OP Garg Suspends Five State Golf Associations Ahead of IGU Elections for Non-Compliance

In a move ahead of the upcoming elections for the Indian Golf Union (IGU), Returning Officer OP Garg has suspended five state golf associations for failing to meet the sport's governing body's requirements.

The suspended associations include the Himachal Pradesh Proam Golf Association, Arunachal Pradesh Golf Association, Madhya Prant Golf Association, Nagaland Golf Association, and Sikkim State Golf Association, all of which have been deemed "virtually non-existent" by OP Garg.

The suspension, announced on Monday, followed a complaint filed by Shyam Sunder, Chairman of the IGU Technical Committee and a council member. Garg, a retired Judge of the Allahabad High Court, stated that after reviewing the available documents, he found that the five associations had flagrantly breached the IGU's bylaws and were not fulfilling the necessary requirements for participation in the elections.

In his ruling, Garg said, "These five SGAs have blatantly failed and deliberately committed breach of the law. They do not meet the IGU's bylaws, and as such, are not entitled to take part in the ongoing election process." He further confirmed that the names of these associations would be excluded from the electoral college list for the elections scheduled on December 15, 2024.

The Returning Officer also revealed that an email detailing the situation was sent to the five associations on November 22, requesting their feedback within two days. Despite the deadline, none of the associations responded to the communication. A video conference on Monday, which involved IGU President Sh Brijinder Singh, complainant Shyam Sunder, and Maj Gen Bibhuti Bhushan (DG, IGU), proceeded without input from the suspended associations, as their contact details were unavailable in IGU records.

In his complaint, Shyam Sunder pointed out that the five SGAs lacked golf courses as members and were primarily limited to Army Environmental Park and Training Areas (AEPTA). He further highlighted that the names of the Presidents, Secretaries, and office-bearers were not publicly available, and the associations were "only on paper" and in violation of the National Sports Code. Additionally, these SGAs had not held their required Annual General Meetings (AGMs) or submitted annual reports and balance sheets, as stipulated by IGU records and legal requirements.