KUALA LUMPUR – Feb. 19, 2005 – India's Kapil Dev, cricket legend-turned-golf enthusiast, believes the Asian Tour will become a major player in world golf.

The pragmatic Dev was recently invited to become a member of the Board of Directors on the Asian Tour and he is confident that professional golf in this region is on the upswing.

"There is a lot of corporate interest in Asia and we have to make sure that corporate golf can complement the Asian Tour," said the 45-year-old Dev, who led India to their first World Cup cricket success in 1983.

"This is the place. The economy of the world is dependent on this part of the world which is very important. The way China and India are growing economically, it is up to us to get big companies to be involved.

"I have always asked why our players need to go to Europe or America to play. The only way is to give them bigger incentives, give them reasons to not leave their homes. They can perform here."

Dev believes that the quality of golf courses across the region and the growing interest in the game amongst Asians will eventually produce in a new generation of golfers capable of topping the successes achieved by the likes of reigning Asian Tour number one Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, India's Jyoti Randhawa and Chinese ace Zhang Lian-wei.

He acknowledged that the role of the media was also crucial in propelling the Asian Tour onto a higher pedestal. Last season, the Asian Tour staged and sanctioned 22 tournaments, offering a record total prize purse of US$12.3 million.

In the first half of the 2005 season alone, the Asian Tour will sanction 16 events with nearly US$14 million. "We have no shortage of courses, no shortage of talent," said Dev, who plays golf with a two-handicap. "We need to put everything together and give sponsors value for their money. If we have a US$5 million tournament tomorrow, Asians will leave the US Tour to play here. It will be a matter of time when sponsors will use our players to their advantage.

"We definitely need Asian heroes, some one brilliant like Tiger Woods. In the last 10 years, golf has changed in Asia. You can't compare us yet to the Americans or Europeans as they have played professional golf for much longer than we have. You can't start expecting things to change overnight. We have the passion for the game and we have the resources for money to be put into the game," said Dev.

Women, Dev reaffirms, have an important role to play in developing Asian players. "It is important to bring women into the picture because they produce the men," said Dev.

"Their interest is very important. If the mother wants the kid to be educated, he will be educated. If the mother wants the child to have more passion in sports, that will happen. A lot of people say the father and grandfather play a role but they are busier making money. A woman's mind is that strong. If she makes up her mind, she is more successful in that sense."

Dev said he was putting in all his efforts to help the Asian Tour grow even bigger although it was cricket which had given him fame.

"Cricket has reached a top level where they can survive, you can't do much more for cricket and it's become big worldwide. I'm a sports person, not just a cricketer. I'll go to places which require help and I think golf needs a little push over here at this stage. Golf will be very big in this part of the world."

Contact:
Chuah Choo Chiang
Media Director
Asian Tour
920 Block A
Kelana Centre Point
Jalan SS7/19, Kelana Jaya
47301 Petaling Jaya
Malaysia
T +603 7880 3714
F +603 7880 1141
E chuah@asiantour.com
W www.asiantour.com