India-Korea come closer, play golf together to celebrate 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations

NEW DELHI: Ravinesh Kumar, IRTS, Chief Commercial Manager, Northern Railways emerged as the overall winner and lifted the ACN Running trophy, while Shin Won-ho, Consul, Embassy of the Republic of Korea, New Delhi was announced 1^st Runner-up during the 50th Anniversary India-Korea Friendship Golf Cup organized recently in Gurugram. Justice Grewal, Judge, Punjab & Haryana High Court was adjudged as 2^nd Runner-up, and Mahaveer Singhvi, IFS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs secured 3^rd Runner-up position in the golf event, which was organized by the Asian Community News (ACN) Network with the supported by the Embassy of Korea and the United Korean Community Association in India, this one-day golfing event on April 15.

Sanjiv Kumar, CPO, Northern Railways, Cho Jang Hyeon, President, Korean Community Association, Chennai, and Choi Gwan Jin, MD, Hankook won ‘Closet to Pin’, ‘Longest Drive’, and ‘Straightest Drive’ titles.

Ambassador Chang Jae-bok, the Republic of Korea to India awarded prizes to the winners. While praising the event Ambassador said in his address that Korea and India tied had witnessed remarkable bondage in last few years as both the nationas came closer to each other in many aspects. Ms. Pattarat Hongtong, Ambassador of Thailand to India, also attended the event briefly.

“Not only the bilateral trade touched the all-time high at the record figure of USD 27.8 billion, the both-side relations further strengthened in the field of art, culture, language, education, and diplomacy as well. The 50th Anniversary India-Korea Friendship Golf Cup organised by Asian Community News (ACN) Network also helped both nations come more close to each other. The year 2023 which is being commemorated as the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and India would witness a series of events in this direction,” Ambassador Chang Jae-bok.

Park Euy Don, President, United Korean Community Association in India said that the event was backed up by the good wishes of 17,000 Koreans living in India as well as Indian friends. “There was a huge amount of enthusiasm amongst the Korean community. Cho Jang Hyeon, President, Korean Community Association, Chennai, came all the way from Chennai to participate in this event. Many came from other places in India including Pune AS WELL AS SOME FROM Korea also. It was really appreciative. A total of 120 Korean and Indian people participated in today’s event, including 70 Korean players and 50 Indian players, and a total of 150 people gathered during the award ceremony.”

Park who is also Vice President of Korean Chamber of Commerce in India (KOCHAM), said that the commemorative golf event 50th Anniversary India-Korea Friendship Golf Cup will prove to be the catalyst for this year’s events in Korea. Many new celebrations will follow from now on such as businessmen’s seminars, Korean-Indian cultural exchange events, Korean-Indian friendship gatherings, etc. will be held throughout India all through the year 2023.

Prachiti Punde, the winner of the title “Woman Mrs Universe Tolerance” award for her extraordinary self-mastery & mindfulness syllabus, and also for her Social Work & Domestic Violence Forum Presentation at Mrs Universe in Seoul South Korea in 2022, did the anchoring and was the Master of Ceremonies (Emcee) for the 50^th Anniversary of India-Korea Friendship Golf Cup.

Also present on the ocassion were Jagdip Singh, Hony. Consul General of Korea, Chandigarh, and Chairman SIGMA Group, and K. L. Ganju, O.C.V.C. (cdr), Consul General (Hony.), Advisor to the Foreign Minister, Union of the Comoros, & President of Hony. Consular Corps Diplomatique, India.

The associate sponsors of the event included LG Electronics, India’s premier law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co., Reliance Model Economic Township Gurgaon, NCR Delhi, also known as MET CITY, and SEELA Infratech.

Other sponsors of the event included KIA Car, POSCO International, Hyundai Motor India, NH NongHyup Bank, Jeju SamDaSoo Water (IBC Global), Scottish High International School, ZEUS Law Associates, PDS International, KURUMA Travels, JVN & Co LLP, BENSON Trophies, Kingfisher, GRM Foods, DMRC, and Penguin Overseas.

LG Electronics sponsored advanced start televisions OLED EVO 65C2 TV, NANOCELL 55 TVs, cloth ironing system Styler,  air-purifiers, ear-buds Tone Free while SAMSUNG Electronics gave away latest hi-end smartphones such as S23 Ultra Z,  Z-Fold, ear-buds and Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) sponsored Procilins for the winners of golfing events as well as the lucky draw.

The Korean golfers also included the diplomats from the Embassy, and representatives of KOTRA,  KOCHAM, KTO, KOSME, and top Korean companies, and also, and Indian golfers including senior central and state government bureaucrats, corporate personalities, decision-makers, and others will participate in this event.

Sanjeev K Ahuja, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Asian Community News Network (ACN Network) said, “   The event was organised at the 18-hole Golden Greens Golf Club in Gurugram was followed by an award ceremony and networking dinner the same evening. The event offered an excellent opportunity for Indian bureaucrats and industry leaders to interact closely with top Korean counterparts who joined the event”

Having created history worldwide, Korean and Indian twin numbers Gangnam style, and Natu-Natu made some of the participants dance to their tunes during the 50th Anniversary India-Korea Friendship Golf Cup. Rapper Psy’s “Gangnam Style”, which was recognized by Guinness World Records as the first YouTube video to hit 1 billion views in 2012 was played on this occasion. And the song Naatu Naatu from the hit Telugu-language film RRR, which has made history by becoming the first Indian film song to win an Oscar was also played to express solidarity between the tow nations.

KIA displayed its latest all-electric EV6 car at the golf course, while Korean company IBC Global distributed SamDaSoo mineral water imported from JEJU Island. KURUMA Travels supported the event with its fleet of cabs for the to-and-fro service. Penguin Overseas distributed Soju to the participants.