Tata Steel has announced that it will extend its support to the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) as an umbrella partner for three more years starting from the 2022 season.
The sponsorship commitment is pegged at a higher value, compared to the previous occasion. The steelmaker, known for its long-cherished commitment to building sports in India, also said that it will be doubling the prize money of the season-ending Tata Steel Tour Championship to Rs 3 crore, from this year onwards. Tata Steel first came onboard as umbrella partner of PGTI in 2019 by signing a three-year contract with the controlling body for professional golf in India.
Sanjiv Paul, vice-president (Safety, Health & Sustainability), Tata Steel, said, “Sports is a way of life at Tata Steel and we have always been at the forefront of developing and nurturing sporting talent in the country. We look forward to continuing our valued collaboration with PGTI to pursue our common goal of promoting Indian talent to compete at the highest level of golf. We will continue to strive for excellence in sports and leverage sports to empower the community.”
Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Tata Steel, one of India’s leading corporates and patron of sports, as our umbrella partner. This development is a shot in the arm for PGTI as our continued association with Tata Steel will help Indian professional golf scale new heights in the coming years.”
Tata Steel’s century-old association with sports dates back to Sir Dorabji Tata financing four athletes and two wrestlers for the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. The Company has created an array of infrastructure for every sports discipline, including a 9-hole golf course (Beldih) and an 18-hole golf course (Golmuri) in Jamshedpur, which have played host to several tournaments, including Tata Steel Tour Championship.
The affiliation of PGTI with the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) system allows more Indian players to make an impact on the world stage, as well as for the world to recognise the caliber of talent that exists in India. Since becoming a part of the OWGR system in 2019 and its association with Tata Steel, PGTI has become a de facto springboard for talented Indian golfers to join the bigger international tours.
