SL skipper Mahela buys golf franchise

People know Mahela Jayawardene as an ace Sri Lankan cricketer, but the fact that he is also an avid golfer is not known to many people in India.

New Delhi: People know Mahela Jayawardene as an ace Sri Lankan cricketer, but the fact that he is also an avid golfer is not known to many people in India.

It is his love for the game that has prompted Jayawardene to buy a franchise in the inaugural Golf Premier League which was launched in the Capital on Friday.

Jayawardene will own the Colombo Sixers, one of the eight teams in the $400,000 event. The other teams decided till now are Delhi Darts, Gujarat Underdawgs, Shubhkamna Eagles and Tamilnadu Pulis, while the details about the remaining three sides are yet to be revealed.

I am a huge fan of Delhi Daredevils and Mahela (Jayawardene). My friend and event promoter Neeraj (Sareen) knows him well and roped Mahela in. He has a deep understanding of cricket and will probably bring a different vision to golf. Having a Sri Lankan team will also help us develop a fan base outside India,” said Shiv Kapur who conceptualised the event and will also play in it.

The three-round tournament, scheduled for February 7-10 at the Aamby Valley golf course in Pune, will be the first professional event in Asia in which the first two rounds will be played under floodlights, between 5pm and 8pm.

The tournament will feature one of the best-ever fields in India with four Major winners — Angel Cabrera of Argentina, Darren Clarke of Ireland, Rich Beem of USA and New Zealand’s Michael Campbell in the fray.

Indian stalwarts Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri, Kapur and Himmat Rai, who have all won at least one event on the Asian Tour, will add strength to the tournament.

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