Confusion In Indian Golf: Administrative Turf War Casts Shadow Over Asian Games Plans

Indian golf is walking a familiar but uncomfortable path - one where administrative confusion threatens to intrude on the sport itself. With the 2026 Asian Games cycle already underway, a split at the top of the Indian Golf Union has raised an awkward and increasingly urgent question: who, officially, speaks for Indian golf?

The problem stems from disputed elections held in December 2024, which have left the IGU divided into two rival camps, each claiming legitimacy and recognition. One faction, led by Brijinder Singh, is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) as well as the International Golf Federation (IGF). The other, headed by Harish Kumar Shetty, has the backing of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as its member National Sports Federation.

That split has now begun to intersect with competitive timelines.

January 31 is the deadline for submitting the long list of golfers for the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled from September 19 to October 4. The Brijinder Singh-led IGU has already forwarded a provisional list of eight men and eight women to the Sports Ministry. What remains unclear is whether that list has been formally accepted by the IOA - a procedural step that becomes critical as the Games draw closer.

Major General Bibhuti Bhushan, Director General and CEO of the IGU under the Brijinder Singh faction, acknowledged the uncertainty, speaking at an event where The Indian Golf Premier League was announcing its strategic partnership with Olympic Medallist Leander Paes to build world-class golf academies across the country.

"The list has been sent to the IOA," Bhushan said. "But they will not say that they have accepted it."

That silence, more than anything else, highlights the administrative fault line. In elite sport, ambiguity over recognition often matters as much as outright rejection, particularly when international multi-sport events are involved.

Bhushan, however, is categorical in rejecting the idea that Indian golf is being run by two parallel bodies.

"There are no two factions. There is only one IGU," he said, pointing to recognition from the International Golf Federation, the Asian golf body, the Sports Ministry and the Registrar of Societies.

He also underlined the operational role of his organisation, which runs close to 50 domestic tournaments annually and has sent 15 Indian teams to international events over the past year.

His criticism was aimed squarely at the IOA's continued engagement with the rival group, despite a Delhi High Court directive advising authorities not to deal with it.

"If we are recognised by everyone that matters globally and nationally, why is there a need to go elsewhere?" Bhushan asked, adding that government funding for players continues to flow through the MYAS-recognised IGU.

The concern, inevitably, is whether players could end up caught in the crossfire.

On that front, Bhushan struck a confident note. Selection for the Asian Games, he said, is based strictly on World Golf Rankings and follows a clearly defined standard operating procedure. No trials are conducted, and the final team will be chosen closer to the event.

"Players are not going to suffer," he insisted. "Irrespective of any confusion, the rankings decide who gets selected."

The long list will eventually be trimmed down to a six-player pool - three men and three women - before a final four-member team is confirmed nearer the Games.

For now, India's golfers continue to compete on the domestic and international circuit, largely insulated from the administrative churn above them.

With the Asian Games clock already ticking, Indian golf's biggest challenge may not lie in qualification or competition - but in ensuring that governance issues do not become an unnecessary hazard for those trying to represent the country on the course.