Chandigarh: The announcement of the CBSE Class X board result has brought to light not just academic brilliance, but also stories of students who have successfully balanced studies with demanding sports careers.Among the standout achievers is Guntas Kaur Sandhu of DPS Sector 40, who scored 93.2%. India No.1 Amateur golfer (2025), Guntas demonstrated dedication by appearing for her Mathematics exam just 30 minutes after landing from an international golf tournament in New Zealand, where she also performed well. Having started golfing at the age of seven, she was the youngest indian to make cut at Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific 2025. Inspired by her maternal uncle, Guntas plans to continuing her journey in professional golf while pursuing humanities. Her father, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, is involved in agriculture and business, while her mother, Gurinder Kaur, is a homemaker.Another achiever, Reedhika Dheer of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Sector 26, scored an outstanding 96.6%. A committed lawn tennis player who trains for nearly three hours daily, Reedhika has previously bagged a gold medal in the Inter-School State Tournament (U-14) in 2023–24 and a silver medal in the U-17 category the following year. She has also been awarded a sports scholarship by the UT Chandigarh Education Department for 2025 and 2026, and represented Chandigarh at the 68th National School Games in Ajmer. Beyond sports, Reedhika has shown a strong commitment to the environment, planting over 100 saplings outside her school. Inspired by her elder sister Dhruvika Dheer, a high achiever and NCC best cadet, Reedhika intends to pursue humanities, viewing sports as an integral part of life. Her father, Rohit Dheer, is an advocate at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and her mother, Deeksha Dheer, is a homemaker.From St. John’s High School, Pankaj Ahuja emerged as another shining example, scoring 97.4%. He is a national-level chess player with a FIDE rating of 1535. A recipient of the UT Sports Department scholarship for three consecutive years, he has also excelled academically, securing top ranks in Olympiads including an international rank of 7 in the NSO and AIR 183 in INESO 2025. Adding to his achievements, Pankaj was selected for YUVIKA 2025, an initiative by the Indian Space Research Organisation. An NCC Army Wing cadet, he plans to pursue non-medical studies with a career goal in genetic engineering. His father, Rohit Ahuja, is in real estate, while his mother, Shikha Ahuja, is an educator.Meanwhile, Naitik Singh Nagarkoti of St. Anne’s Convent School scored an impressive 97.6%. A national-level football player, Naitik has represented his school and trained at national camps, including one held in Ranchi during his Class 8th. As a school team captain, he has effectively balanced academics with sports and now aims to pursue PCM with aspirations of becoming an AI data analyst. His father, Rajinder Singh Nagarkoti, is a former senior journalist currently serving as Senior Adviser with the British High Commission in India, while his mother, Rekha Nagarkoti, works with CPCC.
