THERE IS no dearth of talent and infrastructure facilities in the country. To attract more youths towards golf, the need is concerted efforts by sport associations and proper utilisation of the resources available in the country, stressed Arjuna Award recipient golfer Ali Sher while talking to the Hindustan Times. He is in the City to provide training to the participants of the six-day camp being organised at BHEL Golf Club.
Over the years, Indian pros have consistently raised the bar in international events and the domestic tour is being organised in a professional manner.
Since its inception in 1964, the Indian Open was dominated by foreign players including some of the biggest names in golf like Peter Thomson and Graham Marsh. The diminutive Sher broke the foreign stranglehold by putting up a spirited effort.
In 1991 Ali became the first Indian professional ever to win the prestigious Indian Open title and won the Indian Open again in 1993. Sher’s epoch-making Indian Open victory in 1991 was indeed a seminal moment for golf in India.
On being asked, Sher said that recent performances by the players like Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa, Gaurav Ghei and others have proved that India is doing well at the international level. However, he added that still there are number of things that need improvement.
About the game he said that gone are days when golf was the game for older generation. “The present scenario in India and across the world itself suggests that young generation turned with great enthusiasm towards this game”, said Sher. However, he accepted that the game is quite expensive. “If the big corporate entities show interest, the game can be available for every one”, he opined.
{{/usCountry}}About the game he said that gone are days when golf was the game for older generation. “The present scenario in India and across the world itself suggests that young generation turned with great enthusiasm towards this game”, said Sher. However, he accepted that the game is quite expensive. “If the big corporate entities show interest, the game can be available for every one”, he opined.
{{/usCountry}}He appreciated the BHEL Golf Course. “This golf course is a good one. Just by some more efforts this venue could be one of the best for big events”, he suggested.