Karachi is a heaven for winter golfing. Golfers can play all day with nice sunshine and longer daytime than any other part of the country. It’s the golfing season. To be able to play golf in a T-shirt in winter is very exciting.

Golf is the greatest of the games that man has invented.

But the happy part of our golfing story is unfortunately restricted to the weather. While most countries are working on their junior golf programme we are still in a slumber.

Faisal Qureshi, a friend of mine who was once an amateur, became a pro golfer and is now a coach, initiated the junior golfers’ tour of India. His efforts are appreciated; it’s going successfully and will produce future champions.

Whereas we don’t even have grassroots level junior golf programme on national and provincial level. Where are the funds and vision?

I would request the multinational companies to sponsor juniors’ clinics. They must take great care about where their money is being spent. Otherwise this present golf system will continue to guzzle funds without producing results. Give young caddies golf equipment as it’s the best way of promoting golf. The youngsters are our future.

God has given us a true world class golfer in Shabbir Iqbal. In the Pakistan Masters 2007 at the Karachi Golf Club, he finished third. A top Indian golfer, Digvijay Singh, told Pakistan golf officials that they should send Shabbir abroad to make use of his talent.

But their reply was negative: that he doesn’t want to play. When I heard this I could not believe my ears. It was heartrending to see the best golfer of Pakistan for the last ten years being treated in this manner.

All my readers must be thinking why I always talk about him. Talent like him is born once in a century. It is our good fortune that he was born on our soil, in the capital of Pakistan. But it is so saddening to see him being wasted like this.

In my long career, I have seen two players dominating Pakistan’s professional golf: Guhlam Nabi and Shabbir Iqbal.

I would request the corporate sector to give sponsorship to our professionals and coaches for improvement in golf. Amateurs don’t need any kind of sponsorship they can afford everything. Banks and other multinationals can sponsor coaches to teach some of their workers. It’s the only way our golf can flourish.

The teaching fee of professional golf coaches is the same as it was years ago despite sky-high inflation. If one asks for a raise, one should be ready to face the harsh consequences.

We have a great professional golfers’ family in Lahore: late Mohammad Hussain and his two sons Imdad and Taimor. They won the National Championship a number of times.

Taimor is the only Pakistani to have won on the Asian tour. He now lives in Japan and plays the Japanese tour.

We don’t have any lady golf teachers. How will a lady enter an arena where men are struggling for recognition and jobs? If you look around the world there are lady coaches teaching golf.

A number of lady golfers hesitate to go to male golf coaches. The game will get a huge boost in the country if we get a few lady coaches, but how and who will do it is the big question.

KGC captain Sohail Rana is a very good golfer in Karachi. He has made a lot of efforts to promote golf. Commodore (retd) Zafar Ahmed, KGC lady captain Fowzia Naqvi and Ehsan Malik are also doing much to promote ladies golf in Karachi.

Last month Siddiqur Rehman, a Bangladeshi friend, won the Indian Open part of the Asian tour. He earned $210,000. He is not a long hitter and is a short man, but he has self belief. His country’s golf federation kept motivating him and now he is a star. We have many good talented power hitters such as Shabbir Iqbal, Matloob Ahmed, M Munir, M Nazir, Talib Hussain, Mohammad Tariq, Ahmed Saeed, Waheed Baluch, Imdad Hussain, Shafiq Masi, Aadil Jehangir, Shahid Javed, Amjad Yusuf, Javed Inayat and Imran Ali Khan. They are all capable of playing internationally. But no professional sport can be played without sponsorship. If our golfing system changes, they will create a lot of respect for our country in the golf world.

Today no Pakistani professional golfer encourages his sons to become professional golfers because there is no hope of a better future. It’s consistent suffering, facing discrimination throughout the life.

Meanwhile, I’ll end my piece by sharing a few details of the much-anticipated Royal Trophy to be played between Asia and Europe later this month. Initiated in 2006, the Royal Trophy will feature the best golfers from Asia and Europe. It will be a perfect event to showcase Asia’s growing talent pitted against established stars from Europe. Let me give you a little history of the Asian Tour. It was initiated by Malaysian pro Kely Haan. It’s the third biggest tour of the world. They used to give two spots to Pakistan, but it’s not possible for our professionals to go and play events without sponsorship.