KATHMANDU: The Surya Nepal NGA Youth Golf Coaching Programme, under the auspices of Nepal Golf Association (NGA) and Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd, is beginning in five different clubs of the country from Friday.

The five clubs — Gokarna Golf Club, Royal Nepal Golf Club and Tribhuvan Army Officers’ Golf Club in Kathmandu, Himalayan Golf Course in Pokhara and Nirvana Country Golf Club in Dharan — have already completed the selection process for the first-phase training. The RNGC, which drew a maximum number of 65 kids, including five girls, is starting the training from Saturday, while other clubs are set to begin the training on Friday.

A total of 22 participants are selected for the Army club, while 19 including three girls have been selected in Pokhara. A maximum of 15 will begin training at Gokarna, whereas 46 boys and 16 girls are selected in Dharan.

After three months, NGA will select top 40 kids, especially from schools and colleges, for the second phase training beginning from the second week of October. The NGA will then cut down the number to 20 for the Camp of Excellence, which will be conducted by Brandon De Souza, CEO of Tiger Sports Marketing and Golf Consultant, along with local coaches from the first week of November. Top five players, to be selected from a tournament, will get golf equipments and also earn chances to play in the Surya Nepal Golf Tour events.

The programme — which aims at identifying potential golfing talent — is especially targeted at the local youth between 10 to 21 years in age. To make the ambitious project a grand success, the organisers have deployed coaches in their respective clubs.

Deepak Thapa Magar, Ramesh Nagarkoti, Sachin Bhattarai, Rabi Khadka, Rajan Thapa, Sanjaya Lama, Surya Sharma, CB Bhandari and Tashi Ghale will conduct first-phase training at the RNGC, while Deepak Acharya and Pashupati Sharma will look after the participants at Gokarna. Maj Madan Gurung and Bhuvan Gurung are assigned for Pokhara and Radhe Shyam Thapa will take charge of Army club. Suman Sapkota and Mani Rai are designated for Dharan.