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Remembering Samarvir Sahi, inspiration to young golfers

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 – 02:15CHANDIGARH: Top amateur golfers from all over the country will converge on the greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club on February 28 for the Samarvir Sahi Chandigarh Open, which is considered one of the leading golf tournaments on the Indian amateur golf circuit.Samarvir, in whose memory the IGU-recognised tournament is played every year, died of cancer on November 20, 1994, at the age of 25, when he was shaping into one of the outstanding golfers of the city. Samarvir completed the foursome along with Chiranjeev Milkha Singh, Amandeep Johl and Harmeet Kahlon who ruled the Chandigarh greens in the 1980s. And standing out in the quartet was Samarvir, who had the longest drive. Today, Samarvir is no more, but the other three are all international golfers. This yearly memorial tournament serves as an inspiration to young golfers of the region.Late Samarvir’s father, Gurpratap Singh Sahi said,”I am better known as Monty’s father than as the former Principal Secretary to the Punjab Government.” Samarvir was affectionately called Monty by his near and dear ones. His long drives saw him get the runner-up place in the sub-junior event in 1981. He also clinched the national junior golf runner-up spot when studying in Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, Delhi. He cleared the SAT exam and got admission to Albright College, Pennsylvania (USA), in 1989. His golfing performance saw him clinch the “Most Outstanding Men’s Golf” Trophy in 1992. Everything seemed to be going fine. He was selected as apprentice consultant in the World Bank. The contract was to be given to him on September 1, 1992. But on August 10, a nagging lump in the throat took him to a hospital. Dr Inderjeet Singh of the Washington Hospital examined him. The test result was disastrous. It was Hodgkins (lymphoma) – cancer of the lymph nodes.Monty gave this shocking news to his father on the telephone while he was attending a Raj Bhavan Independence Day function. It was a big shock for the doting father. He felt all alone in that vast gathering. That night, the family decided to call Monty back to Chandigarh. He underwent radio therapy at the PGI from September to November, 1992. Signs of recovery were noticed. He went back to the golf course and clinched the pro-am trophy in 1993. But a month later, he again slipped and was put on chemotherapy.The parents knew they were fighting a losing battle. But there was always a glimmer of hope. They flew with Monty to London where treatment began at the Hammersmith Hospital. Monty continued to slip despite a bone marrow transplant. The end came on November 20, 1994. His playing colleagues led by Harmeet Kahlon announced the start of the Samarvir Sahi memorial tournament in 1996. But the Indian Golf Union recognition came four years later.In fact, Gurpratap Sahi came to know about the IGU recognition while visiting the Munnar hill station in Kerala. The notice board at the Golf Club displayed a note saying that the Samarvir Sahi Tournament had been recognised by the IGU. He showed the notice to his wife, Ruby. Yes, recognition had come at last.Jeev Milkha Singh took time off from his busy schedule on the European Golf Tour to do the ceremonial tee off for his childhood friend in the last tournament played in May 2010. Jeev had turned nostalgic after the tee off. He went down memory lane and remembered the putting sessions he used to have with Samarvir at his Sector 7 residence.The last tournament in memory of Samarvir Sahi was played from May 4 to 7, 2010, which was won by Rashid Khan from Delhi, who was then the reigning amateur champion of the country. Rashid had won the tournament in 2008 also, while the winner in 2009 was Noida’s Rahul Bajaj.Chandigarh’s seasoned golfer Harjinder Singh Kang, who also won the tournament five years back is now the Chairman, Tournaments, of the Chandigarh Golf Club. The IGU placed a condition of capitation fee if the Chandigarh Golf Club wanted the name Samarvir affixed to the tournament. This is where international professional golfer from Chandigarh, Amandeep Johl, who was one among the renowned foursome who played with late Samarvir in his formative years, offered to bear the capitation fee of Rs 1.5 lakh, either through corporate sponsorship or through his own resources.The memorial tournament is all set to tee off (inauguration) by ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh.

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