SSP Chawrasia opens golf school for underprivileged children in Kolkata

Kolkata, Sep 26: He announced it in November last year that he plans to open a foundation in his name after conquering Asian Tour title by clinching Manila Masters.

Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia (SSP), the Arjuna awardee golfer from Kolkata, who started his journey as a caddy has kept his words.

Jointly with his childhood friend, former national golfer Neil Law, Chawrasia has started a coaching camp exclusively for golf at the newly built golf course on the outskirts of Kolkata named New Town.

What's more interesting is the fact that SSP’s golf school is that all the students are underprivileged. They live in a local slum area.

Some of them do not have parents as they have been missing. Some students have lost their fathers while their mothers work as maids. The age of these students is 10-12 years on average.

SSP told last year after winning Manila Masters, “I am going to start a foundation soon. Its main aim will be to find underprivileged but talented golfers around Kolkata and promote them in a manner so that they also can dream of becoming a professional golfer.”

Neil Law, who won tournaments like Asian Cup in 1980s and also participated in different international tournaments alongside the top players like Jeev Milkha Singh, is a childhood friend of SSP.

Neil told MyKhel on Tuesday, “SSP's elder brothter, Omprakash Chawrasia, was my caddy. After my training or match got over completed SSP used to train at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) with my golf kit. SSP was still a caddy that time. But I was amazed to have watched his passion for golf. Even after roaming around the golf course throughout the day as someone’s caddy, he used to take my kit and practice.”

That might be the reason SSP has not forgotten his early days and asked his childhood friend to continue with the programme.