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For juniors
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The Coimbatore Golf Club is going all out to promote the sport among juniors
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Pic: K. Ananthan
STRIKING IT RIGHT: Kids watching junior champion golfer Siddharth Srinivasan driving from the fairways at the Coimbatore Golf Club. Pic: K. Ananthan
"THE FUTURE of any golf club is in the hands of juniors," remarks the President of the Coimbatore Golf Club (CGC), K. Rajagopal.
"It is time we gave our juniors a chance to strike the greens."
He points out that there was a concerted effort by the Indian Golf Union (IGU) to develop the sport at the junior level in the South.
"The idea is to ensure adequate representation for South India in the national circuit. The IGU has joined hands with the Centre to select talented persons. They are also encouraging clubs to rope in kids," he says.
Training juniors
Having got the nod from IGU, clubs in Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai and Hyderabad have started exploring the possibility of training juniors.
The CGC also is on the job. It is targeting the 8-14 age group children and has been providing them free training.
"We will teach them the basics of the sport. Later, we will provide appropriate training so that they get fully involved," says Joseph Chakola, in-charge of the junior programme of the CGC.
"The CGC course is too far away from the city. So, we are looking for small spaces in the city to start the academy. We have identified a few locations and hopefully everything should start by next month," he adds.
Not a difficult sport
"Golf is not a difficult sport. It is only the exposure that counts. You should make your children understand what the sport is all about," averred Raian Irani, South Zone representative of the IGU junior committee.
"The kids here are lucky because the city has a golf course that has been rated among the top five courses in the country.
Probably, that's the reason why four boys are playing in the national circuit," states Raian, who was involved in the efforts to bring the just concluded IGU-categorised junior tourney to Coimbatore.
Promotional efforts
In a bid to promote the sport the CGC is sending leaflets to schools. "We also plan to talk to the headmasters and the physical directors," says Joseph.
"A few schools had evinced a keen interest in the sport. We want the youngsters to come forward and play golf. ," he noted.
However, many parents feel that academics are more important.
"This should not stop the children from taking to sports. You should give them a chance to take part in tournaments as long as they do well in their exams," remarks Raian.
"We cannot schedule all tournaments during holidays. It is quite impossible because the itinerary is different in each State," he points out.
The CGC is planning to provide golf sets and coaching free of cost. "We can give them clubs. Let them first have a feel of the sport and do a bit of chipping. It is a slow process, but will definitely yield the desired results. We aim to achieve our goals in five years," affirms Rajagopal.
RAYAN ROZARIO
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