New Delhi, July 23
Renowned clubmaker Sundeep Verma will be making his third Olympic Games appearance as a coach.
Verma will be accompanying leading Indian professional Gaganjeet Bhullar at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Eleven-time Asian Tour champion Bhullar, who is making his Olympic debut, is part of a four-member golf team including Shubhankar Sharma, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar. Indian pro Ashbeer Saini will be caddying for Bhullar.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) cleared a 257-member Indian contingent that includes 117 athletes and 140 support staff and coaches. With over 25 years of experience in the golf industry and being the first Class 'A' certified golf coach-cum-clubmaker, Verma has worked with ace golfers like Jeev Milkha Singh, Anirban Lahiri, S.S.P. Chawrasia, Jyoti Randhawa, Himmat Singh Rai, Shiv Kapur, Shubhankar Sharma and Siddikur Rahman, a release said.
He accompanied Chawrasia to Rio 2016 Olympics and Diksha to Tokyo 2020 Games and played an important part in helping them achieve a memorable performance. The men's individual competition will be staged from August 1 to 4 at Le Golf National, the venue which hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup.
"It was quite natural to pick Sundeep as my coach. He has worked with me during my early professional days. I used to look at him for advice regarding my golf swing and customization of clubs as per my BMI and posture. He has already been to the venue of the event twice and his observations will come in handy for me. He also guided SSP and Diksha during the last two Olympic Games and understands the nuances of the game and how to handle pressure at a stage like this. I am sure that with him on my side, I will return with a remarkable performance in my maiden Olympic appearance," Bhullar said, according to the SAI Media release.
Interestingly, the national sports federation, Indian Golf Union (IGU), and the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), which has the absolute right to approve/reject a Target Olympic Podium Scheme athlete's proposal, had deferred Bhullar's request for allowing Sundeep Verma to accompany him to Paris.
Verma was the coach of the Indian amateur golf team that played the Eisenhower Trophy in 2022 at Le Golf National. He had previously visited the French venue for the 2018 Open de France along with Chawrasia, a four-time winner on the European Tour.
"I am happy to be accompanying Bhullar to Paris. I would love to pass on the learnings from Rio and Tokyo to him. I would say he is the most accomplished golfer of his generation. He is the first Indian to win a European Challenge Tour event in 2011 and has the highest number of Asian Tour titles as an Indian pro at 11... He possesses the right temperament and attacking mindset, which is essential to performing well in big-ticket events like the Olympic Games. We will give it our best shot to return with a medal from Paris," Verma said.
Bhullar's expenditure on airfare, boarding and lodging, and registration fees for competing in the International Series Morocco were covered under the TOP Scheme. TOPS also approved his week-long training at the Olympic Games venue, Le Golf National. The Kapurthala-born professional will be heading to Paris along with Sundeep Verma on July 28.