Shiv Kapur backs IGPL to boost India's golf medal hopes

Shiv Kapur backs team-based Golf as pathway to India's future Olympic, Asian Games medal prospects hopes

New Delhi, September 9

On Wednesday, Delhi Blue Bulls GC unveiled the franchise's official playing jersey in New Delhi, marking the team's formal step into its IGPL season 2 campaign. Delhi Blue Bulls GC will be led on the course by two of Indian golf's most decorated names: Gaurav Ghei, a three-time Asian Tour winner who serves as both mentor and player, and Shiv Kapur, the 2002 Asian Games gold medallist, who has four wins in Asia and will also be participating as a player.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the Delhi Blue Bulls GC jersey unveiling, Shiv Kapur said winning the Asian Games gold medal for India in 2002 remains the most significant achievement of his career, ahead of his individual professional victories. He also believes initiatives such as the IGPL can provide a strong platform for nurturing young golfers, giving them valuable team experience and helping them progress towards representing India and winning medals at major international events.

"Today, to me, my greatest achievement is still winning the gold medal at the Asian Games. If anybody asks me, 25 years of a golfing career, what is your most remarkable achievement, it's winning a gold for the country. The others were individual wins, which felt good, but winning a gold for India still gives me goosebumps when I think about it. I landed at Delhi Airport, and when I walked through the airport wearing my gold medal, from the auto-rickshaw drivers to the taxi drivers, everybody stood up and applauded for me. You don't get that in golf. So, this is a starting point to be a breeding ground for young golfers coming through to represent a team at a club level, and then to be able to represent the country and win medals for the country. I think if we can contribute even 10% towards that, that's a huge step in the right direction," Kapur said.

Kapur said the IGPL's team format brings a new dimension to golf, allowing players to bond and compete together. He hopes Delhi Blue Bulls will build a strong identity in the capital, attract new fans to golf and inspire youngsters to dream of representing the franchise in the future.

"It's very exciting to play in a team format, to be able to play with teammates that I'm really close to. Because I'm such a big cricket fan, I always draw parallels to cricket. We've always been envious of cricketers who get to play in a team, travel as a team, bond as a team, and in golf we're always travelling on our own. Today, we start building a team for Delhi so that, in the future, this is a franchise that every Delhi golf fan looks up to, and not just golf fans, other non-golf fans come into the sport... and every young kid growing up says, 'I want to be a Delhi Blue Bull someday'," he said.

Meanwhile, Gaurav Ghei stressed the need for greater government and corporate support for golf in India, saying talented players often succeed despite limited infrastructure. He identified access to land for golf courses and driving ranges as a key requirement, particularly for youngsters from smaller towns, and believes India has the potential to make golf a major medal-winning sport with the right support system.

"I think unfortunately in India, all the players who have done well and done the nation proud have done in spite of the system. We need a lot more corporate and government support. I'll just give you a small story. My son was doing an exchange program at Stanford during the last Olympics, and he was there. And there were more medal winners at Stanford University at the Olympics that year, which was two years back, than India has had combined till now. So, it just gives you a little perspective of where we are in sports and where we want to be," he told ANI.

"So unless the government comes and gives us major support..., you know, what is the first thing we need for golf in India? We need land. The government has to come out and give us land for golf courses, for driving ranges, because there are so many talented kids I see coming from small towns, but they don't have the facility. That is the number one thing that the government needs to come and support us with. Golf can be the next big medal-winning sport in the country because we have a tremendous amount of potential, but we need the support system for it," he said.

— ANI