New Delhi [India], September 24 : A huge uproar erupted after the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) suspended 17 professional golfers for participating in the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Invitational Tournament at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida, between September 17 and September 19.
The suspension list included some of the most prominent names in Indian golf. Gaganjeet Bhullar, one of India's most successful golfers, has represented the country at the Olympic Games and is a multiple-time winner on the Asian Tour. His suspension, alongside that of players such as Aman Raj, Harendra Gupta, Karandeep Kochhar, and Sachin Baisoya, has led to distress across the golfing community.
The reason behind the suspension of the players stems from a rule in the PGTI constitution. According to the rule, a player will be suspended if they compete in a league other than the PGTI.
In the aftermath of the decision, players are now considering approaching the judiciary to restore fairness and uniformity within PGTI. There have already been two cases filed by players before the Delhi High Court, the most recent being one by Ranjeet Singh and Kapil Kumar.
The move has drawn severe criticism, as the players were not even part of the entry or waiting list for the Chennai Open, conducted by PGTI, on the exact dates. Although not on the Chennai Open entry list, the players participated in the IGPL event.
However, the Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) of PGTI, comprising five members, issued show cause notices and simultaneously passed suspension orders. It was reported by players that the DAC had overreached its authority, as it has no power to issue interim suspension orders prior to the completion of a full enquiry.
Players expressed that PGTI has unfairly targeted them for participating in IGPL tournaments, whereas many players, including members of the Governing Body and members of the DAC themselves, also participated in a tournament held in Pune on the same dates as the PGTI Tournament Next Gen..
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