BANGLADESH TO BREAK NEW GROUND WITH FIRST ASIAN DEVELOPMENT TOUR EVENT

The Asian Development Tour will hosts the first ever tournament in Bangladesh when the Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters tees off on February 3.

Played at the Kurmitola Golf Club from February 3 to 6, the US$75,000 event will also kick start the 2011 Asian Development Tour season.

Grameenphone Ltd., the leading telecom operator of Bangladesh, will be the title sponsor of the event and will continue their tremendous support towards the development of golf in the country. Grameenphone has been sponsoring premier golf events including the President Cup Golf Tournament.

It also sponsors Siddikur Rahman, the first Bangladeshi to play and win on the elite Asian Tour where he was victorious at the Brunei Open in August. Apart from golf, Grameenphone is the long standing sponsor of the National Cricket Team of Bangladesh. As the prominent sports sponsor of the country, the company is supporting many other sports.

Deputy Director, Market Communications of Grameenphone, Tahmeed Azizul Huq believes the Asian Development Tour will further boost the development of golf in the country.

“On behalf of Grameenphone, I’m delighted to welcome the Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters on our shores. This is a ground breaking event in our country and we hope it will be catalyst to inspire more professional golfers in Bangladesh to emulate the success of Siddikur and shoot for glory,” said Tahmeed in a press conference today.

Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters, BG Salim Akhtar lauded the launch of the tournament.

 “The Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters will be a pathway to give our golfers the experience of playing in an international event and against the talented players in the Asian Development Tour. Subsequently we hope it will raise the profile of the sport in Bangladesh and encourage the younger generation to take up the sport,” said Salim.

The Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters will be equally important to aspiring golfers from across the region as they battle for playing rights on the Asian Tour. The top three finishers on the Asian Development Tour's Order of Merit will earn Tour cards on the main circuit in the following season.

The Asian Development Tour, structured along the lines of the Nationwide Tour in the United States and European Challenge Tour, was launched in 2010 with tournaments already staged in Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and Chinese Taipei.

Corporate Communications
Grameenphone Ltd.
Phone: 9882990