IGPL, Special Olympics Bharat sign MoU to build an inclusive pathway for golf in India

Mallika Nadda, President, Special Olympics Bharat, signed the MoU alongside Pratiek Talukdar, Director of Sports, Special Olympics Bharat. From the IGPL side, Manav Jaini (Director of Bharat Golf Private Limited), Akhil Nayar (Director), Uttam Singh Mundy (CEO) and Ishan Desouza (Director) joined officially to commemorate the partnership, announcing the inclusive pathway that both Indian Golf Premier League and Special Olympics Bharat will embark upon, according to a press release.

Adding to the spirit of the occasion, young Special Olympics athletes attended the ceremony with their parents, joining the dignitaries for the signing and the celebrations that followed.

The partnership gets underway with the Special Olympics Bharat coaching camp, which starts on 1st October 2026 and runs until 10th October. Coach Anup Singh, a nationally certified coach, will be at the camp for all ten days, working with both SO Bharat coaches and athletes to strengthen their training and development.

Beyond the camp, IGPL will continue to provide qualified, certified coaches for Special Olympics Bharat camps, and the two organisations will hold regular joint coaching camps built around athlete development, coach education and a clearer golf pathway for Special Olympics athletes. IGPL will also host a dedicated national championship for Special Olympics golfers, where IGPL professionals will join the athletes for demonstrations and playing opportunities.

At the grassroots level, the partners will roll out IGPLs Golf On Wheels programme across Special Olympics Bharats network of over 1,200 schools, introducing golf to children with intellectual disabilities nationwide.

Speaking on the occasion of the MoU signing with AM Green IGPL, Mallika Nadda said, This partnership is not simply the signing of an agreement; it is a pathway for more children and adults with intellectual disabilities to discover golf, receive professional training and dream of representing India. With IGPLs certified coaches, joint camps and a dedicated championship, our athletes will get the sustained support they need on the road to the World Summer Games in Santiago 2027.

Children from special schools have never held a golf club or visited a golf course. By taking equipment and instructors directly into our schools, Golf On Wheels brings that first opportunity closer to them, she added.

Manav Jaini, Director, AM Green IGPL shared, This MoU turns our conversations into action. Coach Anup Singh will be with the SO Bharat athletes from 1st October, and that is only the beginning. Through joint camps, Golf On Wheels and a dedicated championship, we want every Special Olympics golfer to feel they are art of the IGPL family. With the MoU now in place, both organisations will work together on the operational details of the joint coaching programme, simulator access, the Golf On Wheels rollout and special Olympics Golf Championship, with the 1st of October camp as the first milestone.

The IGPL Invitational 2026 presented by RVR Delhi Blue Bulls GC tees off tomorrow at Delhi's Qutab Golf Course, reigniting the fierce desert rivalry between recent winner Varun Chopra (Auro Goa Eagles) and local favourite Shiv Kapur. They headline a star-studded field featuring four-time league winner Gaganjeet Bhullar, Karandeep Kochhar, and leading women professionals like Ridhima Dilawari, fine-tuning for next month's Hero Womens Indian Open. (ANI)