The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday said that the PGTI golf tournament, J&K Open, that concluded on Friday, will be an annual event from here on and the effort is to make the union territory the golfing capital of the country.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) at the Royal Springs Golf Course (RSGC) here, J&K chief minister's advisor Nasir Aslam Wani said hosting the PGTI tournament is a big thing for the UT.
"From the PGTI tournament, we felt that this course (RSGC) truly is the best course for a professional golfer. Hosting a PGTI tournament here is a matter of pride for us and a big milestone for our golf. PGTI, in my view, is for golf what BCCI is for cricket," he said.Wani said the government wants to host bigger golf tournaments.
"We will make it an annual event. PGTI and this DP World tournament, this will happen every year. And for this, more golfers are coming, we will have to give it a little more boost. Whatever we will have to do to increase the prize money, like give sponsors, we will definitely do that. But, you must put this in your calendar: every year in the first week of August, this PGTI event will be held here," he said.
The CM's advisor said the government will also set up a golf academy in J&K to promote the sport.
"Our biggest desire is that there should be a golf academy here. We should not restrict it to only those players who can do it, who can afford it outside. We should open it for all, for school and college children, they should learn here. And I have full hope that it is going to happen. We will do a joint venture with the DP World, and this golf academy will definitely open here before the next tournament. This will be a world-class academy," he said.
Wani also asserted that the government wants to make J&K the golf capital of the country.
"I would again request you that in the next year's calendar, give us one of the nine big tournaments that you give to the rest of the country so that we can place J&K as the golf capital of India and this RSGC as the crown of that golfing circuit," he added.
