Popular commentator Charu Sharma hosts players’ auction for the Sreenidhi University Telangana Premier Golf League 2021!

Press Release

• 03-08-2021

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA), one of the popular destinations to play golf, has set an ambitious plan to popularise and evoke interest in golf by launching a league format of the game. The first edition of the “Sreenidhi University Telangana Premier Golf League- 2021” (TPGL), spread over 28 days, is set to kick start from the 12th of September, 21; at HGA Golf Course and conclude on October 9th, 21.The prestigious tournament will have 16 teams and 200 golfers vying for the honours. The Association has formalised a professional format on the lines of prestigious international golf tournaments and has initiated the process of finalising the teams and players.

Addressing the media, Charu Sharma, Cricket Commentator, Compere & Quiz Master; Dayakar Reddy, President; Bhaskar Reddy, Captain; BVK Raju, Hon. Secretary and Ajay Reddy, Treasurer, Hyderabad Golf Association and Dr Mahhe, Chairman, Sreenidhi Education Group, the League title sponsor and Former Cricketing Ace  said, the tournament will have 8 rounds in three different formats over 5 weeks, with 16 teams competing. The league will be played in a Match play format with 5 Rounds at league stage and 3 Rounds of Knock out/playoff matches (Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Finals). The League concludes with a Final Play-off rounds and Prize Distribution on Oct 9th 2021.

Speaking on the occasion former Ace cricketer VVS Laxman said, the auction conducted by HGA was extremely professional auction, it was a wonderful initiative. Even in IPL we realised every year, year on year we get better and better, you learn from what could have been done better and improve on that the next year. I feel good that I could visit this club, thanks to Mahee, I have heard peans about this facility from several including my dear friend Venkatapathi Raju, who is a regular to this club. This is one of the clubs in a beautiful location adjacent to the Fort, so scenic, above all this club has a unique culture which is because of the members, who are passionate about the game and equally about the club. Such club hosting the League can be a grand success. A lot of us including the great Tendulkar is crazy about this sport, in fact some of my friends are addicted to this sport. I am sure this tournament will be a grand success and lot of young golfers will take up this sport and be part of this wonderful club, because this is an unbelievable environment, atmosphere to play something which you love, its so serene. All I want to say is let the best team win, hope the tournament will be lively, it will be a trend setter for other golf clubs in Hyderabad and in India to follow and start their tournaments.  It is wonderful to have someone like Mahee and his Sreenidhi University as title sponsor, Mahee is an avid sports lover, he encourages all sports and someone like him backing the League is a good start for the tournament.

Charu Sharma said, Golf as a sport has an unique place and in India too it’s one of the fastest growing sport, with more and more people taking to it. In the past there were misconceptions that it’s an older person’s game, for someone who has retired, but the younger generation in India is taking to Golf like never before and I see many youngsters in all the Golf courses in India and Golf courses in turn are encouraging and inspiring youngsters to take up Golf, therefore the game is in very good hands with the youth taking up. Golf has an unique place in our society, because of what it instils in people, on the golf course you can find the true character of a person, as it has a very complicated set of rules and for one to stick to the rules and mould the way of life around the game is much more important than the game itself, truly it’s the last bastion of the gentlemanly conduct. HGA surrounded by the Fort is a wonderful and terrific place to play Golf. HGA is certainly one of the scenic courses in the country. Leagues are happening in many clubs around the country, though golf is essentially an individual’s sport and very low on the concept of teams, therefore these leagues are an aberration, here you are playing for a team, which golfers seldom do. In that sense all these leagues are extremely special, because they pull the golfer into a team situation. In a team situation there are 12 different people vastly different, with different abilities, attitudes, aptitudes, but they all have to be together, play together, strategize together, therefore it is unique. This League is going to be the most coveted tournament at the Hyderabad Golf Association. Because of this tournament, HGA is going to be one of the most friendly golf clubs and I am delighted I was part of it.    

