Excelsior Sports Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 27: Golf has become affordable for the common people in Kashmir, where it was formerly believed to be a sport for the wealthy and was out of the price range of the middle class, thanks to the Government-run Kashmir Golf Academy, which has trained around 1000 students so far.
The present classes of students who are learning the sport at one of the country’s oldest and most picturesque golf courses are from the middle class and would never have imagined participating in such a sport.
The players are thrilled to learn the game, which was previously only available to the affluent, but the Government opened the Golf Academy to the commoners to eliminate the inequality.
“We once believed that Golf was a sport that only the privileged participated in. Although we thought the game would be simple to play at first, we soon realized it was actually rather difficult. We are still unable to master it even after some practice. Golf is a challenging sport,” Moin Khan, a student at the Academy, told Excelsior.
Although Kashmir has hosted hundreds of professional golfers from across the world in renowned tournaments that were held in the past, the region has never seen a member of the middle class take up the sport. A new batch of young players from the middle class, however, are being taught the sport.
Fayaz Ahamd, an ace golfer and well-known golf coach from Jammu and Kashmir, hoped for the future of the new generation of golfers, saying they had the ability to go far. “I see many talented players rising from them, so if the Government supports them by giving them resources like golf sets and other essential equipment, they can go a long way,” he said.
He added that around 1000 players have been trained so far, and they plan to teach this game at the district level. “The primary goal is to teach them the basics first, and once they have mastered those, they will go on to the advanced level,” he said.
The players are eager to learn the new sport but want the Government to provide them with more resources, such as golf clubs and balls, so they can prepare for competitions and bring laurels to the region. “I am learning it and I think I can do well in the sport as I try harder,” Faheem, another student, said.
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