Assam finally gets its own state Golf Association

The Association of Golf Clubs of Assam (AGCA) has intimated Indian Golf Union the names of the following players to play for Assam in National Games 2022:

A Men:

Deepraj Chetia (Professional)

Jakir Hussain (Amateur)

B Women:

Snigdha Goswami (Amateur)

Kayra Reying Pao (Amateur)

The Association of Golf Clubs of Assam (AGCA) has received recognition from Indian Golf Union as the state golf association of Assam. It may be noted that while golf has been played in the state since the 19th century, Assam never had a state golf association. Since the days of the Raj, when the British introduced this amazing sport called golf for their leisure in Assam, with the first ever golf course in Jorhat way back in the late nineteenth century, the sport has been played with great earnest in various golf clubs in both the north and south banks of the mighty river the Brahmaputra. Officers of Tea and Oil sector companies and the armed forces have been the driving force behind the growth and longevity of golf in Assam.

With golf gaining more prominence in recent years, especially becoming an Olympic sport, it has become imperative that like all other Olympic sports, the game of golf also needs a state-level association for fulfilling the mandate of promoting the sports in a structured manner, especially targeting the youths to take up the sport in all seriousness.

In this connection, the golfers from most of the 25 golf clubs in Assam have joined hands to form the All Assam Golf Cub Association (AGCA) as the apex body for the promotion of golf and golfing activities in Assam, as already done by various other states in India. Several rounds of discussions were held amongst the executive members of these golf clubs and an interim committee was formed to carry out the initial tasks of registering AGCA with the office at Jorhat Gymkhana club which has the iconic heritage golf course. The registration was finally accorded on 7.4.22 and IGU also recognised AGCA as State Golf Association on 11.5.22 after being satisfied of AGCA fulfilled all the requirements as per the IGU constitution.

With Kumar Sanjay Krishna, former IAS Chief Secretary, Govt. of Assam as Chief Patron and Prabhat Kamal Bezbaruah, renowned tea planter and keen golfer as Patron, the following office bearers have been elected as per due process for a tenure of two years:

The AGCA aims to serve the state of Assam with the commitment to promote golf, budding golfers, and leisure golfers, and to protect as well as preserve the heritage golf courses in the state.

For the ensuing National Games, 2022 AGCA is in the process of selecting players for the same. This is the first step toward taking Golf in the state from recreational sports to competitive sports which will eventually create an atmosphere in which the local talent could be allowed to perform in the National / International arena.

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