For Bangladeshi golfer Siddikur, here for the fourth Louis Philippe Cup commencing on Thursday, compatriot and star cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has been an inspiration.
Siddikur will be representing the Kapil Dev-owned Dev Ellora Pune team and believes that he can emulate Shakib to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
"How often does a sportsperson from our nation get to play in the best league in the world? Surely, Shakib's rise is an inspiration to all of us. I am glad that I could achieve a similar feat by being able to play in Louis Philippe Cup, which is like the Indian Premier League (IPL) of golf in India," said the Dhaka-based golfer, who won the 2013 Indian Open, here on Tuesday.
"I will also be keeping an eye on Shakib's performance in the Test that begins tomorrow and I hope Bangladesh shines there as well. I met Shakib twice at an award ceremony where he came to me and wished me all the best. He wanted me to teach his wife some golf, but due to the busy schedule it never happened. I am happy that a guy of his stature came to meet me on the stage and asked me for help. It was a great feeling."
Siddikur, who turned to golf after playing some gully cricket, started his golfing career as a ball boy at the Kurmitola Golf Club in Bangladesh for seven years, and then picked up the clubs to eventually make it big as a player.
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Winner of 12 amateur events between 1999 to 2007 including the 2004 All India Amateur at the Delhi Golf Club, Siddikur joined the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) in 2007. He also represented Lucknow in the inaugural Louis Philippe Cup at KGA in 2012.
"Leagues are the future of most sports and I was very happy to know that India is bringing a golf version of the IPL. There was no way I was going to miss on the opportunity of playing in the first season," said Siddikur.
Describing the fan base in his country for cricket and golf, he said: "I can still walk in the crowd and not be recognised but Shakib cannot. He changed the way Bangladeshis look at cricket and I hope I will be able to do the same for golf in my country."
