Indrajit Bhalotia, a professional golfer, is dedicated to using sports as a tool to develop talent and social skills, particularly for underprivileged children in Kolkata. Through his Protouch Golf Academy, Bhalotia leads an initiative called 'Champion For Life', which partners with the Bengal Golf Association (BGA). Since 2009, the program has been supporting these children by providing education, nutrition, and social skill development, while also fostering employability in the sports industry.
"Making golf affordable is just one small part of this story. Many of these children may graduate, but when they go for job interviews, they don't know how to conduct themselves. Teaching them everything is a part of our agenda, not just the sport,” said Bhalotia who hopes to expand the project from 1,000 to 10,000 children annually.
Bhalotia looks at the initiative as a way of bridging the gap between the under-privileged children and those from affluent backgrounds. These include helping them get through college via the sports quota and helping them work as caddies or coaches. He recalled that a caddy’s son went on to play the World Juniors tournament at San Diego in USA in 2016.
“This is basically an idea that there are a lot of talent which has not been tapped apart from these exclusive club. We are trying to inculcate that,” said Anil Bhargava, President Bengal Golf Association. “We are also trying to get the clubs to allow girl caddies.”
The goal is not only to break barriers in terms of affordability in golf but also to inspire more girls to become players, caddies, and coaches. Winning state championships can lead to government job opportunities, while national championships offer cash prizes and a guaranteed government job. The ultimate ambition is to reach the Commonwealth Games and even the Olympics.
Muskaan, who has been playing golf for 16 years since she was nine, faced a huge setback when her father, a shoe retailer, lost his business and passed away due to heart disease. The ‘Champion For Life’ program stepped in to support her golf training and education. “As a golfer, I see myself working in the sports industry, especially in golf. I’ve been managing events like IGU (International Golf Union) tournaments and Eastern Zone tournaments since 2022. Indrajit sir encouraged me to practice regularly and compete in tournaments all over the country too,” said Muskaan, a student at Ek Prayas School.
Another student, Aritra Mondol, who has been playing golf for seven months said, “My parents are proud that their son plays golf. I want to become a good golfer and maybe a coach too in the future.”
Funding for the programme comes from individual and corporate donors, with the hope that more help pours in to make under-privileged children true champions for life through sport.
