New Delhi, Dec 15: Brijinder Singh was re-elected as the president of the Indian Golf Union (IGU) for a second consecutive term during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) here on Sunday.
The elections for IGU office-bearers and the Governing Council for the 2024-2026 term were held unopposed as the number of candidates matched the available positions.
Singh was the lone candidate for the president’s post, while S K Sharma and Sanjiv Rattan were elected unopposed as secretary and treasurer, respectively.
The nine members elected to the Governing Council are Farzan R Heerjee (Jharkhand), Harpuneet Singh Sandhu (Chandigarh), Harish Kumar (Uttarakhand), Nagesh Singh (Assam), Dr Param Navdeep Singh (Rajasthan), Sameer Sinha (Gujarat), Shashank Sandu (Maharashtra), Simarjeet Singh (Uttar Pradesh), and Viren Singh Ghumman (Punjab).
“Most of the members have previously been part of the Governing Council and are experienced golfers. We are clear about our growth path and will continue to work in that direction,” Brijinder Singh said.
The election, held at the India Habitat Centre, was conducted under the supervision of Justice (Retd) Rameshwar Singh Malik, who has been permitted by the Delhi High Court to supervise the polls as Returning Officer (RO). SPS Tomar was the representative from the Sports Ministry.
Justice (retd) Malik is the third appointee after Justice (retd) OP Garg and Justice (retd) Permod Kohli.
Interestingly, a rival faction led by IGU secretary-general Harish Shetty is conducting a parallel elective AGM at the Olympic Bhawan, the headquarters of the Indian Olympic Association, with Justice (Retd) O P Garg serving as the Returning Officer. Shetty is set to be elected president in this faction, alongside Basant Kumar Repswal as secretary-general.
The Bengal Golf Association had earlier challenged Justice Malik’s appointment as the RO, but the Delhi High Court declined to interfere, allowing the elections under Malik’s supervision. However, the court granted the petitioner liberty to legally challenge the election results after their declaration. (PTI)