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HomeIndiaGovernanceGolfers move Delhi High Court over discrimination by Delhi Golf Club

Golfers move Delhi High Court over discrimination by Delhi Golf Club

The golfers ask Centre to revoke DGC's lease deed, take control of the club and create infrastructure conducive for creating 'medal winners'.

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New Delhi: Two-time Asian Tour-winning golfer Rashid Khan and 17 other professional and amateur players have knocked the doors of the Delhi High Court alleging discrimination by the Delhi Golf Club (DGC).

In their plea filed earlier this month, the golfers alleged that the DGC, which was leased land to promote the sport, has stopped entry of the players inside the premises.

The plea suggested that the Centre had leased the club land at nominal rates in lieu of 10 per cent reservation of memberships for professional golfers. The club has instead only “put hurdles, hindrances and speed breakers on the practice and dreams of professional golfers”.

The professional and amateur golfers said they aspire “to live in a fair, equitable and inclusive world” and filed the petition “for the benefit of professional, amateur and young golfers from economically weak backgrounds”.

The golfers sought of the Centre to revoke the lease deed, take control of the club and create infrastructure and facilities conducive for creating “medal winners at ‘Olympics’ and ‘Champions’ at other Golfing events”.

Golfers Honey Baisoya, Shamim Khan, Washim Khan, Kapil Kumar, Gulfam, Pawan Kumar, Ajay Baisoya, Rudresh Sharma, Iqramudin Shah, Suleman Ali, Nikhil Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Bharat Sharma, Chetan Baisoya, Imran Khan, Arun Kumar and Rajat Baisoya are the other petitioners.


Also read: Delhi Golf Club caddies allege discrimination, say it’s run like a ‘private club’


‘Discrimination’

The golfers submitted that the Centre had leased around 179 acres of land to the DGC in 1996 to promote the sport.

The golfers alleged that the “DGC has proven overtime that it is a nerve centre of maladministration and public land is being wasted primarily for the recreational benefits of few hundred private members and their families (sic)”.

“Apparently, it’s a clear wastage of public property which is only being used for the benefit of few selected bureaucrats and private persons/families,” said the plea.

It added that the golf club provides a golf course and other facilities to 5,316 classified members and several hundred or thousand temporary/unclassified members. Most of these members play for their own entertainment and leisure.

Professional and amateur golfers are constantly hindered in their practice for medals and tournaments, said the plea. Amateur and young golfers from caddy background have been totally barred from entering the DGC, the plea read.

The DGC “totally discourages” non-members, including professional golfers, from entering the premises. The green fee for non-members amounts to Rs 6,000- 8,000 for a game of golf on weekends and weekdays respectively, said the plea.

Irregularities

The golfers also accused the club of being a “melting pot of irregularities” — from “violation to lease, mismanagement of Ancient Monuments, illegal felling of 3000 trees and breach of public trust by using the land for their private purposes.”

Apart from preserving the game of golf, the petitioners also sought protection, restoration and repairs for the historical monuments within the premises of the club.

The plea also sought an audit of the trees within the premises.

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