Shrestha won the title of SNPL Masters, the biggest golf tournament of the country and an event sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), on Saturday. Shrestha had left behind top South Asian golfers like Asian Tour sixth-place holder Anirban Lahiri, young sensation Abhijit Singh Chadha, Shamim Khan and many more to become the second Nepali golfer to win the title after Deepak Thapa Magar, who had won it in 2007.[break]
NPGA President Rabindra Man Shrestha handed over a letter of appreciation and a gift hamper to champion Shrestha amidst a function in the capital on Tuesday.
"It was the biggest field that we have witnessed in the Surya Nepal Masters so far and winning the title in such a scenario was terrific," said NPGA General Secretary Deepak Acharya. "We are delighted by the success Shiva Ram (Shrestha) has achieved," added Acharya.
NPGA President Rabindra Man Shrestha applauded Shrestha for winning the title after a rollercoaster ride on the final day. "Shiva Ram (Shrestha)´s efforts paid off and he was lucky enough this time to win the title in play-off," said Shrestha. "PGTI has progressed a lot. Indian golfers have been ruling the roost and the triumph of a Nepali pro in Surya Nepal Masters has made us proud," he added.
He thanked Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd for supporting Nepali golf to make it more professional.
NPGA Advisor and senior golfer Ghana Shyam Thapa also applauded Shrestha for his success. "There are some junior golfers training under Surya Nepal Youth Golf Development Program and I hope they would follow Shiva Ram (Shrestha)´s footsteps and take inspiration from his success," said Thapa. He also thanked Royal Nepal Golf Club for being the mother of all Nepali golf clubs and for producing a pro golfer like Shrestha.
Accepting the felicitation, champion Shrestha said his passion for the game since childhood has paid off. "I won the PGTI event at home and I have dream of winning more PGTI tournaments now," said Shrestha, who won the full card of the PGTI last year. "I have received support from many institutions and personalities to achieve this success and I´m grateful to them," said Shrestha, who jumped to the fifth position in the Rolex Rankings of PGTI after claiming the title.
Golfers seek government support
Speaking at the felicitation program, NPGA President Rabindra Man Shrestha asked the government to support the game. "Shiva Ram Shrestha´s success has set a standard for Nepali golf and provided inspiration to future golfers but we lack infrastructure as in other sports," said Shrestha. "We need a public golf course and we request the government to do the needful," he added.
Shrestha argued that golf is a game that can attract tourists in the country. "If we want to develop Nepal as a golf destination, we need to have a public golf course as soon as possible," said Shrestha.
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