New Delhi: Indian golf duo of Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar have sealed qualification for the men’s event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Shubhankar and Gaganjeet qualified for the Paris Games after finishing among the top 60 golfers in the Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) until the qualifying window of June 17. While Shubhankar was ranked 48th, Bhullar was placed 54th in the Olympic Golf Rankings.
FILE – Gaganjeet Bhullar of India hits to the green on the third day of the World Cup of Golf at the Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne on November 24, 2018. (Image: AFP)
The cut-off date for men was June 17, while for women, it is June 24.
According to the selection, only the top 15 players in OGR can qualify for the Olympics, with a maximum of four athletes per country. After that, two golfers per country can qualify, but only if they don’t have representation of two or more golfers among the top 15.
Shubhankar is India’s top-ranked golfer.
A deserved qualification for Bhullar
Bhullar, 36, is a seasoned campaigner and a winner of 11 Asian Tour titles. He is a former Asian Games silver medallist, winning the coveted medal in the 2006 edition as an 18-year-old in his first year on the professional circuit.
He was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2013.
Meanwhile, Shubhankar, 27, is currently the best Indian golfer on the circuit. A two-time Asian Tour winner, Shubhankar achieved a superb feat in 2023 after finishing T8 at the prestigious Open Championship – the best finish at The Open by an Indian.
Last month, Shubhankar hailed the Indian government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which helps athletes perform optimally by providing financial and logistical assistance. The ace golfer was upgraded to the TOPS core group last month.
Shubhankar Sharma, India’s top-ranked golfer, and Gaganjeet Bhullar have sealed Paris Olympic berths. Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
