Six Indians Shine at US Kids Indian Championship

Manesar: Six Indian golfers delivered standout performances at the fifth edition of the US Kids Golf Indian Championship, held at the Classic Golf and Country Club, overcoming difficult weather conditions and persistent smog to dominate the tournament.

Among the boys, Nihal Cheema, Drona Singh Dhull and Prince Bainsla impressed with consistent and high-quality play, while Naaysha S Sinha, Gairat Kaur Kahlon and Shiksha Jain led the charge in the girls’ categories. Indian golfers swept all the titles despite challenging playing conditions.

Due to a delayed start and insufficient daylight, the Tournament Committee reduced the final round in all categories to nine holes.

Nihal Cheema (Boys 8) was the most consistent player of the championship and the only golfer to play at par or better across all three days. The Chandigarh-based golfer emerged as a clear winner ahead of Zowra Sikand, carding nine-hole rounds of 36, 34 and 33. He finished the final round bogey-free with three birdies.

Haryana’s Drona Singh Dhull produced one of the finest rounds of the event in the Boys 11 category, recording a four-under-par 32 over nine holes, which included four birdies and no bogeys.

Prince Bainsla claimed the Boys 15–18 title after producing the best round of the tournament—a six-under 66 on the opening day. He finished ahead of Shashank Sachin Gadre, who posted par scores in all three rounds, while Arshvant Srivastava secured third place.

In the girls’ section, Aanya Dandriyal (Girls 11–12) and Preitisha Kaur Gill (Girls 15–18) emerged as top performers. Aanya was involved in a closely contested battle with Malaysia’s Choi Quinn Cie, with both players finishing at a total of 196 over 45 holes. Aanya clinched the title in the tie-breaker, thanks to an eagle and a birdie in her regulation round despite four bogeys.

Other notable performers included Naaysha S Sinha in Girls 8, Gairat Kaur Kahlon in Girls 9–10, and Shiksha Jain in Girls 13–14.

In the boys’ categories, Taanush Kumar (Boys 9), Vedaansh Jain (Boys 10), Siddhant Sharma (Boys 12), and Arihaan Beri (Boys 13–14) also delivered strong performances.

For the first time, the championship awarded cash prizes up to fifth place in each category. Winners received Rs 25,000, second and third place finishers were awarded Rs 10,000 each, while the next three positions earned Rs 5,000 each.

Explaining the initiative, Rajesh Srivastava, President and Founder of US Kids Golf India and Asia, said the introduction of prize money was aimed at motivating young golfers and supporting families who invest significant effort in their children’s development. He added that plans are underway to bring foreign coaches to India and send young golfers abroad for advanced training.

Srivastava also revealed that US Kids Golf has expanded to nearly a dozen Asian countries, providing Indian golfers opportunities to compete internationally, while welcoming overseas players to India. He further announced plans to host a US Kids Asian Championship within the next year at a top-class championship course.

The event also featured skills contests with multiple prizes. Dates for upcoming local tours—expected to double in number and be split into two phases—along with details of US Kids National Championships across Asia, will be announced in due course.

With inputs from IANS