No.PR-88
September 24, 2018
Srinagar
PHDCCI ORGANIZES 2ND EDITION OF PHD GOLF TOURISM CONCLAVE & TOURNAMENT IN SRINAGAR
PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized the 2nd edition of PHD Golf Tourism Conclave and Tournament from 22-23 September 2018 at Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir with a focus to position India on the international Golf Tourism map.
PHD Golf Tourism Conclave was held on 22 September 2018 at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) and brought on one platform all the relevant stakeholders– the Government and the private sector to discuss regarding issues and opportunities for promotion of golf tourism in India.
Mr. Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Advisor to Governor, Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. He said that J&K, already known for its natural beauty also has state-of-the-art Golf Courses. To promote golf as a niche tourism product and also position J&K as a preferred golfing destination in the region is important. This would not only showcase its beautiful golf courses, but also the diverse tourism attractions that the state has to offer.
The occasion was also graced by Mr. B. Venkatesham, Secretary- Department of Tourism, Govt. of Telangana; Mr. Farooq A Shah, Secretary, Department of PHE I&FC, Govt. of J&K; Mr. Masarat Hashim, Dy. Director, J&K Tourism; Mr. Illiya Dekov, Counsellor-Head of Trade & Economic Affairs, Embassy of Bulgaria in India; Mr. Alexis Bossuyt, Trade and Investment Commissioner, Govt. of Flanders; Mr. Pawas Prasoon, Assistant Director, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and Mr. Rameshwar Prasad, Member, Bharatiya Janata Party.
While welcoming the delegates, Mr. Anil Khaitan, President, PHDCCI said that India has the strength to provide round the year tourism and with Golf becoming a growing sport worldwide, there are immense opportunities for the growth of Golf Tourism in India.
Also present from PHDCCI were Mr. Mukesh Gupta, Chair-Tourism Committee; Mr. Mushtaq Chaya, Chair-Kashmir Committee; Ms. Shruti Nada Poddar, Chairperson-Rajasthan State Chapter; Mr. Rajan Sehgal, Co–Chair-Tourism Committee; Mr. A P Vicky Shaw, Chair-Tourism, Kashmir Committee; Mr. Nasir Shah, Co-Chair-Tourism, Kashmir Committee; Mr. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General; Mr. Yogesh Srivastav, Principal Director; Mr. Vivek Seigell, Principal Director and Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, Principal Director.
During the Conclave, a Panel Discussion on ‘Positioning India on the international Golf Tourism map’ was also organized which was moderated by Mr. Rajan Sehgal, President, India Golf Tourism Association & Co–Chair- Tourism Committee, PHDCCI. The panelists included Mr. Vinod Zutshi, Former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India; Ms. Sunita M. Bhagwat, Commissioner of Tourism, Govt. of Telangana; Mr. Isra Stapanaseth, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand- New Delhi Office; Mr. Sudhir Sobti, Chief Manager, Delhi Tourism; Mr. Ghalib Mohiuddin, Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Golf Development and Management Authority; Mr. A P Vicky Shaw, President, Professional Golfers Association of India; Mr. Vishesh Khanna, Vice President- Sales, Vistara; Ms. Shruti Nada Poddar, Chairperson- Rajasthan State Chapter; and Mr. Arshad Shawl, Co-Chair- Kashmir Committee, PHDCCI.
The subject was passionately discussed by the keen golfers, elite industrialists and captains from the travel & tourism Industry present, who were further motivated to contribute to the cause.
The PHD Golf Tournament was organized on 23 September 2018 at Royal Springs Golf Course which brought together around 100 golfers in Srinagar.
While inaugurating the Tournament, Mr. Farooq Abdullah, Former Chief Minister, Government of J&K welcomed all the keen and avid golfers from all across India and said that Kashmir has become one of the favourite spots for Golf lovers. Kashmir, with the kind of weather and the scenic beauty it has, is a perfect location for a sport like Golf. Playing golf in the valleys of Kashmir, where the wind whispers through the chinar and pine trees is totally a different experience, especially when golfing entangles with the sightseeing of beautiful lakes and valleys.
The Tournament was also graced by Mr. Khurshid Ahmad Ganai (IAS), Advisor to Governor, Government of Jammu & Kashmir; Mr. Satyajeet Rajan (IAS), Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India; Mr. Parvez Ahmad, Chair & CEO, J&K Bank Ltd along with senior officials from PHDCCI.
All tournament players appreciated the efforts made by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India to organize this Golf Tourism Conclave & Tournament.
The Royal Springs Golf Course proved a challenge even for most experienced golfers. The winners for the tournament were:
Category A (Local Players)
Winner – Mr. Shabeer Bazaz
Runner Up – Mr. Altaf Baig
Category B (Pan India Players)
Winner – Mr. Yash Mahajan
Runner Up – Mr. Sandeep Singh
Closest to Pin – Ms. Shama
Longest Drive – Mr. Pawan Parihar
Straightest Drive – Mr. Ghalib Shah
Ends.
Koteshwar Prasad Dobhal
Consultant (PR)