The Asian Tour will break new ground with the staging of the Bangladesh Open for the first time on its Schedule in May, officials announced today.
The Bashundhara Bangladesh Open will offer a prize fund of US$300,000 at the Kurmitola Golf Club from May 27 to 30, with local hero Siddikur Rahman headlining the tournament on home soil.
The Asian Tour and Bangladesh Golf Federation (www.bgf-bd.org) have signed a three-year agreement to stage the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open on the region’s premier Tour. It will become the fifth new tournament to make its debut on the 2015 Asian Tour Schedule, reinforcing the growth of professional golf across the region.
Bashundhara Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Bangladesh, will support the tournament as title sponsor. Safwan Sobhan, a keen golfer and the Additional Managing Director of the group, is personally involved in making the event a grand success.
Officials believe the introduction of the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open on the Asian Tour, which is a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours, will provide the catalyst for further expansion for golf in Bangladesh following the exploits of Siddikur, who is the country’s first champion in Asia.
“We are delighted and honoured to title sponsor the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open on the Asian Tour in May,” said Bashundhara Chairman, Ahmed Akbar Sobhan.
Bangladesh Golf Federation President, General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan said: “Our partnership with the Asian Tour is a massive development for the sport in Bangladesh and we hope it will herald the dawning of a new era for golf in our country.
“Siddikur Rahman has played a massive role for the game to gain greater recognition here and I believe the staging of the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open on the Asian Tour will propel golf onto the next level.
“This timely development will also play a big role in our bid to have other home-grown talents join Siddikur in the Olympic Games next year.”
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han lauded the partnership with the Bangladesh Golf Federation and expressed his appreciation to Bashundhara Group for its sponsorship.
“The Asian Tour is looking forward to visiting Bangladesh for the first time in May through this landmark agreement with the Bangladesh Golf Federation,” said Han.
“It is our mission to invigorate the growth of golf in emerging countries that host Asian Tour tournaments and it is our hope the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open will inject greater interest and participation from golfers and corporations from within Bangladesh.
“We are extremely proud to witness the rise of Siddikur Rahman on our Tour. With a golfing journey that began as a ball boy at the Kurmitola Golf Club, Siddikur is certainly a wonderful role model for young Bangladeshis to chase their golfing dreams.
“It is also fantastic that the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open will become the fifth new tournament in 2015 which is a great testament to the support that we enjoy from Corporate Asia.”
The Kurmitola Golf Club (www.kgc-bd.com) is more than 60 years old and hosts some of the finest domestic and regional golf tournaments, including the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Tour previously. It also hosted an Asian Development Tour tournament in 2011.
Siddikur became the first Bangladeshi to win on the Asian Tour in 2010 when he won the Brunei Open and subsequently added a second victory at the 2013 Hero Indian Open. The 30-year-old finished top-10 on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit in 2010, 2011 and 2013 and was placed 36th last season where his year was curtailed by a back injury.
He also featured prominently in Team Asia’s fantastic fight back to draw with Europe in the inaugural EurAsia Cup in Malaysia last season, contributing two points from out of three including a convincing 4&3 singles victory over Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher. Siddikur is also currently in the running to qualify for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Apart from the Bashunbhara Bangladesh Open, the other new tournaments on the Asian Tour this year are the True Thailand Classic, AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Vascory Classic in Malaysia and Ho Tram Open in Vietnam.
About the Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include FENIX Golf (Official Apparel Supplier), Inetol Headwear (Official Headwear Sponsor), Oakley (Official Eyewear and Footwear Sponsor), PRG (Official Accessories Supplier), Srixon (Official Ball), Titleist (Official Web Partner) and Rolex (Official Timekeeper). Sentosa, Singapore is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Also, visit us at www.asiantour.com, www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf, www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf, www.youtube.com/theasiantour and www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf.