The Royal Calcutta Golf Club is hosting Super 16 League, in partnership with t2, a lawn bowling tournament, on the bowling greens at the RCGC Maidan Tent. The Super 16 League is of a unique nature, both in terms of the number of teams (16 teams) and the numbers of players (128 players). To add to the excitement, it has introduced an all-new format based on a combination of three draft players and five players from an auction pool. The Super 16 League has been played in a league format in the initial stages till November 11, with eight teams qualifying for the quarter-finals, which began on November 14. The finals of the tournament are scheduled to take place today, followed by the prize distribution which is to take place on November 19.
Auctioneer Satvindar Singh and tournament convener Devesh Srivastava conducted the auctions, as the teams aggressively bid and tried to get their player combinations right.
Don’t let the perfect weather, the lush green fields and the closely knit family-like players fool you outside the field. Once the game is on, the players get down to business.
Organiser speak
“Ever since the auctions, the teams have been gearing up to get their playing combination (three draft players + five players from the auction pool) right as the new bonus points system makes each game crucial. The format demands that the teams strike the right balance with their seasoned star players playing along with the members who are new to the sport. Bonus points are awarded to the team which wins by a greater number of shots. All teams will want to make sure that they keep the games close even if they are not winning a particular match,” explained tournament convenor Devesh Srivastava.
“It has been a wonderful experience playing in the inaugural edition of the Super 16 League. I am sure all members are thoroughly enjoying the League. Since this sport has no age limit, we have players ranging from 11 to 74 playing as a team, competing with some of the best players in the country,” said Rohan Ghosh, captain of RCGC.
Players speak
What is more lovely than kids taking part in sports? Meet Nikunj Agarwal. He might look like a mere 11-year-old coy young lad. But don’t underestimate his talent. Nikunj represented Bengal in Khelo India 2020 and brought home a bronze medal. “I am excited to play wth all the seniors, there is so much to learn,” he said.
Marriage is referred to as the pure, soul-rendering holy matrimony between two individuals. However, on the field, the stakes are high! With several couples playing against each other, t2 caught hold of a moment with this couple who were fighting tooth and claws against each other, for a place in the quarter-finals.
“We drafted all three players from the Bengal women’s team as I wanted to play with them since the pandemic and no nationals had happened. The Super 16 League provided a bonding platform for us,” said Renu Mohta (extreme left), owner of Fire Bowls.
The league is star-studded with players, who have represented Bengal nationally, or India internationally. Samit Malhotra (left), who represented India in the 2014 Glasgow Olympics, is a part of the league. The league convenor Devesh Srivastava himself is a former Bengal captain.
Pictures: Rashbehari Das