Sports

Golf slices through India's class system

July 06, 2011, BBC: Rajini Vaidyanathan
          There's a mix of people training and teeing off here at India's national golf academy.
          Middle-aged executives mingle with mothers, teenagers with tournament professionals - all perfecting their swing before taking a shot.
          They're here united by their passion for golf, a game growing in popularity in India.
          "Golf has moved from being a social status to a sport," says Jessie Grewal, India's top golfing coach.
          Top Indian golf coach Jessie Grewal offers training to all age groups
          "We have a whole different section of society coming into golf, people from non-golfing backgrounds."
          The sport is opening up to those on lower incomes, says Mr Grewal, thanks to the availability of subsidised green rates and public golf courses.
          He says further investment, including the leasing of government land for courses, could revolutionise the game in this country.
          Coaching drive
          Golf has traditionally been a game played by the super-wealthy, mainly because of the expenses associated with joining private clubs - up to $90,000 (£56,000) for life membership.
          The National Golf Academy, where Mr Grewal coaches, is one example of the changing face of the game.
          Some 90% of the people who attend the academy are from non-golfing backgrounds, he says.
          Since its inception six years ago, some 400 coaches have been trained in India. In 2008 the academy moved into its permanent home, next to Chandigarh golf club.
          As well as training golf teachers, the academy offers coaching to all age groups.
          Mr Grewal can be seen striding across the course, telling young golfers to keep their backs straight, or to focus more on their shot. v This hub of golf is even frequented by India's most celebrated golfer, Jeev Milka Singh.
          Singh's larger-than-life poster hangs at the entrance to the academy, a reminder to the many youngsters here of the potential the game now has.
          Lure of professionalism
          Tournaments such as the Indian Open and the Avanta Masters offer prize money of millions of dollars, and professional golfers can earn just as much in sponsorship deals.
          It is estimated there are about 50,000 active golfers in India, and this figure is expected to rise.
          Professional Jeev Milka Singh is an inspiration for many Indian want-to-be golfers
The lure of golf as a profession might be why so many young golfers are lining up to train at the academy.
          The junior sport is thriving in India - with as many as 450 children actively competing on the amateur circuit.
          "I'd like to play for India," says Vasundhara Thiara, as she expertly hits a hole in one.
           "I'd like to play like Tiger Woods does and become a great golfer."
          Vasundhara has a manner well beyond her eight years and as she carefully lines up her shot, she explains her passion for golf started when she was four years old.
          Then, her brother wouldn't allow her to play cricket, so she took to hitting balls with a tennis racquet.
          When she kept striking the ball into the neighbour's house she soon realised her golf potential. Vasundhara is one of 160 juniors taking part in a tournament at the Chandigarh golf club.
          Eight-year-old Vasundhara Thiara would like to be a golf professional.
          'Investment'
          "The more youngsters who get into golf, the more potential great golfers India will have," says Mr Grewal.
          "Once they turn professional you'll see an investment coming into the game," says Mr Grewal.
          This investment is already apparent, with big name sponsors lining up to fund junior golf tournaments.
          They are also attracting huge investment from Indian parents like Wing Cdr DS Kahlon who loyally follows his son around the country as he competes.
          "The game is beginning to open up," he says, in between cheering on his son at a crucial hole of the tournament.
          "In India we're mad after cricket, but that is changing, and a number of golf courses and ranges are coming up.
           "Mainly it is a rich man's game, but you see a lot of middle-class people also joining."
'Slum golf'
          Hundreds of miles away in Mumbai's (Bombay's) slums and there's evidence the game has an even wider reach.
          India has about 200 official golf courses, but this one is certainly one of the most imaginative.
           Players tee off from a range of vantage points, including a vegetable cart, a rubbish mound and a truck.
           To get round the expense of buying new clubs, the players use handmade irons made from bent pieces of metal.
          Instead of a putting green, they hit the ball into holes marked out of the dry earth using stones.
          Bappu Shahane is one of the players who organises these games of "slum golf", as well as tournaments with modest prize money - the winner here can take home 100 rupees (£1.40; $2.24).
           Sponsorship needed
          As a caddy at a local golf club, Mr Shahane works alongside Mumbai's rich and famous, but has aspirations of his own.
          "I want to take my game to the next level as a professional," he says.
          "But to do that we need some kind of help and sponsorship from outside."
Mr Shahane earns 4,000 rupees (£56; $90) a month for his caddying duties, but entry alone for amateur tournaments can cost 5,000 rupees, and that's not including transport costs.
          For these players, investment in their game would help realise their dreams.
           "I want to become a professional," says Suresh, who shares Bappu's golfing talent and aspirations, "like Sachin Tendulkar is in cricket, I want to be in golf."
           With more money being injected into the game, and more land being given over for public golf courses, that dream could slowly become a reality too.
          (The views expressed above are the personal views of the author)

