By Rahul Banerji
The Rotary Club of Delhi South on Wednesday launched a unique tournament at the Delhi Golf Club aiming to raise funds for 50 children suffering from Congenital Heart Defects (CHD).
The 12-day hybrid international Gift a Life golf tournament will see players participate in and raise money for the cause not just in India but neighbouring countries as well.
Lending support was legendary India all-rounder and 1983 World Cup-winning captain and keen golfer Kapil Dev.
On Wednesday, golfers came out in good numbers to help fund surgery for 50 CHD-affected children.
The tee off of the tournament also saw Kapil, recently inducted as a board member by the Professional Golf Tour of India, in action .
The event concludes on April 25 and golfers can select a course of their choice and submit scores online for the organisers to get the final tallies vetted by PwC, before announcing the winners virtually, on April 28.
The tournament is open to Rotarians and non-Rotarians across India and neighboring countries including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.
‘A privilege‘
;Speaking on the occasion, Kapil Dev said, “It is a privilege to lend my whole hearted support to this initiative where Rotary Club of Delhi South seeks to fund the surgery of 50 kids suffering from CHD.
“I urge the golf community to come together and help the club to achieve their target of giving the ‘Gift of Life’ to children with CHD from underprivileged homes.”
Approximately 300,000 children are born each year in India with CHD and close to 25% of these children require treatment in first year of their life.
The awareness about CHD is poor, the medical infrastructure available is skeletal and the treatment is resource intensive, a statement from the club said.
These reasons combined with life situations, make it hard for underprivileged families to undertake the much needed treatment and they most often end up losing their children.
RCDS president Pradeep Kumar said, “Gift of Life is an International programme by Rotary, adopted by our club, to help children from underprivileged homes to fight heart defects that they are born with.
“Not getting the right treatment at the right time, most often results in untimely death or disabilities.
“This international hybrid golf event is an attempt to get individuals together to give the gift of life to these infants, while they get to play their favourite game.”
Along with Kapil Dev, K.P Singh of DLF, a well-known name in the golf world, joined hands with the club by teeing off from a golf course in Mussoorie.
National and international golfers have also extended support by agreeing to participate and submit their scores while playing at their respective courses.
The inauguration day recorded a donation of Rs. 10 lakh and organizers hope to see numbers grow each day.
The list of supporters of the event included CHF, SLW, CONCOR, SAFGR and Forevermark amongst others.
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