Shashi Kiran Shetty (Founder Allcargo Logistics) with Pranavi Urs in Bangalore
In an attempt to boost India’s chances of finding the next Olympic golf challenger and getting more girls onto the elite USLPGA Tour, Allcargo Logistics, India’s largest end-to-end integrated logistics services provider, has announced it will sponsor three of India’s most promising teenage lady golfers – Pranavi Urs, Sneha Singh and Avani Prashanth – for the next three years.
18-year-old Pranavi Urs from Mysore, turned pro in 2020 and will be taking part in the Ladies European Tour’s (LET) pre-qualifying tournament in La Manga, Spain from December 9-12. Urs has already won four times on the women’s domestic pro tour (WGAI) and is a former Faldo Asia Junior Finalist besides winner of the 2018 Singha World Junior in Thailand and All India Junior Girls.
Sneha Singh
Amateur Sneha Singh, 17, plays at HGA, Hyderabad, won the All India Ladies Championship in 2019. She has already won twice on the women’s domestic professional tour, the WGAI, and is the second-highest ranked Indian women’s amateur golfer in the World Rankings. Singh is currently deciding whether to remain an amateur and play in international events with the hope of representing India at the 2022 Asian Games or turn professional and play the domestic tour and possibly a few LET Access Tours events if she can get into them.
Avani Prashanth with her match play and stroke play trophies
The youngest of the three is Bangalore’s 15-year-old Avani Prashanth, who just two weeks ago won the Ladies All India Amateur Championship. She is the highest ranked Indian female amateur player in the official world rankings and finished a creditable, 16th at the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship in Abu Dhabi last month, while being the youngest player to finish in the top 30 at the tournament. She has also won twice on the Indian domestic pro tour but cannot join the pro ranks yet because most tours have an age limit of 16. This means Prashanth can play the LET qualifier only after she turns 16 in October 2022.
“We are committed to encourage talented sportspersons to pursue their passion, develop skills, and compete globally to bring laurels to our country,” said Shashi Kiran Shetty, Chairman – Allcargo Logistics, ECU Worldwide, and Gati. “. It has also been our mission to identify and support talented women golfers who’ll be representing India at the international level. We are sure Pranavi, Avani, and Sneha will make India and all of us proud.”
New Amateur status rules for the game of golf that go into effect from January 1, 2022 has given the players a welcome boost. Amateur golfers can now make money off their name, image, and likeness i.e. they can be compensated for endorsements and advertising of products and services, the same way professional golfers do. Amateurs can wear corporate logos and be paid to appear at sponsor events.
Urs, Singh and Prashanth have been identified by former Asian Games gold medallist Rishi Narain’s RN Sports Marketing as three of the most promising young talents in India, with the potential to compete on the international stage.
“I am excited to be heading to Europe to participate in the Ladies European Tour pre-qualifying tournament,” Urs said. “My eventual goal is to get into the LPGA Tour in the USA and the Ladies European Tour is the first step in that direction. I will also be playing the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour. I would like to thank all those who have supported me so far and I am grateful to Allcargo Logistics for their support going forward which will be a huge boost for my prospects. I’ve been training hard and look forward to seeing some great results soon.”