Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: The Arunachal Golf Association executive body met in Itanagar on September 4 to draft a blueprint for regional golf growth. President Wanglat Lowangcha led the session at the Arunachal Olympic Association office. Attendees included Vice President Maj Gen Jarken Gamlin, AOA Secretary General Bamang Tago, and AGA Secretary General Bamang Buru. The group wants more state golfers competing at national and international levels.
Arunachal golfers have already made noise on the circuit. The state team grabbed fourth place among eight teams at the 2022 Northeast Olympic Games in Shillong, where Col (Retd) Panggin claimed the individual Best Net title. Other recent successes include Captain Dr Lobsang Dondup winning the 2025 Patron-in-Chief Cup, Col (Retd) Panggin taking the IGU Senior Golf Team event in April 2025, and L Wanglat placing second in the 70-and-above division at the July 2026 Centara World Amateur Championship in Hua Hin.
The association lacks a formal ecosystem. They plan to build a local course. Officials will invite golf clubs managed by private owners, PSUs, and Central paramilitary units to join the AGA. Currently, the AGA is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and holds affiliation with the AOA and the Sports Authority of Arunachal Pradesh.
Bamang Tago pushed for strict residency requirements for all state sports organizations. He cited Rule 41 of the International Olympic Charter, the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, and Rule 27.2 of the Indian Olympic Association constitution. Tago warned that the AOA will take action against unauthorized groups. "Such contributions should not come at the cost of opportunities for indigenous sportspersons," Tago said. Only permanent residents may serve as office-bearers or represent the state.
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