New Delhi: The Mecca of golf in India, the Delhi Golf Club is all set to witness the continuation of a glorious tradition as prominent amateurs will come together amidst the peak of golfing season to compete in 10th Delhi NCR Cup and Delhi State Championship to be held from March 10 to 13.

The Delhi NCR Cup, which is a brain child of Delhi Golf Society and held under the aegis of the Indian Golf Union, is now being endorsed by India’s leading professional Shiv Kapur as the breeding ground for future champions who will be vying for Olympic glory and more. “Having played at the highest level across the world, Indian Golf needs to create a base which has to be strong both in terms of competitions and challenging venues. This is where I think the NCR Cup serves an ideal platform to give an exposure to budding golfers,” said Kapur who is an Asian Games Gold medalist.

With golf being included in the 2016 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee has a scheme to allow the use of Olympic Rings for events which it deems as a platform where the athletes can compete and sharpen their skills for becoming Olympians. Thus DGS has applied to the International Olympic Committee for permission for use of ‘Rings’. “I have seen this event grow from strength to strength with the winners being given an opportunity to play in world amateur events, thus rewarding not only the winners at home but also giving them further opportunity for international exposure which is the need of the hour,” said Kapur who is one of the aspirants to qualify for 2016 Olympics and brand ambassador of NCR Cup.

“Delhi Golf Society has been working diligently for growth, development and excellence in golf by providing support to the talented golfers who dream of becoming Olympians and winning medals. The NCR Cup is one such initiative.” said Prakash Bhandari, President Delhi Golf Society.

The Indian Golf Union, the governing body of golf in India has given the event a special status beginning this year. “We have included the NCR Cup amongst the categorized events in the IGU calendar and the players are eligible to earn points on the Order of Merit based on their performance,” said AK Singh, Director General, IGU. “These performances form a base for selection for the National team for various international events,” he added.

The Delhi Golf Club which has hosted many National and International events will be the venue of the stern test and will be in its best condition as it hosts an Asian Tour event the week after the NCR Cup. “Delhi Golf Club, host of NCR Cup from its inception for the last nine years, is fully committed to promote the game of golf and is very happy to be part of this initiative to provide opportunity to the best amateur golfers to compete as part of the Olympic Movement,” said Rajesh Dhingra, President of Delhi Golf Club.

The 10th edition will see the participation of at least 8-10 international teams with USA, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal already having confirmed their participation. Some of the best Indian professionals including Rashid Khan who is ranked 10th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and has been a former winner of this prestigious event. “This event has given me a big fillip to my career in my initial days. I think we need more events of these kind to help the budding players to showcase their talent,” said Rashid Khan who is ranked 48th in the World Rankins for Olympics and is also in contention for India colours.

Apart from the laurels, the winners stand to gain crucial world ranking points on the World Amateur Golf Rankings and a chance to win a fully expense-paid trip to the World Amateur Golf Championship at an international venue.

The Cup is majorly broken into two categories - The Delhi NCR Cup where players from across the country will vie for honours and the Delhi State Championship meant only for the participants from Delhi. Competition for both will be held concurrently