F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: It takes 25-long years that the prestigious 57th National Amateur Ranking Golf Championship is going to be organized again on March 29 to April 1, 2018 at lush green 6666-yard PAF Golf Course here.
This was stated by former national golfer and Joint Secretary of the Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) Dr. Ali Haider while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday. It is the biggest event of the PGF calendar and the oldest one wherein leading amateur golfers from across Pakistan will vie for the top honor.
This Champion is also carrying oldest trophies of 1920 for the 7 and below Amateur, Gai Cup for the Ladies and Senior Amateur, he added. The importance of the Championship can be judged from the fact that it has a bunch of three National Ranking Championships for the Ladies Amateur over 54-holes HCP 24 and below, Senior Amateur over 54 holes over HCP 12 and below.
A national team out of the Championships would also be selected which would represent Pakistan in the Asian Golf Championship to be played in Japan, he said, adding, it is a good achievement of the KP Golf Federation for convincing the Pakistan Golf Federation to give the right of hosting.
He said the participation of the international golfers from other countries in the event is not yet sure but efforts have been afoot to bring the international golfers to Peshawar. Flanked by international golfer Major Arshad Mehmood, Member of the Executive Committee PGF, Secretary KP Golf Association Lt. Col. Imtinan Qazmi and national golfer Akbar Qayyum Bukhari, Dr. Ali Haider also thanked President Pakistan Golf Federation Lt. Gen Hilal for granting this prestigious event to Peshawar after a lapse of 25 long years.
Dr. Ali Haider said Championship HCP 7 and below will be played over 72 holes wherein more than 220 golfers will compete for the top honors. He said along with three major categories, Inter-Provincial Team Championship will also be played in Amateur, Senior Amateur and Ladies Amateur.
He said 120 Amateurs golfers in the main Championship 75 in the Senior and 35 in the Ladies event would be taking part. He said Pakistan Golf Federation is the title sponsor of the event and have the collaboration of KP Golf Association and PAF Golf Club.
He said Aashid Hussain of Multan will defend the title in HCP 7 & below, Ania Farooq of Karachi Golf Club will defend her title in the Ladies Amateur and Brig. (Retd) Nayyar Afzal will defend the title in Senior Amateur categories
He said besides team of the KP Golf Association, Teams from Punjab Golf Association, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad would take part.
He said Senior KP Golf Association and President of the PAF Golf Club Air Vice Marshal Sarfaraz Khan, Officer Commanding Northern Air Command Pakistan Air Force will grace the occasion as chief guest the opening ceremony on March 29 at 11. a.m while Chief Minister KP Pervez Khattak will grace the occasion as chief guest at the final and prize distribution ceremony.
About the golf course he said, it is in a good condition and would give a tough time to the golfers. Secretary of the Golf Club Squadron Leader Atta on this occasion disclosed that the club managed has taken a very vital step in bringing the golf course according to the international need. He said a sub of Rs. 14.5 million has been allocated for the up-gradation of the golf courses.
“We have developed new rangers of plantations inside the golf courses, new greens with the help of two imported machines from US have been up-graded accordingly besides installation of new water sprinkling systems so that to give lush green looks to the golfing course,” he added.
He said now golfers can play golfer during the night time because of the installation of floodlit facilities and efforts have been made to make these facilities in the whole course as well.
