldhera Golf Course was close at hand .. they say it is a sport for gentlemen and gentle ladies; a sport that makes you understand yourself, analyse yourself, readjust, compensate your swing so that the next stroke connects with that little white dimpled speck as it shoots off like an imbecile, a missile towards its next destination .. finally arriving dropping in the hole, sort of exhausted, exhilarated, frustrated … but up again …just as our lives….onwards, upwards.
A few days after the Annual OCA lunch diehard Kanav Monga, last Friday 17th Feb 2023 set up a 16 ball rendezvous at the ITC Classic Golf and Country Club. This was the second year of this reunion set up, arranged with the positive stubbornness and insistence of Kanav…
….a day away from the madding crowds, the clanking of horns and the grinding of rusty steel, the roar, road rage, discourtesy of road traffic snarling on the NH8….It felt wonderful to arrive at the oasis!
A lovely day, a splendid setting; amongst us sweet sixteen, the younger lot connected with their sweet spot! I felt great inspite of not touching my clubs since last September… we 4 x 4 balls had the entire course to ourselves as we enjoyed the tranquility of the surroundings… the company of Cottonian golfers and with talks of bunking, whacking and the chicks at Chelsea, Auckies, Tara Hall …!
The following results were declared :
Congrats Winners!
Simran Grewal ( Curzon 1998) with a gross of 5 over, shot 77 with 3 birdies.
Straightest drive
Manpreet Singh Manhas ( Lefroy 1998) 13 ft from the marker.Closest to Pin
Kanav Monga ( I (Ibbetson 1998) 3ft from the Pin* Longest Drive
Kanav Monga ( Ibbetson 1998)
256 yardsWe would like to Thank the following OCs for the donating the prizes:
Prithvi Nat for A M&S Golf Shirt
( nearly packed in presentation paper that stated HAPPY BIRTHDAY)😁Rajiv Sood
2 prs Golf GlovesJaspinder Kochhar
12 year rare JW Black whiskeyWe would also like to Thank Sharat for the best one liner..
“ most unchallenging course Man… didn’t lose a single ball”Y finalmente the Sixteen express their greatest appreciation to young Kanav who besides playing a mean game of golf, a wicked game of Tennis.. eats, thinks, sleeps, sleep talks, walks and never says die…..
for BCS🙏🙏🙏Vivek “ Bonnie “ Bhasin
Lefroy 1961-1970
18Feb2023—
Kindest Regards and Best Wishes,
Bonnie/Vivek Bhasin
Captain Vivek C Bhasin
Captions 1-7 ( Prize Distribution by Senior OC Capt Bonnie Bhasin )
1. Prithvi Nat – Sunny – Niri Gill – Prithvi Prem
2. Mann-Kukreja – Chauhan-Sood
3.Atamjit – Sunny Chadha – Vivek Bhasin-Sharat Bhasin
4. Jaspinder Kochar – “Spartan “ Minhas – Champ Grewal – Hard Core Kanav
5. Grewal !!
6. Kuki
7. Spartan
The Group Photos have all sixteen mentioned at the top of my write up!!
Tag Archives: sports
Futsal match OCA Nepal vs OSS Nepal
FUTSAL MATCH (6 or 7-aside)
OCA Nepal vs OSS Nepal
29 June 2019, Saturday
12:30pm (trying to have the time preponned to 11am)
X-Cel Recreational Centre, Baluwatar: https://goo.gl/maps/Ydawru6ded1d8CSq9
Practice: Every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday morning 7am at same venue from today until match day.
ayush156@gmail.com Ayush Rajbhandari
OCA Nepal – Futsal on Founders Day
28 July Saturday. Kathmandu Nepal:
OCA Nepal vs OSS Nepal on 28 July 2018, Saturday, 3pm at Grassroots Recreation Center, Mandikatar, Kathmandu.
Good game guys! And great support! We made a comeback after starting 4-0 down. And then kept up the lead despite their re-comeback attempt. This is a result of everyone’s cooperation, hard work, endurance… all qualities of being a Cottonian. Shoutout to Bibhatsu and Dikshyant for defending our goal. See you all at the next gathering. Congrats on 13 – 11 victory over Sanawar on our 159th Founder’s day.
One more thing…
About 3-4 junior OCs asked me recently “can I play the match -or- can I join practice?”
It doesn’t matter if you studied at BCS for 1 year or left after 10th or haven’t been in Nepal or in touch with OCA Nepal for a long time… you don’t need to ask anyone to participate in these events. You have the right if you are an OC. In fact, you are the essence of these events. The older OCs are limited, about a handful, that number will never change. But the younger OCs will keep on coming.
Therefore, I’d like to urge the younger OCs to participate, to initiate and be active. Add all of your OC contacts onto OCA Nepal Facebook group and Viber group: (post or inbox me your mobile number)
(We also play futsal regularly twice a week in the mornings. It’s a mix group along with non-OCs. If you want to join this group [you don’t have to start coming right away if you cant] let me know. Would be amazing to start the day playing football with OCs)
Ayush Rajbhandari
Chandigarh Golf Invitational 9th March 2018 – OCA Northern Chapter
OCs vs OSs Futsal match at Kathmandu
OCA Nepal is proud to announce a friendly Futsal match, the first one ever, between Old Cottonians and Old Sanawarians of Nepal. We would also like to take this opportunity to encourage participation by OCs and OSs to play and to cheer.
- Match Day: 24 June 2017, Saturday
- Time: 10:00am
- Venue: Grassroots Recreation Center, Mandikatar, Kathmandu, Nepal
For more information, contact: OCAnepal@gmail.com
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ayush Rajbhandari