New Delhi, 06-10-2014
BILT and PGTI announce BILT Open 2014
• BILT Open 2014 to carry total prize purse of Rs. 1 crore
• Fifth of seven Super Series events in 2014
• BILT Open to return to the Delhi Golf Club after two years
• Star-studded line-up to include Rashid Khan (defending champion), Chikkarangappa, Himmat Singh Rai, Shamim Khan
Avantha Group Company, Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT), India’s largest paper manufacturer and the flagship company of the US$ 4 bn Avantha Group, and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), ‘the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India’, today announced the schedule for the BILT Open 2014 at a press conference in Delhi. The announcement was made by Mr. Yogesh Agarwal, Managing Director & CEO, BILT Paper B.V. and Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI.
The tournament carries a prize purse of Rs. 1 crore and is scheduled from 7th – 10th October, 2014 with the Pro-Am being played on 11th October. The event returns to the venerated Delhi Golf Club after a gap of two years.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Yogesh Agarwal, Managing Director and CEO of Avantha Group Company BILT Paper B.V. said, “We believe that golf has a very bright future in India and the legion of its followers in India is on the increase thanks to the untiring efforts of BILT and the PGTI helmed by Mr. Padamjit Sandhu. Today, the BILT open is a premier golf tournament in the country and with top domestic and international names a regular fixture now, we believe, the game is poised to leapfrog to the next level in India. This in turn will help the country transform into a multi sport nation’’.
Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI said, “The BILT Open has been one of the marquee events on the PGTI since its inception. An exciting contest lies in prospect at the 2014 edition as the biggest names in Indian professional golf tee it up for one of the richest prize purses in India and vital Super Series points. We thank Mr. Yogesh Agarwal, MD & CEO, Ballarpur International Graphic Paper Holdings B.V., for helping stage one of the finest professional golf championships on the PGTI. We look forward to their continued support, and look forward to an exciting week at the Delhi Golf Club.”
Defending champion and reigning Rolex Rankings champion Rashid Khan will lead a strong field at his home course. The field will also feature former BILT Open champions Shamim Khan and Chiragh Kumar. The other big names competing include Chikkarangappa, Himmat Singh Rai, Sri Lankan Mithun Perera, Mukesh Kumar, Om Prakash Chouhan, Shubhankar Sharma and Digvijay Singh, to name a few.
Seven events will be staged as part of the PGTI Super Series in 2014 with a total prize purse of Rs. 4.3 crore. Points are allocated for each event of the Super Series. The player with the highest points at the end of the seven Super Series events stands to earn a bonus of Rs. 30 lakh.
About Avantha
The Rs. 25,000 crores (US$4bn) Avantha Group is one of India's leading business conglomerates. Its successful entities in diversified sectors include Crompton Greaves (power transmission and distribution equipment and services), BILT (paper and pulp), The Global Green Company Limited (food processing), Biltech Building Elements Limited (infrastructure), Avantha Power (energy), Salient Business Solutions Limited (IT and ITES), Jg Glass (glass containers).
With a global footprint, the Group operates in 90 countries with more than 25,000 employees worldwide. Led by Gautam Thapar, Avantha demonstrates strong leadership globally and emerges as a focused corporate, leveraging its knowledge, leadership and operations, adding lasting value for its stakeholders and investors.
For more information on Avantha, please visit www.avanthagroup.com.
________________________________________
About BILT
Avantha Group Company Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT) is India's largest manufacturer of writing and printing (W&P) paper. BILT's subsidiaries include BILT Graphic Paper Products Limited (BGPPL), Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), Malaysia's largest pulp and paper company, and BILT Tree Tech Limited (BTTL), which runs BILT's farm forestry programme in several states in India. BILT and BGPPL have six manufacturing units across India, which give the company geographic coverage over most of the domestic market. BILT has a dominant share of the high-end coated paper segment in India. It accounts for over 53% of the coated wood-free paper market, an impressive 80% of the bond paper market and nearly 35% of the hi-bright Maplitho market, besides being India's largest exporter of coated and uncoated paper. BILT’s acquisition of SFI in 2007 was a watershed event – it was the first overseas acquisition by an Indian paper company, it transformed BILT into a major regional player, and elevated BILT’s ranking among the global top 100.
About PGTI:
Formed in 2006, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the recognised official body of professional golf in India. PGTI's objective is to promote professional golf in the country, as well as to give players an opportunity to be involved in the decision making on all aspects of the game. Headed by Mr. Srinivasan H R (President), PGTI's governing body comprises leading Indian golf professionals. PGTI currently has over 300 members.
For information on PGTI, please contact:
Nikhil Kalaan
Media Manager - PGTI
Mobile: 9910974846
Email: media@pgtofindia.com
