Sportsmen against HIV/AIDS

[Guest guest]

FIRST PGAI TOUR EVENT DEDICATED TO HIV-AIDS

TEES OFF IN SHILLONG

The slogan, " You can't get HIV/AIDS by shaking hands, " is being taken to new

heights at the first ever Amby Valley PGAI Tour event to be held in the state of

Meghalaya, with the Airtel PGA Shillong Open, supported by the North East

Council set to take place at the Shillong Golf Course from 15th to 19th November

2005. " Sportsmen against HIV/AIDS " is bringing together golfers from all over

India and other parts of the Indian Sub-Continent on one platform to make a

commitment to combat this deadly virus. Notably, this is the first time that the

Amby Valley PGAI Tour has dedicated a professional golf tournament to a social

cause with the Airtel PGA Shillong Open forming the fifth leg of this season on

the tour. The Amby Valley PGAI Tour has completed four events and Rs. 42 lakh in

total prize money this season, with the 2004-05 season Champion Golfer of the

Year, Mukesh Kumar leading the tour, standing with one victory and Rs. 4,13,090

in earnings.

The event, taking place at the Shillong Golf Course, Shillong, Meghalaya is

being jointly organized by the Custodian Officers Golf Club (COGC) and the Amby

Valley PGAI Tour to support the unique initiative to raise awareness of the

HIV/AIDS epidemic in the North East. The parent body of the sport in the

country, the Professional Golfers’ Association of India and their marketing arm,

Delhi based Tiger Sports Marketing, wholeheartedly endorses the awareness

efforts led by Lt. Gen Bhopinder Singh, a keen golfer and environmentalist. They

represent the road ahead, the challenge and the commitment to implement

solutions and keep fighting the pandemic in India.

Among the big names to be seen in action will be the current No 3 on the Amby

Valley PGAI Tour Order of Merit, SSP Chowrasia, who has already tasted success

in the current season, having won the Hindu Open in Chennai. Also in the running

for the coveted Rs. 1,58,200 first place cheque will be No 6, C Muniyappa and No

7, S Madaiah from the Karnataka Golf Association, No 8, Shamim Khan from Delhi

Golf Club, as well as No 9, Harinder Gupta and No 11, Ranjit Singh from the

Chandigarh Golf Club. The event field will also see in action legends of Indian

Golf, Rohtas Singh & Basad Ali who were recently inducted into the PGAI Hall of

Fame and two-time Indian Open Champion, Ali Sher. There will also be five

professionals from Bangladesh and two from Nepal at the event.

The Amby Valley PGAI tour leg in Shillong has a participation of more than a

hundred professional golfers, who have committed to give a percentage of their

total prize money of Rs 1 million towards the HIV/AIDS cause. It is hoped that

the campaign with the active participation of the golfers, many of them opinion

builders and decision makers, will help change public perception of the HIV/AIDS

problem. Mention must be made of young golfers – the leaders of tomorrow – who

will determine the course of the war against AIDS.

Orra, the international brand of Diamond Jewellery has joined hands with Maitri,

NGO to organize a fund raising fashion show coinciding with the prize

distribution gala dinner of the ProAm event on 15th November, 2005.

The anti-stigma messages the Tournament will help promote, are essential in the

North East, where HIV/AIDS presents a monumental public health, economic and

social challenge. Estimates put the number of HIV-positive people in India at

over 5.1 million, and a large percent of the population could be lost to AIDS by

2010 if urgent measures are not taken. By now one third of the world's 40

million people living with HIV are under 25 years old. It is, therefore, vital

that young people have access to information about HIV so that they can lead

healthy and fruitful lives.

" No statistics, however depressing, can prepare you for the hopelessness and

human losses that lie behind the numbers, " says Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh, Director

General Assam Rifles, " But I see the fears and sufferings, as well as the hope,

optimism and determination, especially among our volunteers who are engaged in

peer education programs. I truly believe that we will succeed in our efforts to

raise awareness about HIV/AIDS with the help of the sports community. "

" The sports community is a key partner in reaching out to young men and women,

whether in their village or town, or through sports events, " the General feels.

" Sports has always been a good way of promoting the ideals of tolerance,

non-discrimination and respect for each other – we golfers are glad to be at a

starting point to speak about HIV/AIDS issues to the media and the public at

large, " he says.

Gen Bhopinder adds: " We recognize that sport can play a very important role in

the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Sports personalities are role models who have a

capacity to demolish the walls of stigma and discrimination towards people

living with HIV simply by shaking their hands, involving them in sports events

and raising mass awareness. "

The General who was presiding over a curtain raiser of the PGAI Tournament,

appealed to all those affected, not to shy away from reality. " We are taking the

war to the community level because we want to assist each and every one,

especially those who are reticent about disclosing their condition, " he said.

Making an impassioned plea for greater positiveness in dealing with the virus,

Gen Bhopinder said, " This is the only way we can corner the 'VIRUS' and

exterminate it! "

Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh and his wife Mrs Winnie Singh, have been at the forefront

of the War against AIDS in the North East, after officially launching the

campaign in March this year.