Star-studded Indian team for Nomura Cup

New Delhi: Expectations will be high on the Indian Golf Union`s amateur squad when the star-studded team tees off on Tuesday at the 2011 Nomura Cup in Fiji, which is hosting the tournament for the first time.

The Indian team has had considerable success in recent months, including the Asian Games silver medal last year and the gold at the Asian Junior championships in Malaysia in January.

While the current National champion S Chikkrangarappa was part of the team, which won the Asian Juniors in Malaysia, another member of the current Nomura Cup team Abhijit Chadha won the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills in China in March this year.

Chadha was also a member of the Indian team at the 2010 Asian Games, where they won a silver medal.

The Indian team, which has already left for Fiji, comprises Chikka and his Bangalore citymate Khalin Joshi, Chandigarh duo Abhijeet Chadha and Angad Cheema. Alan Singh will be the coach-cum-manager.

India have won the biennial Nomura Cup once back in 1973, and to-date it ranks as their only success in the tournament which started in 1963. The Indian team, which won in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1973, comprised of R K Pitamber, Billoo Sethi, Vikramjit Singh and Lakshman Singh. India`s team for 2011 was selected by the Indian Golf Union following two events for the National Squad at the KGA and the Coimbatore Golf course.

Played over two courses, Denarau and Natadola, the Nomura Cup, which is also called the Asia-Pacific Golf Championships is in the 72-hole stroke play format with the best three scores to count each day.

The formal opening of the tournament is scheduled for Monday at the Denarau Golf and Racquet Club and the first round will be held on Tuesday. The second and third rounds will be held at Natadola and the final round and closing ceremony will once again be held at Denarau on August 19.

As many as 26 countries are expected to participate in the event.

PTI