Prominent clubmaker Sundeep Verma has been cleared to coach at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Verma will be accompanied by top-ranked Indian professional golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar, who is competing in his first Olympics. Bhullar is part of a four-member golf team that also includes Shubhankar Sharma, Aditi Ashok, and Diksha Dagar. Indian pro-Ashbeer Saini will caddy for Bhullar.
Being the first Class ‘A’ certified golf coach/clubmaker with over 25 years of experience, Verma has worked with elite players such as Jeev Milkha Singh, Anirban Lahiri, S.S.P. Chawrasia, Jyoti Randhawa, Himmat Singh Rai, Shiv Kapur, Shubhankar Sharma, and Siddikur Rahman, to mention a few.
He was a key player in ensuring that Chawrasia and Diksha had a spectacular performance in the Olympics in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020, respectively. Le Golf National, the location of the 2018 Ryder Cup, will play home to the men’s tournament from August 1–4.
“Choosing Sundeep to be my coach was a really obvious decision. I collaborated with him in my early career days. I used to turn to him for guidance on how to improve my golf swing and to customize my clubs based on my posture and BMI. Having visited the event site twice previously, his insights will be valuable to me. In the last two Olympic Games, he also mentored SSP and Diksha, so he is aware of the subtleties of the sport and how to perform under pressure. With him at my side, I’m confident I’ll make a big impression on my first Olympics,” Bhullar remarked.
It is interesting to note that Bhullar’s request for Sundeep Verma to travel with him to Paris was postponed by the national sports body, Indian Golf Union (IGU), and the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), which has the last say over whether to accept or reject an athlete’s petition under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme.
The Indian amateur golf squad that competed for the Eisenhower Trophy at Le Golf National in 2022 was coached by Verma. He and four-time European Tour champion Chawrasia have already been to the French location for the 2018 Open de France.
“I’m excited to travel to Paris with Bhullar. I would be delighted to impart to him the lessons I learned from Rio and Tokyo. He is, in my opinion, the greatest skilled golfer of his generation. He holds the record for most Asian Tour victories among Indian professionals with eleven, and he was the first Indian to win an event on the 2011 European Challenge Tour. Bhullar would have been in the top 100 by now if the Asian Tour had not been dropped by the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) due to its affiliation with the LIV Golf Tour in Saudi Arabia. He has the proper demeanor and offensive mentality needed to compete successfully in high-stakes competitions like the Olympics.
The TOP Scheme paid Bhullar’s flight, hotel & board, and registration costs so that she could participate in the International Series Morocco. Additionally, TOPS gave his week-long training at Le Golf National, the Olympic location, approval. On July 28, the professional who was born in Kapurthala will travel to Paris with Sundeep Verma.