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Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shubhankar Sharma have joined the illustrious list of Olympians among golfers from India after the duo earned their berths for the Paris 2024 Olympics based on the final men's Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) list.
Olympic debutants Shubhankar and Gaganjeet, both Arjuna Awardees and residents of Chandigarh, punched their tickets to Paris after they were placed 48 and 54 respectively in the final OGR list. The OGR list is, in turn, based on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) where Sharma and Bhullar are currently the top two Indians with rankings of 219 and 261 respectively. Previously, India had been represented at the Olympics by Anirban Lahiri (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020), SSP Chawrasia (Rio 2016) and Udayan Mane (Tokyo 2020). The men's golf event in Paris will feature 60 players and will be played at the Le Golf National from August 1 to August 4. The 27-year-old Shubhankar is a two-time DP World Tour winner, a former Asian Tour Order of Merit champion and a winner of the DP World Tour's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award in 2018. The man with six Major appearances to his credit registered the best finish by an Indian at The Open last year when he secured tied eighth place. Sharma, the youngest Indian winner on the DP World Tour at age 21, has had a career-high world ranking of 64. He has secured one top-10 on the DP World Tour this year. Shubhankar Sharma said it's a privilege and honour to represent India at the Olympics. It's a dream come true obviously. "I have been preparing for this day for a while now, and am planning my schedule for the DP World Tour, accordingly. We have a very good and experienced team in Gaganjeet, Aditi, Diksha and myself. We have depth and experience behind us. All are playing solid golf at the moment, on our respective tours too, and that's a good sign. If Olympic week turns our way, any medal is possible for both men and women's Teams. Personally speaking, my game is trending in the right direction and I am keyed up to deliver," Shubhankar said according to a PGTI release. The 36-year-old Gaganjeet is a winner of 12 international titles including one on the DP World Tour. His 11 wins on the Asian Tour are an Indian record. Bhullar, who has had a career-high world ranking of 85, has previously represented India at the World Cup of Golf in 2013 and 2018 and was part of the Indian team that won the Silver Medal at the 2006 Asian Games. His only Major appearance came at The Open in 2009 when he became the youngest Indian to play a Major at 21 years and two months of age. In the last year, he has bagged three titles, one on the Asian Tour and two on the PGTI. An excited Gaganjeet Bhullar said he is honoured to have the opportunity to represent India at the Olympics. "Coming from a family of sportspersons who have also represented India in other sports and attach great value to the Olympics as the pinnacle of sport, it's a special moment for me to have earned the privilege of being an Olympian. I was determined to make it to the Olympics after missing out narrowly on the last two occasions so I'm delighted to have finally achieved this major milestone in my career. The game is in good shape and I'm really looking forward to teaming up with a great talent like Shubhankar with whom I have played a lot of golf in the past. I'm familiar with Le Golf National, the Olympic venue, as I've played there three times in the past. It's a tough track. I'll be heading to Paris next week to practice at the Olympic venue for a week in order to acclimatize to the conditions as part of my preparation." Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO. PGTI, extended congratulations to Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar on qualifying to represent India at the Paris Olympics 2024. "Both Shubhankar and Gaganjeet, who began their golfing journeys on the PGTI, have been great global ambassadors for Indian golf over the years thanks to their exceptional performances around the world and their conduct on and off the course. We're confident that both these seasoned professionals will make for a formidable combination and present a strong Indian challenge at the Olympics. We wish Shubhankar and Gaganjeet all the best."The top 15 world-ranked players are eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top-15, players are eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15. The International Golf Federation (IGF) will send confirmation of the men's quota places to the National Olympic Committees (NOCs). The NOCs will then confirm the use of allocated quota places to the IGF by June 27 and the IGF, in turn, will reallocate all unused quota places before the Paris 2024 Sport Entries Deadline on July 8. (ANI)
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