NEW DELHI // Veteran Mukesh Kumar has blown the chance to tee up alongside Masters champion Danny Willett, Olympic gold medallist Justin Rose and US Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed – because his passport has expired.
The 51-year-old Indian secured his first Asian Tour victory at the weekend’s US$400,000 (Dh1.47 million) Panasonic Open India by one stroke and became the circuit’s oldest winner in the process.
It was the biggest win of his 32-year professional career and gave him entry to the star-studded $2 million Hong Kong Open, co-sanctioned by the European Tour, which begins on Thursday – but he can’t travel.
“I am not able to go because my passport has expired and it will not be renewed in time to get things in order for the Hong Kong event,” Mukesh told Agence France-Presse.
Willett and Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, plus fellow Englishman Ian Poulter and “Captain America” Reed are among the top players at Hong Kong Golf Club this week along with four-time winner Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and Asian Tour order of merit leader Scott Hend from Australia.
But Mukesh said he would be happy to spend some quality time with his family instead.
“I away from home for over a month, continuously playing golf. So I want to rest for sometime and eventually I will hit the course come next year,” he said.
A veteran of 123 domestic wins during his 32-year professional career, Mukesh had never before won an international event before the triumph in the Open India in New Delhi, which was reduced to 54 holes because of fog.
He said that finally making the breakthrough and obtaining his Asian Tour card had left him excited after years of toil.
“I have played outside my country in 20-22 tournaments. But with the Asian Tour card I look forward to the experience of playing with the best golfers,” he said.
* Agence France-Presse
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation 2 to 5
Rating: 5/5
The Iron Claw
Director: Sean Durkin
Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Lily James
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
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Al Derwaza
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