Brijinder Singh Re-Elected Unopposed As IGU President For Second Term In Controversial Polls

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.

"We have wronged no one, legally, we have acted correctly" 

When asked about the possibility of a legal challenge, Singh told reporters: "Legally, we have acted correctly. We adhered to the National Sports Code, followed the memorandum, and ensured all actions were compliant with legal requirements.

"The Delhi High Court provided clear instructions: the Returning Officer would remain, the electoral roll would stand, and anyone feeling aggrieved could approach the court.

"We have wronged no one. We did exactly what was permissible and appropriate. While some question the timing, saying it should have been done two years ago, just because it wasn't done earlier doesn't make it wrong to do now. There is nothing improper in our actions." Following a complaint, Justice (retired) Garg, who was appointed by Singh, had suspended five State Golf Associations before reversing his decision within 24 hours after a faction led by Shetty met him.

"Critics are attempting to spin the situation, accusing us of trying to take advantage or cling to power. If others were truly interested in taking it on, they had the past two years to act," Singh said.

"Instead, they are now bringing back the same individuals they previously excluded. This reflects their greed, and there's little I can do about it." Secretary SK Sharma said that a six-year contract has been signed with Hero MotoCorp to host the Indian Open and it will help IGU to use the fund to develop the game further.

"We have signed a contract with Hero MotoCorp for the next six years to be the title sponsors of the Indian Open. This also helps IGU to utilise the funds in promotion of the game better," Sharma said.

"We are doing the event in DLF in the coming year and plan to shift it to other locations in India as well as it is the Indian Open. In fact, we visited a few venues to see the feasibility but it was last minute for Hero, so next year we will definitely look at taking it to other venue as well and make it much larger." Looking ahead, Singh outlined key priorities for the IGU, including introducing a National Squad System, strengthening partnerships with the R&A (world's rules governing body) and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), and enhancing the National Golf Academy of India (NGAI).

He also emphasised the need to bring rogue State Golf Associations (SGAs) in line with IGU byelaws and to establish a centre of excellence to nurture and develop emerging golf talent.

Treasurer Sanjiv Rattan claimed that the financial health of IGU has improved with the overall revenue increasing from Rs 12 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 24.5 crore in 2023-24, courtesy austerity measures and cost cutting on unnecessary expenses.