Swinging success

Indian sports had a mixed bag this weekend, the way India crashed out of the ICC cup, while Jeev Milkha Singh swung his way to glory in Spain.

Indian sports had a mixed bag this weekend, the way Team India crashed out of the ICC Champions Trophy in Mohali while golfer Jeev Milkha Singh swung his way to glory in Spain. Singh certainly hit a purple patch on the green by winning the most significant golfing event in Europe, the Volvo Masters, at the Valderrama last Sunday. He battled a demanding course and trying overhead conditions — which let only four players finish under par after 72 holes — to become the first Asian to win in Europe. The win must be very special for Singh who actually became the first Indian to qualify for the European Tour in 1997, but was forced by a string of injuries and bad luck to play unsuccessfully for years.

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In fact, success in major tournaments always seemed a hole too far for Indian golfers till a couple of years ago. Thanks to the magnificent efforts of players like Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Kapur and Gaurav Ghei, however, Indian golf has steadily improved its profile and Singh’s victory over Europe’s best will raise the profile of the game even further.

Unfortunately, this is happening in spite of those who preside over various sports bodies in the country — many of whom have no clue about sports and sports management. If we are to have world class sportsmen, we need world class sports administrators who can identify and nurture the rich talent pool in the country.