You know it’s mid-January in the Middle East 2…

…when some of the world’s top sports’ stars pitch up in the Gulf for some lucrative early-season competition.

Here in Doha, the ATP tennis tour visited town a couple of weeks back and this Thursday (24 January) sees the arrival of the European Golf tour for the $2.5 million Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, the 2nd leg of their early season Middle East mini-tour – tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai sandwich the Doha event.

The presence of 107 of the world’s top golfers should be inspiring young local golfers to take up the game. But conspicuous by its absence from the Entry List at all three events is an Arab competitor.

The two Indian participants will feel at home in Doha amongst Qatar’s large Asian expat population, and local media coverage will include the ubiquitous photo opportunity with smiling local children. But neither the golf not tennis tournaments feature a single Arab name.

Qatar is pouring tens of millions of dollars into its Aspire Academy but as yet there is no sign of a single local sporting talent emerging onto the world stage. When Aspire are pushed on the subject, the answer is always the same – we have high hopes of next year’s graduates.

So how will Qatar produce its own golf stars of tomorrow, as China and Thailand are now doing? The lead must come from the Doha Golf Club, Aspire Academy and the Qatar National Olympic Committee, who need to work in partnership to provide golfing facilities for young Qataris. Doha needs a driving range, also a second, non-Championship course that encourages young players and those with less ability than Tiger Woods to take up the sport.

Aspire needs to establish a golf education program for Qataris. The country has the funds and golf is a sport Qatari’s would feel comfortable playing, promoting as it does a clean cut public image and demanding standards of behaviour far higher than nearly all other professional sports.

And one other thing – local golfers have to show the talent, desire and willingness to overcome cultural barriers to succeed, otherwise the Middle East PGA mini-tour will continue to be a lucrative European payday and lack true local interest.

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