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Mardan Mamat wins first Bashundhara Bangladesh Open

Mardan Mamat wins first Bashundhara Bangladesh Open

Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat was inspired by his wife’s special message as he posted a two-under-par 69 to cruise to a two-shot victory at the US$300,000 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open on Saturday.

The 47-year-old completed a wire-to-wire win with a 14-under-par 270 total to win his fifth Asian Tour title and lift the unique trophy which was designed in the form of Bangladesh’s national animal, the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Khalin Joshi of India shot a 68 to tie for second place alongside Korea’s Soomin Lee, who posted a 67 at the Kurmitola Golf Club for their best result on the Asian Tour so far.

The day belonged to Mardan, who kept calm and composed in the heat. His overnight three-shot lead was reduced to one stroke after he bogeyed the fourth hole but he steadied ship with a pair of birdies from hole five before adding another birdie on the 12th hole.

“I’m the first Bashundhara Bangladesh Open winner so this is a special win. I talked to my wife (Naz) last night and she sent me a message saying ‘You are the champion, you are the winner and you are the man’. That really inspired me today,” said an emotional Mardan, who won US$54,000.

“If I say that I didn’t have any pressure today then I’m not human. Two of my competitors Lee and Khalin are young and they hit it long. They kept pushing me a lot on the front nine. I managed to steady myself and play my own game,” he added.

After poor results earlier in the year, a jubilant Mardan was delighted to turn the corner and even celebrated the win by dancing to the beat of the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open theme song during the prize giving ceremony.

“During the welcome dinner, I heard the song for this tournament. I like the beat of the music and that kept me pumped up at the prize ceremony. That’s why I was jumping and dancing,” he laughed.

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Siddikur starts road to Olympics at Bashundhara Bangladesh Open

Bangladeshi golf star Siddikur Rahman believes next week’s Bashundhara Bangladesh Open will present the opportunity for him to fight for a place in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The two-time Asian Tour winner is currently ranked 59th – one rung above the cut-off place – in the current Olympic qualifying rankings but he knows a dream victory at home in the US$300,000 event will give his hopes a huge lift. The slightly-built Siddikur will headline the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open, which is one of five new events on the Asian Tour this year, alongside local hopes Zamal Hossain Mollah and S. H. Sohel at the Kurmitola Golf Club from May 27-30. Hailed as one of his nation’s sporting icons where he is the first Bangladeshi to win on the region’s premier Tour, Siddikur has also represented his country in the World Cup of Golf in 2013. Winning his home Open is the immediate goal but walking with the rest of the Bangladeshi Olympians in the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro next year will be one of the ultimate joys for him. “It is my dream to play in the Olympics. If I can maintain this position, then I will add another milestone in my career. “With the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open, other Bangladeshi golfers might have a chance to play their way into the Asian Tour and the Olympics as well. This new tournament opens up a lot of opportunities,” said Siddikur. He will line-up against the leading Asian Tour stars including Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, who holds an unprecedented 18 Asian Tour titles, Singapore’s veteran Mardan Mamat and rising Indian star Rashid Khan. With golf gaining popularity in the cricket-loving nation, Siddikur is excited to showcase the depth and strength of the local golfers in his National Open. “A lot of positive things will come out from this new event. It is a great opportunity for me and the other Bangladeshi golfers to do something exceptional there,” said Siddikur. “The golf landscape has changed. I can say that golf is probably the second most popular sport in the country after cricket. Everybody knows about golf and they know about me because I’ve done well on the Asian Tour,” he explained. This is the first time Bangladesh will host an Asian Tour event. It previously staged domestic and regional golf tournaments including with the Professional Golf of India (PGTI) Tour and also hosted an Asian Development Tour (ADT) tournament in 2011.