Electing golf as a passion

It is very difficult to slot a vibrant and multifaceted personality like Dr MS Gill. To simply label him as a high-profile bureaucrat would only present half the picture. For this former Chief Election Commissioner of India, who is presently serving as an MP in Rajya Sabha, is also an erudite scholar and an avid amateur golfer. Gill is a sportsman to the core, who plays the game for the pure joy of it. “I like to enjoy life, and I like to enjoy golf,” is his succinct philosophy.

He developed a liking for sports since his school days, where he excelled in many games like cricket and tennis, but it was only in 1967, when he was serving in Jallandhar as Deputy Commissioner, that he took to golf. And very soon this hobby graduated into an important part of his life. Even after nearly four decades, his passion for golf has not subsided, though he admits, his first priority has always been his profession. “To me, foremost has been the development and administration of the nation. I have never let my love for golf interfere with my mission of serving the country, though in the same breath, I must add that I have teed-off, all over India, wherever and whenever I had the time and opportunity,” he asserts. Gill also recounts his experience of playing golf at Leh, at an altitude of 11,000 feet, where greens are made by mixing sand and used engine oil!

During our conversation he also discloses that he has been a founding member of the famous Chandigarh Golf Club—a club that has produced the likes of Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal and Jeev Milkha Singh. “Chandigarh Golf Club is now a haven for golf; nurturing and producing talents with amazing regularity—I call it the nursery of Indian Golf,” he confesses, with unmistakable pride.

When asked what made his passion for the game thrive over decades, he replies, “It is largely because of the nature of the game. At this age, I cannot sprint on a tennis court or do tackles in football; but thankfully age doesn’t in any way deter my golfing ability.” He cites the example of noted industrialist Bharat Ram who, even at 96, is a regular golfer. Moreover, he informs, “Golf has an inherent flexibility, which permits a not so young man like me to compete against a much younger man.” Warming up to the topic, he fondly reminisces about the incident when he played with Jeev Milkha Singh and his father—the famous athlete Milkha Singh, who incidentally is also a mean golfer in his own right, “Playing with such excellent players helps me to hone my golfing skills to a great extent.”

And there are lots of fringe benefits in playing golf on a regular basis. Gill says, “Golfing sessions not only help me keep physically fit, but they also stimulate my mind. During a round, which requires lots of walking, I converse with my co-players on a wide range of interesting topics. They could be as diverse as economics, politics or art…so overall, the sessions turn out to be mentally stimulating as well.” And sometimes, such conversations have led to a greater cause. During one of his golfing sessions with three army generals in Secunderabad, he came to know that soldiers posted at inhospitable locations like Siachen couldn’t vote, as there were no polling booths in those locations. Gill saw to it that they get the chance to exercise their franchise henceforth.

Gill is extremely enthusiastic about India’s growing presence in the international golfing scene. “In Asian circuits we are already prominent and even in the European circuit, players like Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhwa and Jeev Milkha Singh are making an impact,” he points out. And he is happy that now “there is big money in golf in India,” which will induce many more talented youngsters to the game. But isn’t it still an elitist game, considering the huge cost of equipment and club membership? “It is,” agrees Gill, while at the same time stating, “but now its popularity among the growing professional middle-class of India is on a sharp rise, and this is a welcome trend.”

All said and done, Gill is happy and content with his life and golf. “I have been playing golf for forty years…and will continue to do so for the next forty years…I am not planning to go anywhere in a hurry!” is his enthusiastic comment before signing off.

A master at the Masters

One of the star attractions of the Indian contingent, which left for the Qatar Masters (that was held during 10-13 March 2005) at Doha, was the living legend, Kapil Dev. It is a well-known fact that this former all rounder and cricketing icon is also an avid golfer. Though he made his foray into golf to unwind from his hectic business schedule; now teeing-off has become a passion of sorts for Kapil, who captained the World Cup winning team of 1983. In his own words, “I find golf not only relaxing and entertaining, but it also helps me to keep healthy and fit.” According to him, regular rounds of golf also manage to keep his wrists flexible, even so many years after saying goodbye to professional cricket.

He is enthusiastic about his being a part of the Indian contingent to the prestigious Qatar Masters. He was among the amateurs who matched their strokes against the professionals in the Pro-Am tournament, that was held on 9 March, as a curtain raiser to the main tournament which took off on 10 March. “I felt elated to get the opportunity to rub shoulders with so many golfing stalwarts from the international arena. Watching their game closely gave me insights to hone my golfing skills,” he conferred.

And he couldn’t hide his pride over India’s increasing presence in the international golfing arena. “India’s golfing is coming of age with the likes of Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhwa, Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaurav Ghei making their presence felt in international tournaments,” he asserted. In this context, Kapil thinks that the performance of Indian players at this year’s Qatar Masters has been praiseworthy. He is particularly happy with the performance of Jyoti Randhwa and Arjun Atwal, at this recently held event.

A charmer and a golfer

Manisha Kriplani is not your average businesswoman. Besides having a hectic schedule as Business Partner with the famous jewellers, Girdharilal & Sons, this hotshot entrepreneur and charming lady is also a fine amateur golfer. Her date with golf began in 1995, and over the decade it has blossomed into a full-grown love affair. An affair that she believes is likely to last a lifetime. She reminisces, “It was Sita Rawley, the eminent lady golfer and the first woman to win an Arjuna award in golf, who encouraged me to take up this wonderful game. I was game for it, and once I started, I was really hooked to it; there was no going back.” She terms this 10-year long adventure with golf as an “extremely fulfilling experience.”

Despite business commitments not allowing her to play on a daily basis, she, nevertheless, has some noteworthy achievements to her credit. A member of the Gold Division in the ladies section (only lady golfers with a minimum of 12 handicap are permitted to be members of the Gold Division) of the prestigious Delhi Golf Club, she has also been a regular in the Northern Indian Ladies Championship for the last 3-4 years. Moreover, in the 2002 Skoda Auto Tournament, she bagged the award for the ‘longest drive for women’.

She also fondly recollects the Indian Open Championship in 2001, where she went as a spectator to enjoy a great session of golf, but ended up winning a return ticket to London, from BA. She says, “I won the ‘nearest to the hole’ contest for spectators, which was a great high!”

What makes her passionate about golf? “While playing golf I can be with nature, which is an added bonus for a nature lover like me,” she answers, while adding, “besides, a game of golf is the perfect way to unwind from business tensions.” She also points out that “Golf is a very humbling experience. For days together you may notch up good scores and win successively, but as pride seeps in your psyche and you think that you have mastered the game; golf suddenly may surprise you. On the next day, you may be struggling to get your shots right.” In golf, tomorrow is truly another day.