ISLAMABAD, Feb 08 :The 4th Ghazala Ansari Julke Challenge Cup Ladies Open Championship is set to begin this Friday at the Gymkhana Golf Club.
This is the first-ever open championship in the history of the Ghazala Ansari Julke Challenge Cup, transitioning from an amateur-only competition in its previous three editions to a tournament now welcoming professional lady golfers.
According to Dr. Asma Afzal Shami, who originally conceived the idea of dedicating championships to the forgotten icons of yesteryear, this championship is inspiring the young golfers to tread the same path as Ghazala Ansari.
The championship officials include Convenor Golf Club, Shaukat Jave, Bela Azam, the tournament director, Mamoona Azam, the championship coordinator, and Munazza Shaheen, the Chief Referee.
Meanwhile, the convener emphasized that Gymkhana Golf Club holds a special place in the legacy of Ghazala Ansari, who belongs to this club, making it the ideal venue to host the championship for the fourth consecutive time.
He ensured the club’s unwavering commitment to fostering women’s golf, noting that participation has steadily increased with each edition.
He lauded the efforts of Dr. Asma Shami and her team for luring women into golf and increasing not only the number, but also the quality of the sport.
Dr. Shami commended the club’s unwavering support and commitment to advancing women’s golf. She praised PGF for introducing the pro category, emphasizing how it will propel the development of ladies’ golf in Pakistan. This initiative allows elite amateurs to transition into the professional circuit, thereby creating opportunities for emerging players to excel in amateur events.
“This is a historic moment as we welcome professional lady golfers into this championship. The participation of players from Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Goth Machi, Peshawar, Wah Cantt, Risalpur, and Multan is a great honor, and we are thrilled to host them at Gymkhana,” she said.
Munazza Shaheen, the chief referee said there are now 7 categories in the championship including Professionals, WAGR Open category, Category B and C for amateur golfers with handicap 13 to 24 and 25 to 36. Then we have Senior lady golfers and juniors in two categories of ages 11 to 14 and below 10.
80 players have registered, among them 5 are professionals. 8 players in WAGR, making it an unforgettable number of golfers competing from this platform.
Bela Azam expressed her unwavering commitment to the championship, highlighting the crucial role of Julke as the title sponsor. She emphasized that Julke’s sponsorship has been instrumental in elevating the status of the event, enabling it to expand through continued sponsorship and strategic development.
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