Ace Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh on Wednesday said that the COVID-19 pandemic-forced lockdown and suspension of tournaments will be "tough" on the young players whose careers are still at nascent stage.
The coronavirus outbreak, which has killed over 1.5 lakh people and infected more than 2.5 million globally, has brought all sports, including golf, to a halt.
In India, nearly 600 people have died so far and over 19,000 infected, forcing the suspension of the Professional Tour of India.
"It will be toughest for the players who are starting off because they are waiting to prove themselves, they want to win tournaments, they want to make a livelihood," Jeev, a four-time European Tour champion, told PTI.
"These young golfers who have just turned professionals want to make money, want to be on tours but they don't have an opportunity to do that. We have already played for many years and even now going to the senior tour but for players who are in their 20s, they are not able to train."
"We are in difficult times and I don't think it will be easy for players to make ends meet in these times. There are some players who are better off, have good career earning which will help them to sail through this time."
"They might not have a lot of money in their bank account and might suffer. If you go past the 30th position in order of merit in PGTI, they might not have the saving to see through this time."
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