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Gopika Sharma / January 19, 2010
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Gopika Sharma / January 19, 2010
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Gopika Sharma / January 2, 2010
                    Canada 16-0 Win Against Latvia

Gabriel Bourque scored three goals and added four assists as Canada opened the 2010 world junior championship with a 16-0 rout of Latvia. Bourque's seven point outburst tied Team Canada's record for scoring in a world junior game.  The score represented the largest shutout victory ever for Canda at the tournament. Bourque scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal just 36 seconds into the game. Late in the third period, when his pursuit of the scoring mark was the only drama left, Bourque flipped a shot from the side of the net that bounced off the skate of Latvian defenceman Ralfs Freibergs and into the net. The seven points put Bourque in company with Mike Cammalleri and Dave Andreychuk. His linemates, Brandon Kozun and Patrice Cormier, had five and four points respectively. The chemistry was amazing considering the three were only put together after the pre-competition games. Kozun said the Canadians were not about to take the pedal off the metal despite the big early lead. Bourque's second goal came on the powerplay, shortly after Nazem Kadri had also put one home with the man advantage, and it gave Canada a 3-0 edge less than seven minutes into the game. Latvia pulled starting goaltender Raimonds Ermics at 9:09 of the first, and replacement Janis Kalnins quickly coughed up a goal to Luke Adam that made it 4-0 Canada. Cormier made it 5-0 with his first of two before the first period was done. It got worse for Latvia in the second period as Jordan Eberle scored twice to lead a six goal assault. Travis Hamonic, Kadri, Kozun and Adam Henrique added singles to make it 11-0 through 40 minutes. Adam, Cormier and McMillan scored again in the third, along with Brandon McMillan, leaving the final heroics up to Bourque. His teammates were thrilled when Bourque notched his seventh point. Jake Allen started in goal for Canada, which has not lost a tournament opener for 13 years now. Allen only had to make 10 saves for the shutout. Canada fired 67 shots at the Latvian net.

SCORING SUMMARY

Canada 16, Latvia 0

First Period
1. Canada - Bourque (Ellis, Cormier), 0:36.
2. Canada - Kadri (Pietrangelo, Hall) PP, 4:22
3. Canada - Bourque (Schenn), PP, 6:39
4. Canada - Adam (Della Rovere), 11:43
5. Canada - Cormier (Hamonic, Bourque), 17:52

Second Period
6. Canada - Eberle (McMillan, Pietrangelo), 4:49
7. Canada - Hamonic (Pietrangelo), 9:28
8. Canada - Kadri (Hall), 10:26
9. Canada - Kozun (Bourque, Schenn) PP, 18:50
10. Canada - Eberle (Pietrangelo) PP, 19:40
11. Canada - Henrique (Bourque), 19:57

Third Period
12. Canada - Cormier (Kozun), 1:33.
13. Canada - McMillan (Kozun, Adam) PP, 4:35
14. Canada - Kozun (Cormier, Bourque), 9:19
15. Canada - Bourque (Kozun), 18:28
16. Canada - Adam (Caron, Della Rovere), 19:32

Goaltenders
Canada – Jake Allen.
Latvia – Raimonds Ermics (out at 9:09 of 1st), Janis Kalnins.