Srinagar, Oct 24: The invitational Labaika Cup Golf Tournament 2026 brought together around 80 golfers at the Royal Springs Golf Course (RSGC), Srinagar, as the organisers sought to promote the sport among youngsters, women and professional players while reconnecting with customers and well-wishers.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani teed off the tournament, while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah distributed prizes at the concluding ceremony. The Chief Minister was accompanied by MP Gurwinder Singh Oberoi, Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq and party spokesperson Imran Dar.
Organised by the Labaika Group, the tournament marked two decades of the business and served as a platform for interaction among its customers, patrons and supporters.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Labaika Group Director Umar Nazir Tibetbaqal said the tournament was aimed at strengthening relationships with people the business had served over the years while using sport as a means of bringing communities together.
“Sports connects people. It is like a third religion in India, where people connect with each other and greet each other. Most of the people participating here are customers whom we have served over the years,” he said.
The four-ball tournament began at around 9 am, with Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani teeing off to mark the start of the event.
Highlighting the tournament’s inclusive format, Tibetbaqal said the event featured separate categories for children, youth, women and professional golfers. A seven-year-old golfer was also among the participants.
He said the group had previously supported sporting events, including cricket at Bakshi Stadium and football tournaments, while the Labaika Cup was organised as an exclusive initiative to engage with its clientele and promote sports.
stressing the need for greater corporate participation in sports, Tibetbaqal said youth development should remain a priority and called for more initiatives to encourage young people to take up golf.
“Kashmir is fortunate to have several golf courses, but our children need more opportunities to compete at higher levels. The proposed golf training academy, as recently mentioned by the Advisor, can help take Kashmir golf to international standards and give local youngsters a much-needed boost,” he said.
He expressed hope that initiatives of this nature would encourage greater participation in golf and help nurture local talent for higher-level competitions.
On the occasion, Secretary Royal Springs Golf Course Haris Ahmad Handoo, Director Tourism Kashmir Syed Qamar Sajjad, Secretary Amar Singh Club Srinagar Nasir Hamid Khan , golfers were present.
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