|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 25 January 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Free qualification for Anura Rohana to play in APGA Tour by LAL GUNESEKERA Sri Lanka's only professional golfer on the APGA Tour - Anura Rohana, has qualified automatically to play in the APGA Tour this year and did not have to attend the qualifying school in Malaysia earlier this month to get his 'Licence'. Rohana told the Sunday Observer that as there were many Indians trying to qualify for the APGA Tour and as he was the only Sri Lankan, he received a free qualification to play on the Tour. Last year (2003), was his first as a professional on the APGA Tour where he finished a commendable 96th out of over 200 golfers. His earnings came to about US Dollars 10,500 but he had to part with some of the monies earned to his sponsors towards travelling, accommodation, entry fees etc. Rohana came 25th at the Volvo China Open in Shanghai, 14th at the Royal Challenge Indian Open, 42nd at the Myanmar Open, while on the Hero Honda Tour of India's Circuit, Rohana, was placed 9th at both the Hero Honda Open in Bangalore as well as at the Kashmir Open in Srinagar. However, he failed to 'make the cut' at the Thai Open, Qatar Masters, Macao Open, TNGF Open in Chennai and Omega Hong Kong Open. He has not yet received the full calendar of tournaments for the year from the APGA, but is scheduled to figure first at the Myanmar Open which has a total prize money of US Dollars 200,000 on offer from February 12 to 15, before moving on to the US Dollars 200,000 Macao Open from February 19 to 22 and then the Philipps Hong Kong Open which is an US Dollars 150,000 event from February 26 to 29. Rohana is also to play at the Rs. 1 million Indian Open from May 11 to 14 and Delhi Open from May 25 to 28. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Golf Union (SLGU), has made arrangements to send two sides to compete at the All-India Open Amateur Championship in Calcutta from February 9 to 15 and Pakistan Amateur Open Championship in Karachi from February 19 to 22. The President of the SLGU Shiran de Soysa, told the Sunday Observer that Lalith Kumara, Prabhakaran, Amarapathma and J. Kumar will compete in Calcutta, while Tissa Chandradasa, who is based in Dubai is not available to play in India, but will play in Pakistan replacing J. Kumar in the national side. Lalith won the Bangladesh Open title recently and Indian title in 1999. De Soysa also disclosed that the Pakistan Golf Union has invited the SLGU to send two juniors to play in the Pakistan Junior Amateur Open Championship to be worked off in Karachi during the same period. One of the juniors will be Binupa Wijesinghe, while the other is to be selected soon. He said that there might be a few more 'private' entries from Sri Lanka. Dutch professional Henk Stevens arrived in the country yesterday (Saturday) and is scheduled to be here upto March 5. He will coach both the senior and junior pools. He is scheduled to be in Colombo for one week, and then move to Nuwara Eliya and Kandy before returning to Colombo. He has requested four to five days 'off' as he wants to see the country. He is coming at his own expense and this is his fourth visit to Sri Lanka, although the earlier visits were sponsored by R&A. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
