Golf is the only game in which Pakistan literally started from a scratch. The game was introduced and patronsied in the Sub-Continent by the British. After partition a big void was created and the game might have been extinct in Pakistan had not we had a few die-hards who made an enormous effort to keep the game alive. Foremost among them were Tajuddin Salimi of PWR Club. Lahore and Rashid Habib of Karachi in West Pakistan and Maj. Mohsin Ali in the East Wing. Until 1958 Lahore with its two golf clubs, the Lahore Gymkhana and PVTR Club and Tea Estate Golf Clubs in East Pakistan were the main centres of golfing activities.
In 1960, the Pakistan Golf Union was formed with Karachi, Dacca, Rawalpindi, Lahore Gymkhana and PWR as its founder members, with Chief Justice Cornelius as its first President and Rashid Habib the Vice President, Tajuddin Salimi was elected Honorary Secretary and held this office till 1965, when he became the official coach of the PGU.
Since 1971, new clubs have come up in Pakistan at places like Kharian, Jhelum, Multan, Gujranwala, Okara and Bahawalpur with Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi also developing additional Golf Courses. In Pakistan, these days clubs have affiliation with Pakistan Golf Federation and the Provincial Golf Associations. Golf membership is on the increase and about 5,000 members test their skill on these golf courses.
New youngsters have improved their game and are representing Pakistan. Sajid, Javed, Khurram Khan, lqbal Wali have the talent to match players like Taimur Hasan and other top stars like Ghias Bhatti, Faisal Quershi, Waqar Saigol and a few others. The professional players like Shafiq, Mahmood Hussain and Nazir have also been doing well in the competitions and helping in the promotion of golf in Pakistan.
0 comments:
Post a Comment