The overwhelming response for the “Sreenidhi University Telangana Premier Golf League - 2021” is heart-warming, the league format seems to have given further impetus to the sizeable fan following Golf is gaining in Telangana, says Dr Mahhe, Chairman, Sreenidhi Education Group. Congratulate the managing committee for conducting the League in the most professional and spectacular manner, it is just like an IPL auction. HGA is one among the few Clubs in India conducting a League in an immensely professional way. My suggestion to HGA is to have two leagues in a year, he said.

HGA President Dayakar Reddy said, this League is on the lines of other premier leagues like IPL, thank Sreenidhi University for being the title sponsor and Mahee encourages all sports, welcome VVS Laxman an accomplished cricketer, here today, nice to have Charu Sharma who articulates well and is one of the best commentator around. This League has 16 teams with 12 players each. This League is going to be a very interesting and great event, played in two different formats, singles and doubles format, spread over eight weeks, with five qualifying rounds followed by knockout stage. Two teams qualify from each division and they paly quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals. The League starts on 12th of September.

Bhaskar Reddy, Captain, HGA; a League of this stature being conducted in the utmost professional manner will place Hyderabad on much higher pedestal, and both HGA and the city will reap rich in the days to come.   

Twenty Corporates bid for the 16 teams, the teams were selected in a reverse auction bid. The selected Teams will have two years tenure. The details of the 16 teams which will be part of the tournament are

1. Sreenidhi University; 2. Apollo Cancer Cure Foundation; 3. Civet Projects Pvt Ltd; 4. Mercy Educational Services; 5. Mahi Granites Pvt Ltd.; 6. Fountain Head; 7. Valley warriors; 8. Devpixel Pvt Ltd.; 9. Elegans Developers; 10. Classic chemicals; 11. Glendale Edutainment Pvt Ltd.; 12. Bhagyanagar Copper Pvt Ltd.; 13. Labonel FIne Baking Pvt Ltd.; 14. MYK Laticrete Pvt Ltd.; 15. Villagio Estates LLP and 16. Infinia IT Solutions Pvt Ltd.

The 16 Teams taking part in the League and their Captains are as follows

1. SREENIDHIAN THUNDERBOLTS - Sankeerth Nidadavolu; 2. CIVET RANGERS - Sridhar Reddy Anantha; 3. TEAM TEE OFF - S L Venkatapathi Raju; 4. MAHI TEAM - K. B. Narayana Raju; 5. EAGLE HUNTERS - Hemanth Reddy; 6. VALLEY WARRIORS - Pradeep Mittal; 7. DEVPIXEL - C V Ramana Reddy; 8. TEAM ELEGANS - Chakravarthi Akiri; 9. CLASSIC CHAMPS - K. Shashidhar Reddy; 10. GLENDALE GOLFERS - Aluri Srinivsa Rao; 11. BHAGYANAGAR BIRDIES - Sunil Kumar Jain; 12. APOLLO CANCER CRUSADERS - Ashok Reddy Nimma; 13. TEAM LABONEL - Om Prakash Modi; 14. MYK STRIKERS - Tipirineni TVR Prasad; 15. VILLAGIO HIGHLANDERS - Dr. Sameer Azad Mahendra; 16. MYSA - Madhav Kota.

The 16 teams part of the League in turn selected 12 players each in a unique players auction and drafting process conducted by popular Cricket Commentator, Compere & Quiz Master Charu Sharma. The event spread over 5 hours had teams competing to bid for players in three handicap categories. Off the 12 players in each team, four were picked by the team owners as core members, six players were picked through the auction and two players through a draft.

Some of the prominent players selected include Mr S.L. Venkatapathi Raju, former Indian Test Cricketer; Dr. Mahhe, Chairman, Sreenidhi Educational Group; Dr Vijay Anand Reddy, Director, Apollo Cancer Institute; Mr Navin Gullapalli, Global Head, Novartis Business Services; Mr Devendra Surana, MD, Bhagyanagar Copper Ltd; Mr Abhishek Reddy, Serial Entrepreneur; Mr Alla Dinesh, MD, Alfageo; Mr Murali Bukkapatnam, Chairman & CEO of Volksy Technologies; among others.

The Prize for the winners of the  Sreenidhi University Telangana Premier Golf League- 2021, is   all expenses paid golfing trip for the winning team to a foreign destination in Middle east or far east.

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