New Delhi, 15-06-2020

Top Golf Bodies Rally behind ‘Champions for a Cause - Charity Golf Match’

• India’s First Covid-19 Relief Sporting Event
• Event aims to raise INR 1 crore in aid of renowned charity Magic Bus’ Covid -19 Relief Efforts

New Delhi, June 16, 2020: The ‘Champions for a Cause- Charity Golf Match’, India’s first live sport event post the Covid-19 induced nationwide lockdown and also the first domestic sports event for Covid-19 relief, received a huge boost today when top Golfing bodies of the country rallied in its support. The Professional Golfers Tour of India (PGTI), the body that not only runs India’s premiere professional golf tour but also co-sanctions the $1.75mn Hero Indian Open, the Golf Industry Association (GIA), India’s largest representative body of companies in the Golfing equipment and infrastructure space, as well as the Golf Course Superintendents and Managers Association of India (GCSMAI), have all pledged their support to the event.

India’s top professional golfers, nine-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar and 2018 Asian Tour No. 1 Shubhankar Sharma, will be teaming up with legendary cricketer Kapil Dev and former India spinner Murali Kartik respectively, at the hallowed and renovated Delhi Golf Club (DGC) course over 18-holes, in an exhibition match on July 11, 2020.

Chennai based industrialist and veteran golf administrator Mr. Dilip Thomas, is the lead donor and inspiration behind the effort, which is aiming to raise an amount of INR 1 crore in aid of renowned charity Magic Bus’ ongoing Covid-19 relief efforts.

The “Champions for a Cause- Charity Golf Match” has also found support from Golf Digest India (GDI), the Indian edition of the biggest global golf media brand and now owned and licensed by Discovery Networks in USA, thereby enhancing the events brand power.

According to Rishi Narain, GDI Publisher & Editor and a well-known veteran in Sports Marketing, “Various blue-chip corporate brands have expressed interest in supporting this event. Golf has a special appeal among the 100,000 CXO’s and High Net Worth (HNW) Business owners across India and we are certainly looking at leveraging the spending power of its dedicated followers for a most noble cause. The event is raising funds for well-known charity Magic Bus, which itself has won numerous international and national awards for its stellar charity work over the past two decades.”

Rishi, whose Rishi Narain Sports Marketing (RNSM) are the event organizers also divulged that the day will also feature a set of fun-filled on-course challenges to raise additional charitable funds.

Why and How to donate?

The funds raised from this event will be ploughed into Magic Bus’s already ongoing efforts of feeding 1.8 Crore meals to 57,000 families.

You can support Magic Bus to fast track relief efforts to the most vulnerable in India by simply clicking onhttps://donation.magicbus.org/campaign/champions-for-a-causeand show your support to the needy and underprivileged in India.

Partner quotes

Extending their support to the noble cause, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO PGTI said, “Golf is in its true sense a contactless sport and we are glad that golfers are getting together to help in their own way during the tough time which the country and the world is facing. This event will not only contribute to the amazing COVID-19 relief efforts of Magic Bus but also set an example for conducting similar events in other sports events in India and bring some attention to the healing power of sport. We at PGTI are looking forward to golfers supporting the cause right up to July 11.”

Speaking about the collaboration Matthew Spacie, Founder, Magic Bus, jubilant about the new collaboration, said, “Besides our holistic approach to enriching and strengthening lives in the communities, sports is also an integral part of our poverty alleviation programme. It is an absolute honour and privilege to be accompanying the legends of the Golfing community in our combined endeavor to support Covid-19 relief efforts.”

“So far, our sincerest efforts to reach out to the marginalized during the pandemic have benefitted more than 2 lakh people, who have all been severely affected. The funds from this event will help many more families cope with the impact of the crisis and we are very grateful for this association,” he added.

The President of GIA who also have come forward in support of the event, Mr Brandon de Souza, added, “We hope that the golf fraternity comes forward as one unit in this time of the country’s need. GIA, which is a group of experts in all aspects of the golf industry, has always believed that golf can contribute significantly to nation building and this one way to show the power of our sport. We are glad to be associated with “Champions for a Cause – Charity Golf Match” in support of Magic Bus.”

