Indian Golf Premier League

The Hindu

6 hours ago

There is a lot of excitement among the leading women golfers in the country about the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) as they view it as the beginning of a new era that would ensure better funds, visibility and inclusivity along with the fun element.
The two top players in the Hero Indian women's golf tour, Vani Kapoor and Ridhima Dilawari, were eloquent in their expression as they answered queries from the media from Gothenburg in Sweden and Bengaluru respectively.
'I am super excited about IGPL. It is the start of a new era for Indian golf. It is good for both new and established players. It is a great platform to grow golf. Excited about playing for equal prize money,' said Vani, who has won four titles in the Indian circuit this season, including a hat-trick.
She said that the tough experience of handling windy and cold conditions in Europe, and trying to play aggressive so as to keep her card, had actually helped her perform much better in the Indian circuit, in which she was competing after a long gap.
'It is a great chance for women's golf. We deserve the limelight. There are so many stories to be told about women's golf in the country. There is appetite for sports in India. There is scope for golf to have a better share of viewership. The IGPL is great for the growth of golf,' said Ridhima, who had won the last tournament in the domestic circuit in Kolar.
Champika Sayal, secretary-general, Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI), said it was not that difficult to commit to IGPL as the women had only about 16 events in the season. She was excited about the new format, and pointed out that even the Olympics would have mixed events.
'At the end of this month, there is a $1.5 million mixed event in China, virtual and indoors, with a qualifying event as well,' said Champika, explaining how the game was growing in different ways around the world.
Both Vani and Ridhima, along with Champika, felt the depth and quality of Indian women's golf was on the upswing as evident from the number of players competing in the European circuit apart from events in Thailand, China and South Africa.
On her part, Vani assured she would find the time and energy to be part of IGPL despite her commitments in the European circuit.
'We have to do the balancing act. IGPL is a great marketing opportunity to build our brand and profile. I would definitely play,' said Ridhima.
Champika revealed that the top-six Indian players would be automatically selected and another six would be at the discretion of IGPL.
Vani was particularly pleased with the efforts of WGAI in supporting the players in so many ways.
After being associated with Indian golf for about five decades, Champika felt IGPL was an amazing platform as it had a high potential for growth. She drew attention to the plans to take it to UAE and Sri Lanka in the seasons ahead.