Pune: Class-XII student Mannat Brar, India’s top-ranked amateur golfer is set to lead the Indian challenge at the prestigious Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) Championship, to be played at the Hoiana Shores Golf Course, Danang, Vietnam, starting Thursday. Mannat is a student of the Army Public School, Pune.
She is currently ranked India’s No. 1 woman amateur golfer and the highest-placed Indian in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). Mannat will be accompanied by a strong contingent of Indian amateurs, including Heena Kang, Zara Anand, Sanvi Somu, Kashika Mishra, and Guntas Sandhu.
The WAAP Championship, recognized as one of the most prestigious amateur golf events in the region, will feature 95 players from 23 countries, all competing for a chance to secure major international opportunities, including exemptions into elite professional and amateur tournaments. This year’s edition at the Hoiana Shores Golf Course, promises a challenging yet exciting test for the competitors, with India’s young talents eager to make a mark on the international stage.
“Mannat is the daughter of Col J S Brar, a serving officer in the Army, who is also an avid sports lover. He says that Mannat picked up the sport in Pune when he was posted there earlier. The girl then just played for fun. None realised at that time that she would go on to become India’s top ranked woman amateur golfer. She has also played tennis and learned Taekwondo. She says that her father is her inspiration,” a Ministry of Defence official said.