Nepal Professional Golfers' Association (NPGA) recently signed an agreement with Nepal's largest corporate house, Surya Nepal, to set up a national golf tour and organise tournaments in Nepal to provide a platform for professionals and aspiring amateurs who want to compete at a top level.

Time and again, Nepal's golfers have expressed the need to establish a national tour which would not only sharpen the skills of the players, but also introduce Nepal as a real golfing destination. The journey towards achieving this goal may be long and tough but at least we have made a good start.

With adequate tournaments and exposure, Nepali players will soon be able to make their mark in international golf. Realising this, Surya Nepal, which has been the largest sponsor of golfing in Nepal for the last fifteen years, took this fresh initiative to develop the game and improve the livelihoods of local professional golfers.

Personal development is even more important in a sport like golf than in team sports. The golf tour that was established in India twenty years ago has paid off and we can see players like Jeev Milka Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal competing at the highest level.

The first event of this tour, Surya Nepal Central Open has already kicked off and as you read this, players will be preparing for the final 18 holes. If you wish to see them in action then come and catch them on 16 May at the Le Meridien Gokarna Forest Golf Resort and Spa.

The tour will boost the morale of top players, who will get a better living from playing, and give amateurs more opportunities to enhance their skills over four days and 72 holes.

NPGA also has a special agenda to encourage caddies and give them opportunities to compete in this tour. Nine caddies are taking part as amateurs in the first event and, who knows, one day these village boys may turn out to be some of the region's finest golfers.

Surya Nepal's bid to support excellence in sports is highly commendable. Other corporations are now contemplating their involvement to add to this growing momentum.

Deepak Acharya is a golf instructor and Golf Director at Gokarna Forest Golf Resort & Spa, Kathmandu.
prodeepak(at)hotmail.com