Golf taking wings in India

Feature by Anand Datla

August 29, 2014

Golf in India is taking wings, literally and figuratively. The announcement of a sponsorship deal with the Qatar Airways comes as a shot in the arm for the PGTI which has been a reveling in a steady stream of positive developments this season. Indian golfers have been enjoying some unprecedented success on the European Tour these past few weeks and the news that the Indian Open joined the European Tour have helped raise the profile of the sport in recent times. The sponsorship arrangement between the PGTI and Qatar Airways is bound to strengthen the game and its profile is a rapidly growing market.

Only a year ago, the PGTI was beset with problems that came with the exit of Aircel as a key sponsor coupled with the sponsorship issues that halted a promising march of the Avantha Masters. But the presence of Rolex, Volvo and Qatar Airways now as the tour partners, the PGTI can boast of a elite club of brands associating with it and push ahead into the future with confidence.

In India, Hero has been a consistent supporter of golf and we can expect that to continue long into the future. There has also been substantial interest from emerging businesses, who have been happy to associate with the various PGTI events both for the main and feeder events. The presence of sponsors will certainly lead to better access to quality facilities for the fledgling golfers that dot the country.

However, there is certainly a case for those that might have hoped for a longer term relationship with the new sponsor. As things stand, Qatar Airways has only signed up for a deal that extends through the end of 2015. With such a short term arrangement, there is always bound to be a sense of apprehension among the parties involved as well as the market in general. But for now, this is a small step in the right direction to help move golf forward in India.

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