The historic hundred and one years old The Poona Club witnessed, on April 2nd, a major charity golfing event sponsored by Bridgestone India, part of the Bridgestone Group -a global leader in tyres and rubber and mobility solutions. This was the fourth edition of the Nirmayan Charity Pro-Am Premium Golf Tournament that saw 25 professionals and 75 amateur golfers participate.
Situated in the heart of Pune city, the majestic 100 acres, 18 hole golf course saw luminaries like Shiv Kapur, Shubhankar Sharma, SSP Chawrasia, Chikkarangappa, Rahil Gangjee, Rashid Khan, Khalin Joshi and Olympian and Bridgestone Brand Ambassador Udayan Mane and many more tee off. Mane has been part of all four editions of the tournament, and in 2015, he participated as an amateur before turning into a pro the very next month.
“At Bridgestone, we believe in serving society through our quality product offerings as well as by extending our support to important issues and causes. Bridgestone’s association with this tournament is guided by this commitment. We are pleased to associate with Nirmayan for the second time and we are glad to be able to contribute towards these noble causes and bettering lives of communities around us. “said Mr Parag Satpute, Managing Director, Bridgestone India.
Bridgestone is committed towards creating a meaningful difference for communities through serving society and strategically focuses on three key priority areas of People, Mobility and Environment for its CSR initiatives.
One of the TOP global Sponsors of Olympics, Bridgestone are also the manufacturers of Golf Equipment in Japan. Hence, this association was conceptualised keeping in mind the brand’s lineage to Sports and their commitment to serve society through all endeavours.
The one-day event on April 2nd was aimed at helping raise funds for various NGOs and saw top Indian professional and amateur golfers participate. Besides sponsoring this event, the Company has also provided support of Twenty-Five Lacs Rupees towards the three NGOs fund raising. These NGOs are, Mudita Foundation– An Alliance for Giving is Pune-based and works towards bridging the gap between well-intentioned & philanthropically-minded donors and deserving & needy beneficiaries. Indian Cancer Society a national organization for awareness, detection, and providing cure and treatment for cancer patients in India and Yes! We Can – a registered non-governmental organisation working for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities.
Nirmayan founder and professional golfer Rajiv Datar said “Nirmayan’s association with Bridgestone has given us a good boost and I would like to thank Mr. Satpute and team for their continued support. This association will also enable us to raise substantial funds which will be used for the benefit of Indian Cancer Society, Mudita Foundation and Yes! We Can organizations. I am also thankful to have the support of India’s best pro golfers for this noble cause.”
The tournament was a modified Texas Scramble, which involves 1 Pro and 3 Amateurs. Golfer Veer Ahalawat’s team (Amateurs Jay Shirke, Padmaja Shirke, Advait Gokhale) bagged the first prize, with Golfer Vikrant Chopra’s team (Amateurs Deepak Bhargava, Aditya Natekar, Avinash Deoskar) scoring the second spot in the tournament.
Other winners from the tournament were:
Aditya Natekar – Longest Driver on Hole 18 (347 yards)
Padmaja Shirke – Longest Driver on Hole 18 in Women’s Category (230 yards)
Upesh/ Manu Gulati – Straightest Drive on Hole 14 (On the Line)
Sunaina Gera – Straightest Drive on Hole 14 in Women’s Category (4 feet)
Advait Gokhale – Closest to the Pin on Hole 2 (3 feet 7 inches)
Sudaay Chaloo- Closest to the Pin on Hole 4 (9 feet 5 inch)
Ashitosh Limaye – Closest to the pin on Hole 13 (6 feet)
Ashish Mohta – Closest to the Pin on Hole 16 (29 feet 4 inch)
The event was concluded with a grand celebration of the winners, with all proceeds from the event and auction going to the NGOs. The Eight items auctioned during the event included Anirban Lahiri’s shoes and Golf Bag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Gloves and the Signed Chennai Super Kings photograph, MC Mary Kom’s boxing gloves, PV Sindhu’s Badminton Kit, Udayan Mane’s Tokyo Olympic Mascot and Golf Round, and raised a substantial sum to support the causes.
