Kapil Dev included in India's squad for the 2018 Asia Pacific Seniors
What’s the story?
Legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev has added yet another feather to his cap. However, this time around, it is in a completely different sport; golf. The former Indian cricket team captain has been named in India's squad for the Asia-Pacific senior championship to be held later this year.
In case you didn’t know......
Kapil Dev represented India for the very last time on 17 October, 1994 in an ODI vs the West Indies. He bid adieu to cricket having represented the country in over 350 international matches across different formats. Just about a month later, in December 1994, Dev started playing golf.
The heart of the matter
Kapil Dev qualified for the Asia Pacific senior championships 2018 on the basis of his stellar performance in the All India Senior Tournament which was held at the JP Greens Golf course in Noida. However, this is not the first time that the 59-year-old will be participating in the Asia-Pacific senior championships. He had earlier managed to do so back in 2015 when he had qualified for the China edition of the competition.
Some pointers about the competition:
· It is an annual event conducted by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation
· The event is played over 54-holes stroke play, with a six (6) man team event played in conjunction.
· Any male golfer aged 55 years and over is eligible to enter the individual event (provided they meet the handicap criteria)
What's next?
Dev will be joining five others as a part of the Indian contingent. The event will be held from 17-19 October, 2018 at the Tom Watson Golf Club, Miyazaki, Japan. India had finished sixth the last time Dev participated in the competition.
Author’s take
Dev has had as illustrious a cricket career as anyone in the history of the game. However, it will be really interesting to see whether he can actually replicate that in golf. But one thing is for sure, you certainly can’t count him out.