If you are a fan of golf then you probably would have heard of Deepak Acharya.
Acharya, a leading Nepali professional golfer, has been living the dream as well as carrying the name of the nation for a while now. He has represented the country in many major golf events and now is a Senior Golf Director at Gokarna Resort Forest.
With the two-day Ang Tshiring Sherpa Memorial Golf Tournament scheduled to be held on March 6 and 7 at the Gokarna Forest Golf Course, Acharya explains how the tournament will be held!
He says, “The tournament that is taking place is in the loving memory of late Ang Tshiring Sherpa, the Managing Director of Yeti Group of Companies and a tourism entrepreneur. Sherpa was a keen golfer and the people who knew him would know how passionate he was about the sport.”
Recalling the time he first met Sherpa, Acharya says, “I met him back in 1992 when I was a young boy. He came to Royal Nepal Golf Club as my father used to be the manager there and I was a club member. Around that time I was already a national champion. So when I met him he asked me to teach him as he was only a beginner. He surely was learning from other pros as well but somehow we found a kind of connection through golf. And since then we played together for a long time.”
“I had to explain this because when Sherpa came to the golf course, he came with a vibe that showed how much he loved the sport and how willing he was to help people in the field, especially people with a humble background. He was keen on helping young players and supporting people whom he thought needed it. He always found a way to help others, whether financially or by pushing people in the right direction. It was not just golfers he helped, now I get to know that he has helped swimmers, tennis players or even in snooker. He somehow knew about when to help someone and who needs help.”
While speaking about the tournament, he explains, “We thought carefully about how to best remember him. There are two things Sherpa was passionate about, at least for over 20 years – tourism and golf. So, we thought the best way to remember him and his work was through a golf tournament. We will be having this tournament annually. The registration fee will be going to a charity. Not only will we be paying tribute to Sherpa but we also would be helping people in his name.”
And when asked how the tournament will take place, Acharya said, “It is an open-amateur tournament, so anyone can participate. But everyone has been so supportive about it. Sherpa’s friends have come up to me and asked how they could help. Regarding the tournament itself, on Friday and Saturday, 76 to 80 golfers will play at once and will tee-off within 10 minutes. The registration will start from 7 to 8 in the morning and there will be a briefing followed by a moment of silence in honour of Sherpa. Then the shotgun will start by 8:15!”
He then went on to explain how players will only play 18 holes on March 5 and 6!
Ang Tshiring Sherpa Memorial Golf Tournament, a golf tournament held in memory of late Ang Tshiring Sherpa, Managing Director of Yeti Group of Companies and a tourism entrepreneur, is scheduled to be held on March 6 and 7.
The two-day event will be held at Gokarna Forest Resort, Nepal’s only golf course with 18 holes. Considering the global pandemic, the event has been divided into two days to accommodate a larger number of golf enthusiasts. The tournament will be played in a stableford format with ¾ handicap over 18 holes.
Chief Security Officer and Spokesperson of Yeti Airlines, Sudarshan Bartaula, said that this tournament will be an annual affair with a vision to promote Nepal as a golf destination. He added that late Sherpa was a pioneer in promoting new tourism destinations in Nepal and a source of inspiration for young golfers and golf enthusiasts.
“Yeti Airlines plans to make this tournament more comprehensive and systematic in the years to come by holding tournaments in different historical and tourist destinations from the far west to the east of Nepal,” informed Bartaula.
The main winner of the competition will be awarded with a trophy and a travel package worth Rs 500,000. Other winners will receive special travel packages sponsored by companies and resorts operating through the same group. These include Air Dynasty, Himalayan Airlines, Yeti Airlines, Tara Air, Yeti Mountain Home, Moksha Resort, Gokarna Forest Resort, Kasara Resort and Ker & Downy.
The main organisers of the tournament are Yeti Airlines and Gokarna Forest Resort. The entry fee collected from the participants will be donated to a charitable organisation.
