Golf industry in Myanmar ready to tee off

When the Han brothers left Myanmar more than 35 years ago, their pursuit of professional golfing careers was an almost unknown concept in their homeland.

Chan Han recalls telling his uncles and aunties his plan to move overseas and start taking the game he loved seriously. “They told me: ‘You went to college, and now you want to be a caddy?’ It was a different time. They didn’t understand.”

Despite a rich golfing legacy left behind by British colonialists, including the construction of dozens of courses, the country has not been a fertile breeding ground for aspiring athletes. The Han brothers were privileged and chased a dream.

Now, they are both central figures in trying to transform golf into not only a big money industry, but also one where aspiring young players can succeed at the highest level.

Chan Han is the chairman of the embryonic Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of Myanmar, while Kyi Hla Han is the chairman of the Asian Tour, following on from a successful playing career.

Both acknowledge the great challenges that golf in Myanmar faces – including a lack of top-quality infrastructure and support for juniors – but see the potential ready to be unlocked.

“I think the evolution of golf in Asia has changed, it’s fantastic to see,” Kyi Hla Han told Channel NewsAsia at the launch of the 2017 Myanmar Open, the country’s showcase professional event, which he hopes will drive exposure to the rest of the world.

“Myanmar still needs a lot of time to develop. What we encourage young players to do is come out and play. I think it’s just a matter of time. We’re seeing it happen in Indonesia and Vietnam and Cambodia, Sri Lanka, even Bangladesh,” he said.

“I think golf has also come within the reach of the general middle class and I think that’s important for the growth and development of the game. I’ve seen that happen in the past 20 years in Asia.”

BRAVE NEW WORLD

But while countries like Thailand have enjoyed a golfing boom, local standards of golf slipped in Myanmar after decades of military rule despite the elite still enjoying the sport and patronising many of the country’s courses, which fell into government or army ownership.

It was an uncertain environment for Chan Han when he tried to reinvigorate the sport on his return in 1993.

“I realised then there was no path or plan. Back then people were playing with equipment coming in from left and right. We didn’t have proper shops.

“There were a lot of travel restrictions and we had to buy from people who were coming from outside. We couldn’t even imagine what we have now,” he said.

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