Should ladies golf be a part of the Olympics Games too
Women’s golf, which is making its mark these days with plenty of new players joining the field, has now reached a stage where it needs more recognition, and Olympics is the platform that can do it.
Although men’s golf has been included in Olympics, but women’s circuit is yet to prove its worth that it is entertaining and interactive enough to qualify as a permanent sport in the global Games. Although the officials of the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf
Association), the most influential entity responsible for running women’s golf events, have expressed their hope that the 2016 Olympics may see female golfers showing their skills in front of tens of thousands of spectators.
Golf had been out of Olympic Games for several years, and this was what prompted PGA (Professional Golf Association) officials to make efforts in the hope of making it to the Games. Then in 2009, the sport was included in the Summer Olympic Games — something
that cheered golf fans worldwide.
The LPGA officials are hopeful that women’s golf will find a spot in the 2016 Olympic Games scheduled to be staged in Rio, Brazil. However, there is a long way to go before women’s golf can position itself as one of the fan favourite sports.
In order to gain more attraction and publicity, the LPGA officials have already embarked on plans designed to make the sport suitable for Olympic Games.
Women’ golf, unlike men’s circuit, has not been able to gain much popularity, and this has been one of the biggest concerns regarding its inclusion in the Olympic Games. However, officials are more than optimistic that the sport has a great potential and
can trigger general public’s interest.
One of the biggest problems the sport has been facing is media attention. It is a fact that despite having been around for decades, there have not been enough activity on the front of media and fan following.
Experts said that if golf in general and women’s golf in particular can atone for its past lapses and focus on luring more people to it, it has a great future in Olympics Games.
A sign of hope is that the inclusion of golf in the Summer Olympic Games will help the LPGA officials to make more effective plans in order to gain media attention and build fan following.
In an attempt to make women’s golf more attractive, the LPGA announced an Olympic-style event featuring top-ranked players. The idea of staging an event like this is proving beneficial for both the players and the officials.
LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan has also expressed his hopes about the future of women’s golf in the Olympic Games. In one of his interviews, he said that now is the time to really promote the image of women’s golf, and the LPGA fully understands the need to
flourish golf in countries that have never had any experience of this sport.
He shared that the LPGA has ridden out bad times, and now it is able to prepare players for the Olympic Games. He said that in order to find a spot in the big Games, a sport is supposed to be interactive enough so that it can bridge the gap among people
and communities.
Whan went on to say that in recent years, women’s golf has expanded its scope and influence to counties as far as Japan and Thailand. He said that a few years ago, no one could have thought that the LPGA would be able to take golf beyond the borders of the
United States and Europe.
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