After competing in the 16th CNS Open, country’s leading golfers shift their focus on the 13th Byco Sindh Open Golf Championship, which tees-off at the Arabian Sea Country Club (ASCC) on Friday.
The event carries a rich purse of Rs 1 million for the 54-hole Open doled out by sponsors and another Rs0.2 million for the 36-hole senior pros contributed by the SGA.
The prize money for the senior pros has been raised through a levy of Rs100 per month imposed by the SGA on its members. This time the purse for the senior pros has been enhanced from Rs 150,000 to Rs 200,000.
Country’s ace golfer Shabbir Iqbal, who won the CNS Open crown for an overall seventh time on Sunday, will be the main attraction. The 34-year-old golfer of Navy has completed a hat-trick of victories in the Sindh Open last year and look determined to stretch his run.
Other notable golfers who will be vying for the Open crown include Matloob Ahmed, who finished runner-up in the CNS Open, Mohammad Tariq, Imdad Hussain and locals Javed Inayat, Waheed Baloch and Amjad Yousuf.
Waseem Rana, a former Sindh Open champion, and winner of CNS amateur title, Sajid Khan, are tipped to dominate the amateur event in the absence of seasoned Ali Hai who is indisposed and doctors have advised him rest.
Secretary of the Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF), Taimur Hasan, and another PGF official and former international golfer, Mahmood Aziz, have specially come to the city to feature in the contest.
In addition, Asad I. A. Khan, will also be seen in action in the event which concludes on Sunday. The 54-holes Open and amateurs will run concurrently for three days while the 36-hole senior pros will be played on Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, setting-up of a Professional Golf Association to look after the issues of pros is on the anvil, an official of the Sindh Golf Association (SGA) disclosed on Wednesday.
“The proposed idea was discussed with the hierarchy of Pakistan Golf Federation who gave his consent and asked to draft a constitution to give it a formal shape,” senior vice-president of the SGA, Asad I. A. Khan, told newsmen.
The CEO of ASCC, Arif Ali Khan Abbasi, Captains of the Karachi Golf Club (KGC) Perwez Ansari and ASCC Arshad I. A. Khan, Executive Officer KGC, Capt (retired) Khalid Ali Anwar, Ashraf Khan Ghouri, Dr. Tariq Raz, representatives of Byco, Ms Farah Khan and Naveed Hashmi were also present on the occasion.
Asad, a seasoned golfer himself, said when launched the new body would be dedicated to the uplift of professional golf and the welfare of professionals in the country.
Citing an example, he said Indian golf had started making waves after formation of Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) which runs concurrently to Indian Golf Union.
Speaking on the occasion, Arif Abbasi called upon the PGF to financially support Pakistan No 1 Shabbir Iqbal to compete abroad. He added it was an honour for ASCC that one of its players, Sajid Khan, had won the amateur crown in the recently concluded 16th CNS Open Golf Championship.
He also applauded the main sponsor of the Sindh Open for sponsoring the event second time running.
Brand Manager of Byco, Ms Farah Khan, in her speech said sports, education and health were the three sectors in which her company was sharing government’s burden by contributing in cash and kind. She assured continued support to the golfing events in future also.Dr. Tariq Raz also spoke on the occasion
news covered by dawn sports
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