India’s No. 2 lady amateur, 16 year old Bangalorean Aditi Ashok who will be representing the country at the Asian Games 2014 and Rookie on the PGTI Tour, Karan Taunk were felicitated by Karnataka Tourism on the announcement of the 6 th edition of Toyota Karnataka Golf Festival (TKGF) presented by Department of Tourism to be held at the KGA Club from September 11 th – 14 th.
The four-day festival will see around 500 golfers competing from Bangalore, Jammu & Kashmir, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mysore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Goa, Assam and Delhi to get a spot on a team going to the 20 th edition of the World Golfers’ Championship which will take place in South Africa from November 1 st to 8 th, 2014. Among those participating in the festival are former cricketers Venkatesh Prasad, Syed Kirmani and Sunil Joshi as well as former Indian hockey captain Ashish Ballal as well as several prominent Bangalore golfers.
Bengaluru-girl Aditi Ashok said, “It’s my honour to get felicitated by Karnataka Tourism today right before my departure for the Asiad. I want to thank all the people who have been supporting me from day one and I promise that I will make my country proud at the upcoming Games in Korea. As I am only 16 I hope to play on many more Asian Games and perhaps even the Olympics in the future.”
Commenting on the association of Department of Tourism, with the festival, Mr. Arvind Jadhav, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism Department of Karnataka said, “After seeing a great response and the success in the past 5 years, it’s our pleasure to be associated with this festival for a further period of three years, up to 2016. I wish all the participants very best for the tournament and I hope with all our efforts, our state will continue to be recognized and rewarded as the top golfing destination in India.”
Speaking on this sustained partnership, Mr. N Raja, Senior Vice President and Director, Marketing & Sales, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “As we are committed to our customers and to the state of Karnataka, we are proud to continue our association with this event for the 6 th consecutive year. Being associated with TKGF also gives us the opportunity to interact with our existing and prospective customers and bring more value to our relationship. At Toyota we always believe in promoting sports and we have been very active in this space. Be it motorsports or golf. We welcome all participants to an exciting week and an opportunity to represent amateur golfers from India on the World stage at the World Golfers Championship.”
“We are indeed delighted to extend our continuous support and partnership with TKGF. The event this year is all the more special to us with the presence of India’s best ever golf players. This would be one of the momentous occasion which gives us an enhanced opportunity for our customers while we celebrate our 15 years in the industry” said, Mrs. Snehal Mantri, Director, Marketing & HR, Mantri Developers Pvt. Ltd.
Also being felicitated was former top Indian amateur Karan Taunk who was the lone Indian selected for the Asia-Pacific team for the Europe v Asia-Pacific Team match, The Bonallack Trophy, held at KGA in March 2014. Taunk has recently shifted his base to Bangalore to train better here. Said Taunk “Bangalore is indeed the golfing capital of India with the best golf courses and training facilities. I have shifted base here and left my family behind in Jamshedpur because of the city’s facilities and the weather which makes it conducive to train and play all day long, year round. My friend Anirban (Lahiri) also decided some years back to shift his base to Bangalore and he has had amazing success, so I plan to follow his lead.”
The Toyota Karnataka Golf Festival is the official India Qualifier for the World Golfers Championship in which one winner from each of 5 different handicap categories (0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20 & 21-24), will participate at the World Golfers Championship at South Africa. The 5 member Indian team will compete there with over 200 Amateur Golfers from 40 Countries participating over 4 rounds of competitive golf in 4 different Golf Courses around Durban. The World Golfers Championship World final is played over 72 holes, stroke play, with handicap adjustments after each round, giving all a fair and equal opportunity.
With support from The Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, the Golf Festival showcases Karnataka as a premier golfing destination to promote golf tourism in the state. With prizes that include entry into the World Golfers Championships for the top 5 winning individuals in various handicap categories and the victorious team winning a royal weeklong trip on the luxurious Golden Chariot train, sponsored by the Department of Tourism, this festival is truly a celebration.
The Toyota Karnataka Golf Festival will conclude with a gala cocktail and dinner awards ceremony at the JW Marriot Hotel, Bengaluru on 14th September, 2014 where the winning teams and the five individual winners will be felicitated.
About Toyota Karnataka Golf Festival
The Toyota Karnataka Golf Festival (TKGF) in its sixth year is an annual gala affair of Southern India held between 11th to 14th September, 2014 at one of the finest golf courses in Asia, the picturesque Karnataka Golf Association, Bangalore.
The TKGF, presented by Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, marks the recognition of Karnataka as a Golf Tourism destination. Born in 2009, TKGF, in a short span of time, has evolved into a premier golf event for amateur golfers of India. This is Karnataka's largest amateur Golf event at a single club where around 500 golfers will participate over 4 days.
About World Golfers Championships (WGC)
For more than a decade WGC has inspired amateur golfers from around the world to take on the challenge of competing within their own skill levels and receiving the same status as the professionals and elite do. Patron of the tournament is the legendary Arnold Palmer, winner of seven major championships and tournament spokesperson is former World No 1 Annika Sorenstam of Sweden.
WGC gives amateurs the experience and the proud feeling of representing their country in a world championship final, individually as well as in a team.
Toyota Karnataka Golf Festival is the exclusive official Indian national qualifier for World Golfers Championship for the 6th consecutive year. The best finish by an Indian is the 2 ndplace in his handicap category by Utpal Desai in 2011.
