Kapil Dev is on the Board of Directors of PGTI
Kapil Dev became a national hero when he led India to victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup by upsetting the mighty two-time defending champions West Indies in the final. That event was when the rest of the cricketing world began to take the Indian team seriously, and the event that began India’s climb to the top of the cricketing world.
Kapil Dev addressing the media at Kapil Dev – Grant Thornton Invitational Press Conference
Kapil, who was nicknamed the “Haryana Hurricane”, played his last cricket match for India in Oct. 1993, took up golf after he retired from cricket and quickly fell in love with the game. His passion for the game, and his celebrity status, has also given Indian golf a massive boost.
Vishesh C Chandiok (CEO, Grant Thornton), Kapil Dev and Tusch Daroga (VP Operations, DLF Golf & CC) at the press conference
When Kapil played at the Indian PGA Championship back in 1995 at Army GC in New Delhi, one of his first ever tournament appearances, the media coverage was on a much larger scale than Indian pro golf had seen before. A few years later, when he teed off alongside Ajay Jadeja and Ian Botham at Delhi GC, an unprecedented 50 photographers turned up at 7 am to capture the moment.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Indian public began to respect golf as a serious game after Kapil spoke to the media about how challenging and beautiful the game is. If the game was good enough for Kapil, it was surely good enough for the rest of us.
Kapil Dev is here to support Indian golfers with more playing opportunities
Kapil cemented his love for the sport when he joined the PGTI as a member of its Board of Directors in March 202 and his presence and involvement continues to grow the game’s popularity among Indians.
A number of cricketers have taken up the sport keenly following Kapil’s lead. They include Ajay Jadeja, Syed Kirmani, Roger Binny, Madan Lal, Murali Kartik, Nikhil Chopra, Venkatesh Prasad, Venkatpathy Raju, Ajit Agarkar and many more. Recent converts to the game include none other than Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. Needless to say, the growing popularity of golf among such Indian megastars are all thanks to Kapil’s advocacy for the game.