Mr Arun Singh, President of the Golf Course Superintendents & Managers Association of India (GCSMAI) added “All our members who are responsible for the maintenance and management of the 250 golf courses across India are excited to support this charity event. We are pooling in resources to make a contribution ourselves. Mr. Dilip Thomas has been a passionate supporter of golf in India for four decades and has once again taken the lead on this initiative and we are happy to see many golfers from across India, pitch in to make a major impact in the ongoing Covid relief efforts.”

About Magic Bus:

Magic Bus, a renowned organisation over the world, was founded in 1999 by Matthew Spacie. From 3000 children in 1999 in Mumbai, Magic Bus has transformed over one million children and young people living in poverty, taking them from a childhood full of challenges to a life with meaningful livelihoods. Magic Bus also works in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar with 6000 children, in 40 communities and 31 schools. Moreover, they have networking and fundraising offices in US, UK, Singapore and Germany.

Magic Bus is one of the largest poverty alleviation programmes in India, impacting 3, 75,000 children and young people in 22 states and 80 districts of India, in this year alone. We deliver our sports activity-based sessions in close to 2000 communities and 1000 schools in both urban communities and remote rural areas. Since the Livelihood programme began in 2015, we have 42 Livelihood centres. Through these livelihood centres, 30,000 youth have been trained and more than 70% placed in jobs in the organised sector with an average salary of INR 10,287.

About The Golf Course Superintendents & Managers Association of India (GCSMAI):

The Golf Course Superintendents & Managers Association of India is an association for the workforce who manage and maintain the game’s most valuable resource — the golf course. The golf industry recognizes the association as a key contributor in elevating the game and business. The GCS&MAI was founded in 2003 by Late Col S K Bagga (Retd), Col S K Bhattacharya (Retd), Wg Cdr Anup Singh (Retd), Wg Cdr S K Dhankhar (Retd), Col Kapil Kaul (Retd), Brig M J S Bains (Retd), Col Vinay Khanna (Retd), Col K K K Singh (Retd), Col R S Saini (Retd), Col Pravin Uberoi, VSM, Arjuna Awardee (Retd) and Mr. Pradeep Joshi.

Since 2004, with a focus on golf course management, GCS&MAI, whose registered office is in New Delhi, has been the premier professional association in India. The pioneer organisation provides education, information to 100-odd members across various cities of India and abroad. Its mission is to serve its members, advance the profession and enhance the vitality of the game of golf. GCS&MAI, whose motto is "Caring & Sharing", publish a regular Newsletter “Stick to Greens”. They conduct various Golf-Turf Seminars in different cities to strengthening the compatibility of golf with the natural environment.

About Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) :

Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the apex body for Professional Golf in India, was formed in September, 2006.With 300-odd members, PGTI’s objective is to promote professional golf in the country, and create more competitive playing opportunities for its members. PGTI is the ideal platform for Indian golfers to hone their skills, enhance their careers, and finally go on to compete at the highest level in the European and US tours. After the recognition from the European Tour and the Asian Tour, PGTI has also been included as a member of the prestigious ‘International Federation of PGA Tours’. It is acknowledged as the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India worldwide as well.

In 2018, the PGTI became an 'Open Tour' with no restriction on the number of foreigners allowed to participate in PGTI events. In 2019, PGTI joined the list of the elite tours of the world as it was included in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) system. All PGTI events has been offering OWGR points 2019 onward. This has made a huge positive impact on the tour’s international stature and competitiveness. In 2019, TATA Steel came on board as the tour’s 'Umbrella Partner' through a three-year deal.

About Golf Industry Association (GIA):

The Golf Industry Association is a promotional body formed by Golf Industry Groups as a non-profit organization under the Societies Registration Act 1860.

The main objective of the Association is to provide a forum to co-ordinate all key sectors of Golf industry to grow, develop and promote the game of Golf through their respective involvement. Assist to build and promote the Indian Golf Industry by supporting the activities and aims of the Indian Golf Union, the Government of India Tourism Authority and other golf related groups. The Association is responsible to provide advice to the Government on industry wise issues without interfering individual members’ relationship with specific Government agencies.

GIA’s goal is to look after the interest of all members and to strengthen the individual position of each member.