Sitting IGU vice-president makes a pitch for body’s top job

By Rahul Banerji

Indian Golf Union (IGU) vice-president Farzan Herjee faces current secretary Harish Shetty in his bid for the presidency of the apex body for amateur golf in the country.

The IGU will hold its election to the 2024-26 body on December 15 under retired Sikkim High Court chief justice Permod Kohli. He was named in place of former Allahabad High Court judge O.P. Garg as Returning Officer by sitting president Brijinder Singh on Monday.

In the run-up to the December 15 poll, Justice Garg had first suspended and then reinstated five Stage Golf Associations (SGAs) before issuing an order that the poll would be held on schedule after Singh had sought to postpone the process.

Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha too had advised the IGU against delay in the election, following which Singh replaced Justice Garg by Justice Kohli.

Long years

A senior Tata executive, the Jamshedpur-based Herjee has underlined his long association with the IGU and the fact that he is one of a handful of R&A members in the country while appealing to the 31 eligible SGAs for their votes.

Ironically, Singh and Shetty had defeated Lt Gen Devraj Anbu (retd) and Lt Gen Asit Mistry (retd) for their respective posts as president and secretary in 2022 with the latter now supported by a number of serving Indian Army officers.

As G. Rajaraman noted in oneturf.news recently, Lt Gen R.P Kalita, then General Officer Commanding in Chief Eastern Command, Lt Gen. Basant Kumar Repswal, then Commandant ASC Centre and Corps and Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, then General Officer Commanding Delhi Area had contested for IGU posts in the 2022 election but lost.

This time, Shetty’s name was seconded by Lt Gen Bhavnish Kumar, the present GOC Delhi Area, while Lt Gen Seth, now GOC-in-C Southern Command has been nominated for the vice-president’s post.

Another serving officer, Lt Gen R.C. Tiwari, GOC-in-C Eastern Command is on the nominees’ list for a Governing Council post while Lt Gen Repswal is nominee for the post of honorary secretary.

None of the serving officers have any rank against their names in the list of proposed office bearers in the list headed by Shetty.

Team 2024-26: Proposed office-bearers

1. President Mr Harish Kumar Shetty; Mr M. Chandrashekar Kini (proposer), Mr Bhavnish Kumar (seconder)

2. Vice President Mr Dhiraj Seth; Mr Harish Shetty (proposer), Mr Arun Kumar Singh (seconder, refuted)

3. Hony Secretary Mr Basant Kumar Repswal; Mr A.K. Sharma (proposer), Mr T.S. Varma (seconder)

4. Treasurer Mr Manoj Joshi; Mr Daniel S. Jyrwa (proposer), Mr Basant Kumar Repswal (seconder)

Governing Council members

1. Mr Ram Chander Tiwari; Mr Harish Shetty (proposer) Mr A.V. Monish Rao (seconder)

2. Mr Bhavnish Kumar; Mr Daniel S. Jyrwa (proposer) Mr Basant Kumar Repswal (seconder)

3. Mr Vikram Gulati; Mr A.V. Monish Rao (proposer), Mr Bhavnish Kumar (seconder)

4. Ms Navita Mansingh; Mr Dhiraj Seth (proposer), Mr Thomas Joseph (seconder)

5. (Lady Member) Ms Neelam Pratap Singh; Mr Ram Chander Tiwari (proposer) Mr M. Chandrashekar Kini (seconder)

6. Mr M. Chandrashekar Kini; Mr Vikram Gulati (proposer), Mr Daniel S. Jyrwa (seconder)

7. Mr T.S. Verma; Mr Manoj Joshi (proposer), Mr Harish Shetty (seconder)

8. Mr Daniel S. Jyrwa; Mr Thomas Joseph (proposer), Mr Arun Kumar Singh (seconder, refuted)

9. Mr Sumeru Bahuguna; Mr Sameer Sinha (proposer) Mr T.S. Varma (seconder)

Also read: IGU appoints new Returning Officer to oversee poll process

Also read: IGU election will be held as per schedule, says Returning Officer

Also read: IOA steps in after IGU postpones its election ‘indefinitely’

Also read: IGU election: Justice Garg revokes suspension of five SGAs

Also read: Indian Golf Union elections to be held on December 15