Rashid-DGC row escalates, golfer threatens to quit

Indian golfer Rashid Khan on Sunday said he is ready to give up his Olympics dream and quit the sport if he is not allowed to practice at the Delhi Golf Club.

The two-time Asian champion, who is currently ranked No 1 on the PGTI Players' Championship, along with seven professional and two amateur golfers were taken to the Tughlaq Road police station after they complained of the DGC staff not allowing them to enter the premises for practice despite paying the stipulated fee.

The tussle between Rashid and the DGC goes back a long time over the latter's refusal to allow him to practice at the iconic 18-hole course. He said the DGC has gone against a Supreme Court ruling that allows them to use the course for practice.

"I will quit if this issue is not sorted out. They are ready to use it for entertainment purpose but not for sports. From IAS officers to other bureaucrats, they allow everyone to use the course but golfers like us," Rashid told PTI.

"I was also carrying a Supreme Court ruling that states that we are allowed to practice there but still we were not allowed, so it's flouting of the top court ruling," he added.

With practice becoming an "ordeal", Rashid had in January accused the DGC of discrimination, which, he said, was ruining careers of golfers coming from humble backgrounds.

In 2012, he had said the DGC stopped allowing caddie-turned-players from practising at the course, one of India's most iconic clubs, which is located at the heart of Lutyens' Delhi.

On Sunday, Rashid also tweeted, "No win is easy and without practice even more difficult. I was in police station from 15.00 to 18.30 hours, just because I was willing to pay green fees and practice at Delhi golf club. Don't know who to blame? My voice is getting muted and others who are the elite are taking the benefits."

On Saturday, he had written on his Twitter handle, "Arrested for calling the police to help us but we only got arrested at 3pm 25/05/2019 this what happens when you try to take help from our law it goes against you only # Olympic will be dream for me now."