Nava Raipur, Sep 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) President Kapil Dev and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday inaugurated the Nava Raipur Open 2026 at the Fairway Golf & Lake Resort.
Speaking on the launch of the event, Sai stated that the tournament can pave the way for attracting visitors, encourage youth participation and generate opportunities for tourism in the region, while former India skipper Kapil highlighted how young children get motivated seeing such events to compete at a larger level.
"Nava Raipur has been planned as a city of opportunity, and sport must be part of that opportunity," Sai said.
"A national tournament of this scale will go a long way in promoting golf tourism in the state and encourage more young people from Chhattisgarh to view golf as a sport they can learn, pursue and excel in. It also allows us to introduce players and visitors to the state's cultural heritage, tribal art, natural landscapes and hospitality," the CM added.
Sai and Kapil formally opened the tournament with a ceremonial tee-off and unveiled the trophy in the presence of PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl as they also interacted with the participating golfers.
"Golf is an Olympic sport, and young Indian players today have a clear international stage to aspire to. When children watch the country's leading professionals compete, they see how discipline, concentration and consistent effort can take them from junior golf to representing India at the Asian Games and the Olympics. Bringing DP World PGTI to Nava Raipur can help turn that interest into ambition," the former India cricket captain said.
Meanwhile, PGTI CEO Johl reflected on Nava Raipur having the potential to become a leading golfing destination. "Nava Raipur has the infrastructure, hospitality and potential to emerge as a leading golfing destination. Launching a new tournament within the same year as our previous event here reflects our confidence in the city and the encouraging response from the players and all stakeholders.
"With regular professional events, junior programmes and wider participation, Nava Raipur can aspire to become the golfing capital of India," he said.
Meanwhile, the tournament will see several Indian and foreign golfers taking part. Veer Ahlawat, Manu Gandas, Akshay Sharma, Honey Baisoya, Khalin Joshi, Rashid Khan, Manu Gandas and Mhow's Om Prakash Chouhan. Ahlawat will also be participating in the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, alongside Yuvraj Sandhu and Saptak Talwar.
The foreign golfers' roster includes Sri Lankans N Thangaraja and Mithun Perera, Czech Republic’s Stepan Danek, Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool, Bangladeshis Jamal Hossain and Badal Hossain, Nepal’s Subash Tamang, Uganda’s Joshua Seale, Americans Koichiro Sato and Dominic Piccirillo, Japan’s Taiga Tanaka, Ireland’s Declan Kenny and Canada’s Sukhraj Singh Gill.
The Fairway Golf & Lake Resort in Naya Raipur is situated in the capital city of Chhattisgarh, namely "Nava Raipur". The golf course is situated on the bank of a 450-acre Jhanjh Lake and is surrounded by a nearly 500-acre forest. The par for the course is 69.
Notably, it is also the maiden 18-hole golf course to be developed in central India. Australia's "Pacific Coast Design" designed the course, while SGDC did the project management. The course is an example of how challenging yet fun 6,000 yards of golf can be.
The Rs 1 Crore Championship will see 132 professionals vying for victory, with 18 overseas golfers included. The event will take place from 15 to 18 September.
Source: IANS
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