Date:22/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/22/stories/2006082207211800.htm

Sport - Golf

Tour may start on schedule

Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI: After months of bickering over who should run Indian golf, the domestic Tour for the 2006-07 season is likely to tee off as per the announced schedule.

The Professional Golfers' Association of India (PGAI) and its marketing company, the Tiger Sports Marketing (TSM), are in Delhi High Court over the rights of the Indian Tour.

The hearing on the case was scheduled on Monday, but since the judge hearing the case was on leave the court gave September 20 as the next date of hearing.

Interestingly, the initial calendar announced by the TSM opens with Hyundai TNGF Open at the TNGF Golf Course, Chennai, on September 20. Realising that the issue may get stuck in the court proceedings, the PGAI on Monday relented and showed its readiness to back the schedule.

"For the benefit of players the Tour should go on and I think the PGAI Board should back the tournaments," said Neeraj Bhalla, PGAI's Executive Vice-President, Tour Operations.

"A lot of families depend on our Tour and even though the matter is in the court, there is no reason why tournaments should stop," Mr. Bhalla told The Hindu.

At the end of 2005-06 season, a set of players had complained of slow growth of the Tour and decided to take the rights of holding the tournaments into their hands. The then PGAI President, Arvind Khanna, quit after 80-odd players demanded his resignation. The new PGAI board then terminated its contract with the TSM, which the marketing firm challenged in the court.