Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 29 (ANI): The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) president Kapil Dev on Saturday shared his thoughts on the partnership the Adani Group for the 2025 edition of the Adani Invitational Golf Championship tournament.

The Adani Group is set to enter Indian professional golf with the launch of 'Adani Invitational Golf Championship 2025', in partnership with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of men's professional golf in India.

This Adani Group initiative intends to promote and broaden golf's accessibility, elevate its status as a mainstream sport, and cultivate the next generation of global champions from India, as per the Adani press release.

Speaking about the upcoming event, the 66-year-old thanked eveyone for supporting Golf and said that he is very happy that people are giving importance to other sports as well other than cricket

'On behalf of all the golfers, I want to say thank you. Most of the time you go to cricket, but this time you come to golf. As a cricketer, I feel very happy that you are giving time to other sports also. Every tournament is a boost. Tournaments will be held, good people will join, good companies will join. I think that is what we want. We want big corporates to come and promote the game,' Kapil Dev said during the event.

'Adani Group has taken the responsibility to give these kids, the stars of tomorrow, a chance to come and show their talent. We are trying; we go to every corporate, but Adani Group has taken this responsibility. Corporates like Adani have to do all the sports. And if they do golf, I feel very proud and happy. Just do big tour,' the former Cricket World Cup winner added.

The inaugural tournament, offering a Rs1.5 crore prize, will be held at Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, Greater Noida, from 1-4 April 2025, marking PGTI's return to the venue after 11 years.

'We are delighted to join hands with Kapil Dev Ji and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) to contribute to the growth of Indian professional golf. Our goal is to cultivate Indian global champions in golf. We are committed to enhancing accessibility to golf, promoting greater participation and offering world-class training and playing opportunities.' said Pranav Adani, Director, Adani Enterprises Limited, as quoted by the Adani media release.

Terming the Adani Invitational Golf Championship 2025 as a watershed moment for the PGTI, Amandeep Johl, CEO, PGTI, said, 'This association will raise the stature of the Tour. We thank the Adani Group, our title sponsors, for sharing PGTI's vision of creating more playing opportunities for Indian professionals. With an attractive prize purse, outstanding playing conditions at the Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort and a top-notch field vying for the title, one can expect a spectacular week of golfing action at the eagerly awaited Adani Invitational Golf Championship 2025.'

A pre-tournament event will be held on 29 March 2025 at The Belvedere Golf & Country Club, Ahmedabad. Along with this event, five leading PGTI professionals will conduct a golf clinic that will introduce the sport to 50 children from the Adani International School.

The partnership extends to the establishment of a joint Adani-PGTI golf training academy at Belvedere Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad.

This initiative aligns with Adani's commitment to grassroots development and supports India's 2036 Olympic bid, reflecting the group's aim to resonate with the aspirations of a broad Indian audience. (ANI)