UPES opens its sports grounds to people beyond the university. Government departments, other universities, cricketers with disabilities and neighbouring schools play on our floodlit cricket ground and courts, free of charge, often for causes that reach well past the boundary rope. Facilities are shared as and when they are needed, on request and as per a fixed schedule that fits around the university's own sports calendar.
Shared free of charge, as and when required, as per schedule
Home ground for community and charity tournaments
Impact
For more than a decade, UPES grounds have turned sport into support: for soldiers' families, for players with disabilities, and for neighbouring institutions that lack facilities of their own.
11editions of the Shaheed Memorial Cricket Tournament since 2014
20government and PSU teams hosted by 2020
₹5 lakhplus a job and free education for a fallen soldier's family
₹0charged to visiting teams for the grounds
Families supported: every edition of the Shaheed Memorial tournament raises money for the family of a soldier from Uttarakhand who died in service; the 11th edition gave ₹5 lakh, a job offer and free education for the children.
Inclusion on the field: cricketers with disabilities competed on a full-size, floodlit ground in the Champions League and were offered job opportunities matched to their abilities.
Access for others: government departments, other universities and a school UPES helped rebuild after the 2013 floods have all played on UPES grounds without paying for the facility.
Shared on demand: grounds and courts are given to outside teams as and when they are needed, scheduled around the university's own sports calendar.
Want to use a UPES ground or court? Community groups, schools and institutions can request one free of charge. See how to request a facility.
The floodlit cricket ground, which hosts regional tournaments, with basketball and volleyball courts alongside.The floodlit natural-turf football ground, used for training, matches and regional tournaments.
Who plays on our grounds
The clearest sign that our facilities are shared is who turns up to play on them. Two tournaments run by UPES bring outside teams onto the Bidholi cricket ground.
Shaheed Memorial Cricket Tournament
Held every year since 2014 on the Bidholi cricket ground, under Project Naman
Each year UPES hands its floodlit cricket ground to teams from government departments and public sector undertakings for a T20 tournament held in memory of a soldier from Uttarakhand who died in service. The tournament runs on a no-profit basis: UPES and its employees fund most of it, the visiting teams donate voluntarily, and the money goes to the soldier's family.
2014first edition, with eight teams
20government and PSU teams by 2020
₹5 lakhto the family honoured in the 11th edition
The 11th edition honoured paratrooper Amit Kumar Anthwal of 4 PARA (Special Forces), from Kola village in Pauri district, who died during an operation in the Kupwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir in April 2020. Alongside the ₹5 lakh, UPES offered a job to one family member and pledged free education for his children.
Teams on our ground for the 11th edition
UPES Blue (host)
PWD
Irrigation Haridwar
UPCL Roorkee
MDDA
Jal Sansthan
Pay Jal Nigam
Agriculture Department
UPES Blue beat Irrigation Haridwar by 21 runs in the final.
Champions League: cricket for players with disabilities
Organised by the Department of Social Outreach on the Bidholi campus ground
The Champions League gave cricketers with disabilities a full-size, professionally kept ground to compete on, with UPES providing the venue and running the tournament.
Teams on our ground
Himalayan Fighters
Mountain Strikers
At the award ceremony, Dr Sharad Mehra, Chairman of the Hydrocarbons Education and Research Society (HERS), honoured the players and announced job opportunities for them, matched to their abilities and qualifications.
Each team won one match, and Mountain Strikers took the series in a Super Over.
Other visitors use the same facilities:
Other universities. In March 2025, teams from universities across the country, including O.P. Jindal Global University, competed in sports competitions hosted at UPES Dehradun.
Neighbouring schools. Students of Devanshi Public Sports School in Tehri Garhwal, a school UPES helped rebuild after the 2013 Kedarnath floods, toured the Bidholi campus and played a friendly cricket match with UPES students.
How we share our facilities
UPES gives its sports facilities to outside groups as and when they are required. A group asks the sports office, and the facility is allotted free of charge on a schedule that fits around the university's own training, intramural fixtures and tournaments.
Facility
Shared with
When it is given
Floodlit cricket ground, Bidholi
Government departments and PSUs, cricketers with disabilities, other universities, schools
Every year for the Shaheed Memorial Cricket Tournament (15 December 2024 to 10 January 2025 in the 2024–25 calendar); for other matches, on request and as per schedule
Indoor badminton courts
Teams from other universities
For inter-university competitions hosted by UPES (March 2025); on request and as per schedule
Football ground, basketball, volleyball and table tennis
Visiting teams and community groups
On request, as per schedule, around the university sports calendar
Open to the community
Request a UPES sports facility in three steps
1
Write to the sports office
Email upes.sports@ddn.upes.ac.in with your group's name, the facility you need and your preferred dates.
2
The office checks the schedule
Your request is matched against the university's training sessions, intramural fixtures and tournaments.
3
Your slot is confirmed, free of charge
The office confirms the date and time, and your group uses the facility as scheduled.
Cricket grounds. Premium natural turf, floodlights for night matches, locker rooms and team dugouts. The grounds host regional cricket tournaments, giving athletes from outside the university a competitive venue.
Cricket nets. Natural and cemented turf nets with floodlights for year-round batting, bowling and fielding practice, for beginners through to advanced players.
Football ground. A floodlit natural turf field with professional markings and goalposts, used for training, matches and regional tournaments.
Basketball courts. High-quality synthetic courts built for safe, consistent play in matches and training.
Volleyball courts. Outdoor synthetic courts with regulation markings for men's and women's teams, for competitive and recreational play.
Badminton courts. Two indoor courts for year-round play, with a third being added.
Table tennis. Tournament-quality tables for training, casual play and official competitions.
Gymnasium. A fully equipped fitness centre with cardio, strength and conditioning equipment and professional trainers.
Recreation room. Snooker, pool, air hockey and table tennis, a place to unwind between classes and sport.
The indoor badminton courts, open for play all year round.Table tennis, with tournament-quality tables for training and competitions.The outdoor volleyball courts, used by both men's and women's teams.The synthetic basketball courts, built for safe, consistent play.Floodlit cricket nets for year-round batting and bowling practice.The gymnasium, with cardio, strength and conditioning equipment and professional trainers.The recreation room, a space to unwind between classes and sport.Cricket on the UPES ground during Spandan 3.0.Spandan 3.0 brought students and staff together to compete.
The facilities come alive during Spandan, the annual sports fest. Spandan 3.0, which began on 16 November, brought students, faculty and non-academic staff together to compete.
The Department of Sports, led by a Director of Sports with a sports officer and coaches, manages the facilities. Contact: upes.sports@ddn.upes.ac.in.
On the calendar every year. The Shaheed Memorial Cricket Tournament is a fixed part of the university's student-welfare calendar: in the 2024–25 academic year it ran until 10 January 2025, alongside an inter-athletics meet and intramural tournaments (DSW activity calendar).
