Legendary cricketer, Kapil Dev, and top Indian golfers, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shubhankar Sharma, will be in action during the Champions for a Cause-Charity Golf Match.

The game scheduled for July 11 is aimed at raising Rs 1 crore for COVID-19 relief. India also had over 200,000 cases of COVID-19.

This will be India’s first live sports event during the pandemic. The charity exhibition match received a massive boost on Wednesday as top Indian golfing bodies came out to support it. Part of those that have expressed their support includes the Professional Golfers Tour of India (PGTI), which runs the country’s premier professional golf tour and also co-sanctions the USD 1.75 million Hero Indian Open; the Golf Industry Association (GIA), which has India’s largest representative body of companies for golfing equipment and infrastructure space and also the Golf Course Superintendents and Managers Association of India (GCSMAI).

Bhullar, a nine-time Asian Tour winner, and 2018 Asian Tour no.1 Shubhankar will be playing alongside Kapil and former India spinner Murali Kartik at the renovated Delhi Golf Club (DGC) course over 18-holes in the exhibition match.

The lead donor and inspiration behind the idea is Chennai based industrialist and veteran golf administrator, Dilip Thomas. It is aiming to raise Rs 1 crore in aid of renowned charity Magic Bus’ ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts.

Speaking on the development, Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO PGTI noted that Golf is contactless, is happy that golfers are getting together to help during the tough time the country and the world are facing. The world currently has over two million confirmed cases with over 400,00 deaths.

While noting that the event will not only contribute to COVID-19 relief efforts of Magic Bus, the PGTI CEO said it would set an example for conducting similar events in other sports events in the country.

He added that the exhibition game would also bring some attention to the healing power of sport.

Written by: Oladipupo Mojeed