Phoenix Hyderabad Firebirds bring golf to govt school students through golf on wheels

The AM Green Indian Golf Premier League and Phoenix Hyderabad Firebirds GC, the league’s Hyderabad franchise, introduced more than 70 students from Government High School, Ziaguda, to golf through an interactive Golf on Wheels session at the Hyderabad Golf Association. Golf on Wheels takes the game to children who would otherwise rarely get near a course, with one aim: making golf accessible to all.

The Firebirds squad included Sachin Baisoya; Raghav Chugh, a former India No. 1 junior golfer; Ranjit Singh, a seasoned professional and former Royal Calcutta Golf Club captain who turned professional in 2007; and three-time Junior World Golf Champion Arjun Bhati. Students watched the action on the leaderboard before meeting the players for photographs, autographed caps and a chat about life as a professional golfer. The golfers also spoke about how they started out and what it takes to compete at the top level.

Anup Singh, a NGAI ‘A’ certified coach, content creator, multiple Guinness World Record holder and trick-shot artist, led the session. Using live demonstrations and a few crowd-pleasing trick shots, he took the students through grip, stance and swing, shared simple tips, and explained how the game is played and scored.

Akhil Nayyar, director, Bharath Golf Centre of Golf Excellence, said: “The IGPL was built to take golf to new audiences, and Golf on Wheels is exactly what the league stands for. When government school students swing a club for the first time and meet professionals they can look up to, that is how we build the next generation of golfers and fans. I applaud Phoenix Foundation and the Hyderabad Firebirds for leading the way.”

Phoenix Firebirds proud to represent Hyderabad

Aakash Chukkapalli, owner, Phoenix Hyderabad Firebirds GC, said: “The Firebirds are proud to represent Hyderabad, and that responsibility goes beyond the leaderboard. Spending time with these students, watching them swing a club for the first time and hearing their questions, was one of the most rewarding moments of the season for our team.”

Anup Singh, NGAI ‘A’ certified coach, multiple Guinness World Record holder and one of the key figures of the Golf on Wheels project, shared: “Every great golfer started with a first swing. Today seventy children took theirs. If even a few of them carry this curiosity forward, golf in India will be richer for it.”

For most of the students, it was their first time on a golf course. Dressed in their schoolhouse colours and Firebirds caps, they moved from watching to trying, and a sport often seen as out of reach became something they could pick up, swing and enjoy.

Golf on Wheels introduces young learners, especially from government schools, to golf while building focus, discipline, patience and sportsmanship. It is part of the wider vision of the AM Green Indian Golf Premier League, India’s first franchise-based golf league, where men and women compete together and grassroots programmes take the sport to schools across the country.