Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 23 : Former India captain Kapil Dev has urged young athletes to explore sports beyond their primary discipline, saying participation in different games can improve performance by broadening their thought process.
"I just want boys and girls to play sports—not just their own sport, but other sports as well. Playing different sports can help you improve your performance. If you play hockey, come and play golf. If you play golf, go and play cricket. Every sport can help you because it changes your thought process," Kapil Dev said on Friday.
Speaking on the announcement of the Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship in Mumbai, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain highlighted the benefits of playing multiple sports and encouraged athletes to take time out for activities beyond their main discipline.
"I have often said that if I had played golf during my cricketing days, I would have scored an additional 2,000 runs," he said.
"But that’s the point. We should all go out and play badminton, table tennis, squash and other sports, apart from our own game. It will definitely help you," he added.
Kapil Dev has been a prominent figure in the promotion of golf in India and took over as president of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) in June 2024, succeeding HR Srinivasan. He had been a member of the PGTI board since 2021 and has continued to work towards expanding the professional golf ecosystem in the country.
The PGTI and Essar Foundation announced the Shri Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship, which will be held at the Willingdon Sports Club in Mumbai from January 12 to 15, 2027.
Under Kapil Dev's presidency, the PGTI has strengthened its commercial partnerships, including a multi-year agreement with DP World in January 2026. The global logistics company became the tour's title partner and official umbrella partner, with the circuit operating as the DP World PGTI.
India also hosted the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Course in New Delhi last week, with Spain's Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra winning the title.
Kapil Dev, one of India's greatest all-rounders, led the country to its maiden Cricket World Cup title in 1983. He played 131 Tests and 225 ODIs, scoring 5,248 and 3,783 runs respectively, while taking 434 Test wickets and 253 ODI wickets.
He remains the only cricketer to have scored more than 5,000 runs and taken more than 400 wickets in Test cricket, a record that underlines his impact as a batter and bowler. His career also included the iconic unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe at the 1983 World Cup, an innings that helped India recover from 17/5 and set up a historic victory.