"As an opener, too much grass always scared me", Sunil Gavaskar explains why he never enjoyed playing golf

DP World Celebrity Golf Event (Pic: Atul Kamble)

Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar inaugurated the DP World Celebrity Golf Event, a charity initiative aimed at creating awareness for Gavaskar's CHAMPS Foundation. The event was attended by former and current stars from the sporting fraternity.

Addressing the crowd before inaugurating the event, Sunil Gavaskar revealed he did not enjoy playing golf for two hilarious reasons. The former Indian captain said that he liked to 'earn his hundreds' as he did in Test cricket, before claiming that, as an opener, too much grass always scared him.

The ever-witty Gavaskar also shared an old story about how he tried his hand at playing golf with West Indies legend, Sir Garfield Sobers. Gavaskar said that he was struggling at golf and could not hit the golf ball high enough. Sobers then gently nudged him at the back and said, "Son, in this sport you can hit the ball up in the air."

The CHAMPS foundation was started in Jan 1999, in order to support struggling former Indian athletes financially and medically. The foundation, which stands for Caring, Helping, Assisting, Motivating, Promoting Sportspersons, was established to assist athletes who brought honour to India yet had difficulties surviving after hanging up their boots.

The event was a big success with a massive turnout and all funds going to the CHAMPS foundation and the betterment of former Indian players across sports.

Sporting stars align for Sunil Gavaskar's golf event

Yuvraj Singh, Leander Paes and Ian Bishop were among the high-profile attendees for the DP World Celebrity Golf Event. People from different sporting backgrounds came together to raise funds for the CHAMPS foundation.

Yuvraj Singh in action at the DP World Celebrity Golf Event (Pic: Atul Kamble)

According to reports, the CHAMP Foundation, led by Sunil Gavaskar, assisted Vinod Kambli during his financial crisis in 2025. The CHAMPS foundation provided Kambli with monthly assistance of Rs 30,000 for the rest of his life, while offering an annual Rs 3 lakh for his medical expenses.

During his address at the event, Gavaskar mentioned that over the course of the last 26 years working for the CHAMPS foundation, he had only helped two former cricketers financially, while all the other athletes were from different sports.