Charismatic Jiménez to headline the field
New Delhi (India), January 21, 2015:
Spanish pro Miguel Ángel Jiménez, one of the most charismatic players in world golf, will headline a strong field comprising players from Europe and Asia as the Hero Indian Open gets underway here next month.
The 51st edition of India’s national open will be held from February 19 to 22, 2015 at the historic Delhi Golf Club in the national capital. The Hero India Open, which carries an enhanced prize purse of US $ 1.5 million, will also be making its debut on the European Tour from this year.
The flamboyant Jiménez has won 21 times on the Race to Dubai, as well as having represented Europe in the Ryder Cup on four occasions. The 51 year old was also the playing captain of the European Team at the inaugural EurAsia Cup in Malaysia last year.
Continuing its association with Golf in general and the Hero Indian Open in particular, for the tenth year in succession, Mr. Pawan Munjal, Vice Chairman, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd said, “Golf is fast emerging as a popular sport among the youth in India, and we are glad to have played a catalyst role in this movement. Hero MotoCorp has been associated with golf for close to two decades now, thereby nurturing the game since its nascent stage. The Hero Indian Open being co-sanctioned by the European Tour from this year is an acknowledgement of the rising stature of Indian golf in the world arena. I am sure this will go a long way in further popularising the game in India. I am also delighted to see a strong Indian line-up in this year's edition which will compete against some of the best in the world. We look forward to seeing some top-class golf at the Hero Indian Open 2015."
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Even as entries continue to come in, some of the top stars, including Sidikkur who won the event in 2013, are expected to feature in the coming edition. SSP Chowrasia and Anirban Lahiri, who were both tied second and Rashid Khan and Chiragh Kumar, who were tied fourth, on that occasion, are also expected to tee up at the event. The field is also expected to include the likes of Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa, the only three-time Indian winner of the Hero Indian Open. Over the next few weeks, as the entries come in, more top names from European and Asian Tours will be confirmed.
Nimbus Sport, which has promoted the Hero Indian Open since 2011, has acquired the rights to manage the tournament for the next three editions from 2015 to 2017.
The Hero Indian Open has been synonymous with the rise of golf in India, and has been at the forefront of unearthing some of the best golfing talents that the country has seen, including the likes of Arjun Atwal, Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Kapur and Gaganjeet Bhullar.
It has also attracted an impressive array of international players in the past, with Ryder Cup stars Peter Hanson and Edoardo Molinari, Englishman James Morrison, two-time European Tour winner Richie Ramsay, Swedes Rikard Karlberg and Daniel Chopra, as well as victorious Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley all having played previously.
Supporting Quotes:
[1] Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills said: “It is with great pleasure that we return to India for the Hero Indian Open 2015, and we look forward to a strong field assembling at Delhi Golf Club next month. The European Tour has always enjoyed coming to this wonderful country and we look forward to returning as the tournament continues to grow the game in the country. We would therefore like to thank Pawan Munjal from Hero MotoCorp Ltd for his support of this event, and of the game of golf in India, as without him the sport would not be where it is today. It was also a great pleasure to welcome him to Gleneagles last September for The Ryder Cup, and we look forward to working with him and our tri-sanctioning partners the Indian Golf Union and the Asian Tour on this event. We are also looking forward to working with Nimbus Sport over the next three years, and appreciate their help in staging the event.”
[2] Mr. Jaydeep Chitlangia, President, Indian Golf Union said, "It has been a great journey for us and a matter of immense pride to see Hero Indian Open become a part of the European Tour. We sincerely thank Hero MotoCorp for their continued support to the Hero Indian Open and the sport of golf in India."
[3] Mr. Sunil Manocha, COO, Nimbus Sport said, “Since its inauguration in 1964, Hero Indian Open has grown from strength to strength and played a remarkable role in popularizing the sport in India. It’s being inducted in the prestigious European Tour is a huge achievement and a
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shot in the arm for Indian golf. Nimbus Sport is proud to be associated with the Hero Indian Open and the Indian Golf Union, and look forward to exciting times on the greens.”
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Notes to Editors:
[1] The name of the tournament is ‘Hero Indian Open 2015’. Hence, request you kindly use tournament name in its entirety.
About Hero MotoCorp Ltd:
Hero MotoCorp is the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer in terms of unit volumes sold in a calendar year by a single company. The company sold over 6.64 million two-wheelers in the calendar year 2014. The New Delhi, India-headquartered Hero MotoCorp currently sells its range of motorbikes and scooters in 23 countries spread across Asia, Africa and South and Central America. By the year 2020, Hero aims to be present in 50 countries with an annual combined sales volume of 12 million units. By that year, Hero also aims to surpass the cumulative sales of 100 million two-wheelers.
For over two decades, Hero has been associated with various disciplines of sports including golf, cricket and hockey. In the biggest-ever celebrity brand endorsement initiative by an Indian company, Hero MotoCorp in 2014 signed on 14 times major champion Tiger Woods as its Global Corporate Partner. Top Indian golfers Anirban Lahiri, Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Daniel Chopra and India’s top woman professional Sharmila Nicollet are also Hero brand ambassadors.
Hero has been sponsoring the men’s Indian Open since 2006 and the Women’s Indian Open since 2010. Hero also sponsors India’s domestic Pro Tour for women. Hero last year became the title sponsor of the Tiger Woods Invitational - the Hero World Challenge - which is also a PGA Tour event.
About European Tour:
The European Tour is committed to celebrating the game of golf from the origins of the professional game, building a proud history of achievement, sportsmanship and integrity as well as showcasing our diverse global talent and rich landscapes. The European Tour's innovative approach enables us to embrace the world, combining championships of tradition with new tournaments in the cities and countries of the future. The European Tour International Schedule, which from 2009 has incorporated The Race to Dubai, is a thriving global brand which, in 2015, will feature a minimum of 47 tournaments spread across five continents; the European Challenge Tour focuses on the up and coming players of the future; while the European Senior Tour provides a new start for champions celebrating their 50th birthday. The European Tour’s corporate identity features the iconic silhouette image of six-time Open Champion Harry Vardon who gives his name to The Harry Vardon Trophy, presented to the player who is crowned European Tour Number One and winner of The Race to Dubai at the end of the season.
About Nimbus Sport:
Nimbus Sport is the full service sports marketing division of Nimbus Communications Ltd., specializing in Rights Distribution and Management, Television Production, Sponsorship Services and Event Management.
Nimbus Sport has been involved in managing rights transactions worth over USD 2 billion to date, among the largest in Asia. It has extensive experience of rights management and/or television production with multiple sports federations and dozens of major sponsors. It is a leading producer of World Feeds of Live sports events with over 4500 hours of Live content delivered and also manages best-in-class sports events.
For further information, please contact:
Piyush Kant / Ayonava Bagchi
Young Monk Communications
M: +91 98102 52379 / 98187 74606
E: pk@youngmonk.in / ab@youngmonk.in
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