Saleem Raza of Pakistan and Gujranwala Golf Club and Abid Sattar of Karachi were the two Pakistanis to compete in the Disabled British Open Golf Championship 2012, which concluded yesterday at the East Sussex National Golf Course, in UK, and a golf course that has the honor of hosting two European Open Golf Championships. In a contest lasting over two rounds, and contested by 110 golfers from 15 countries, Saleem Raza distinguished himself by securing the fourth position with two rounds scores of 84 and 83 and a total aggregate of 167 and this is an improvement over last year when he attained the 8th position.
Speaking on the phone he said: “The course was world class but it rained for over three hours during the final round and cold winds lashed at a speed of over forty miles per hour, which made shot making extremely difficult.”
He further said that although Royal Palm Golf Course management had extended him practice facilities and he had worked extensively on his game, the wet and chilly conditions did upset my golf play around the greens”. “And as you know even in heavy downpour the game continues, and there is no stoppage.” Abid Sattar of Karachi is a golfer without an arm and participated in category three and gained valuable competition experience and hopes to do better next year. These two golfers certainly managed to improve the soft image of Pakistan as most of the competitors thought that Pakistan was a terror ridden country without any moments of peace and when told that this was far from the truth, they felt relieved and pleasantly happy and more aware of the actual situation.
Even Lindsay Horton the event incharge was gladdened by the presence of competitors from Pakistan and said such events would lead to the inclusion of golf in the Paralympics in years to come.
