The Indian School Sports Organisation (ISSO), in partnership with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), has launched a structured national competitive platform for school-level golfers, marking the milestone with the successful conclusion of the inaugural ISSO Golf Championship at the Jaypee Wishtown Golf Course in Noida from 24 to 27 August. The event is the first national inter-school golf competition of its kind in India, filling a long-standing gap in structured competitive pathways for young players.

Participation and Format

The championship drew young golfers from cities including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Ooty, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, and Hyderabad, competing across six age-group categories. The tournament followed a stroke-play format with a two-tee start, designed to replicate the conditions of professional competitive golf and give participants meaningful tournament experience.

Category Winners

Devrat Singh Rajawat claimed the Boys U15 title, while Smyaan Gupta topped the Boys U18 category. In the girls' divisions, Anika Rangwala won the Girls U15 crown and Parnika Sharma secured the Girls U18 title. Aaradhya Bhatnagar won the Girls U12 category and Atharv Goel took the Boys U12 honours.

Full podium results across all six categories are as follows — Boys U12: Atharv Goel (Winner), Shlok Pandit (Runner-up), Sharvin Patel (Second Runner-up); Girls U12: Aaradhya Bhatnagar (Winner), Ishana Bahl (Runner-up), Deehar Gulati (Second Runner-up); Boys U15: Devrat Singh Rajawat (Winner), Hridaan Saraogi (Runner-up), Rudransh Palawat (Second Runner-up); Girls U15: Anika Rangwala (Winner), Aadya Kaushal (Runner-up), Zoya Borkataky (Second Runner-up); Boys U18: Smyaan Gupta (Winner), Sohang Har Kantor (Runner-up), Ranvir Sidhu (Second Runner-up); Girls U18: Parnika Sharma (Winner), Vanya Sokhi (Runner-up), Devyana Jain (Second Runner-up).

What the Organisers Said

PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl described the initiative as a significant step for youth golf development in India. 'Golf is a sport that teaches discipline, patience, focus and resilience, qualities that are important not just on the course but in every aspect of a young person's life. The launch of ISSO Golf is an important step towards creating a structured platform where school golfers can compete, learn and grow. I am delighted to see young players from across India come together for this inaugural championship, and I hope this initiative encourages many more students to take up the sport and pursue it at higher levels,' he said.

Aakanksha Thapak, Director of the ISSO, framed the championship as the start of a longer-term developmental journey. 'ISSO Golf is more than the launch of a new tournament; it is the beginning of a structured journey for young golfers across India. Our aim is to create meaningful opportunities for students to compete at the national level, represent their schools and develop a deeper connection with the sport,' Thapak said, adding that the organisation looks forward to expanding participation to more schools and cities in future editions.

Broader Significance and What Comes Next

The PGTI's involvement brings professional governance and expertise into the school sports ecosystem — a notable upgrade from the informal circuits that have historically served junior golf in India. Beyond competition, the partnership is expected to expand into training programmes and golf clinics, offering a more comprehensive development pathway. Notably, this is the first time a national body of PGTI's standing has formally partnered with a school sports organisation to create a golf-specific competitive ladder at the inter-school level. The ISSO has indicated plans to widen the competition's geographic footprint and increase school participation in subsequent editions.