Golf gets a fillip in South Asia

Golf gets a fillip in South Asia
V Krishnaswamy

Dhaka, Jan 23: The victory here at the second SAARC Golf championships may not exactly go down in the history of Indian golf, but it will go a long way in the planning of the game for the region. Even before the Indians had swept away most of the honours, plans were afoot for the next edition, which could either be in Kathmandu or Colombo. Dhaka, meanwhile, was willing to offer itself as the host at the next available opportunity.

The tournament itself was quite a success, in that it has attracted a large number of sponsors, something that every promoter like Babu Lal Jain, the brain behind the SAARC event, dreams of. The availability of finance also makes the organisers' job easy, for then there is no question of cutting corners.

An Indian win was the most likely result, but the Sri Lankans, who last year had grabbed the individual title through the hugely talented Anura Rohana put up a terrific fight. In the team event, they had a good chance as Tissa Chandradasa pushed India's best Ashok Kumar to the17th before bowing out.

Even the Pakistanis and Bangladeshis had their moments and the Bhutanese are talking about having an event involving some players from the region.On the course, an Indian team turning out in smart outfits was somewhat of a refreshing change. Quite clearly, the Indian Golf Union that looks after the amateurs did their job fairly well, organising good-looking apparel for each of the three days. In fact the uniform, as it were, set the Indians apart.

Ashok Kumar with his brave brand of golf has marked himself out of a golfer to watch out for in the future. His ability to pull himself out of trouble, as he did so often during the three days, and more so during the match-play final, showed he is indeed quality material. His huge drives give him an edge and then again, on his approach shots he comes up with great retrieves, even when he gets stuck in the trees or bushes.

His pressure putts are fine, but more consistency in that area would make him a more complete golfer. But then heis just 17! All said and done, Bangladesh's golfing community is happy with the success of the event, so much so, they want more contact with Indians.