Special Olympics golfers put up fine show at IGPL Invitational

Chandigarh, March 14:  The Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) marked a historic milestone at its Invitational 2026 Chandigarh Leg, held from March 11 to 13 at the Chandigarh Golf Club, by inviting three Special Olympics golfers, Ranveer Singh Saini, Kushagra Gaur, and Mohit Kumar, to compete alongside professional golfers.

The occasion represented a major step towards inclusive sports. During the event, Indian golf legend and defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar was crowned champion at the IGPL Invitational Chandigarh 2026, with Olympic golfers also witnessing the remarkable achievement.

Ranveer Singh Saini from Gurgaon is the first autistic Indian and has won three medals at the Special Olympics World Games (gold in 2015 at Los Angeles, silver in 2019 in Abu Dhabi, and gold in 2023 in Berlin). He is also a 13-time National Champion and has received the National Award in Sports from the President of India.

Mohit Kumar, 21, from Hisar, is an emerging talent who took second place at the Special Olympics Bharat National Golf Championship and is a likely candidate for the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Santiago, Chile.

On the momentous occasion, Ranveer Saini’s father, Kartikeya Saini, said, "IGPL has taken this initiative to invite these young golfers to play on their tour with some of the finest Indian golfers. The moment you do that you have taken a giant step by playing alongside them."

"Ranveer, Kushagra, and Mohit have bonded very well. IGPL has made them come together high fives, hugging each other after a good putt. It was great camaraderie that IGPL has brought amongst players with disabilities," Kartikeya added.

Kushagra Gaur, from Gurgaon, is an international gold medallist at the Macau Special Olympics Golf Masters and has competed on the IGU North India Feeder Tour against professional players. Both he and Ranveer train at DLF Golf and Country Club and are listed in the Limca Book of Records. Kushagra's path to golf started with cricket; his mother notes that his ease in hitting boundaries led the family to explore a sport emphasising individual skill and technical expertise, making golf a perfect choice.

Kushagra’s mother, speaking on her son’s natural transition from cricket to playing golf, shared, "He used to hit boundaries very easily during his school days, so we felt golf is all about hitting. And there was nobody to judge him. We never made him feel he had some limitation; we used to say, we can break it. Let's try."

Reflecting on Kushagra’s journey from Macau to the IGU North Feeder and expressing her gratitude to IGPL, Shweta Gaur, mother of Kushagra Gaur, said, "Since 2018 he started playing the IGU Feeder. He was playing really good golf and competing with regular golfers. His score became from double-digit to single digit. So, if there were 60 or 65 athletes, from that position he went to like 10 or 12. He felt he had the potential."

“The game of 18 holes requires a lot of discipline and a lot of determination. I felt my son Kushagra has the potential, and when IGPL approached us, we couldn’t have been happier," shared Kushagra’s mother.

The Chandigarh Invitational is included in the IGPL's international tour across India, Mauritius, Congo, and South Africa. For the families of the Special Olympic athletes, the invitation meant much more than just a chance to play. Throughout the event, the three athletes also shared a noticeable bond.

Supported by its collaboration with LIV Golf, the IGPL is establishing a true pathway for Indian golfers, including pathway athletes, to join an international golf series. For Special Olympics golfers who have already competed globally, this partnership represents an unprecedented chance: to be recognised not as a separate category but merely as golfers.

--IANS