Dhaka, Bangladesh: The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2020 will become the richest professional golf event in Bangladesh with the total prize purse for the full-field Asian Tour event set to increase to US$400,000.

To be staged from March 25-28, the sixth edition of the event will once more return to Kurmitola Golf Club, the home course of Siddikur Rahman, the country’s first champion in Asia and an honorary member at the club.

Siddikur became the first Bangladeshi to win on the Asian Tour when he triumphed at the Brunei Open in 2010. He went on to become the first sportsman from his country to qualify for the 2016 Olympics on merit and was accorded the honour of acting as Bangladesh’s flag-bearer during the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.

The inaugural edition of Bangladesh’s National Open was established in 2015 with the aim of providing a catalyst for the further expansion of golf in Bangladesh following the exploits of Siddikur.

With an initial prize fund of US$300,000, the event has proved a springboard to success for many of its champions – Singapore’s Mardan Mamat (2015), Thais Thitiphun Chuayprakong (2016) and Jazz Janewattananond (2017), Malcolm Kokocinski of Sweden (2018) and Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand (2019).

General Aziz Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh Army and President of the Bangladesh Golf Federation (BGF), said: “Bangladesh is celebrating the 100th birthday of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 2020. The whole nation is incredibly excited. As part of that, BGF would like to organise the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2020 in a befitting manner to show profound respect and love for the Father of the Nation.”

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO, Asian Tour, said: “This will be our sixth consecutive year playing in Bangladesh and we are delighted that the prize purse has been elevated to a record level.

“Since it was inaugurated, the tournament has either revitalised or launched the careers of many of our members. Our 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Jazz Janewattananond clinched his career breakthrough here in 2017. Since then, he’s enjoyed an epic rise and is now one of the top-50 players in the world.

“Meanwhile, defending champion Sadom Kaewkanjana became the fastest Qualifying School rookie to win on the Asian Tour, emerging victorious in his first start after graduation.

“As the richest sporting event in Bangladesh, I’m confident the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2020 will continue to unveil more hidden talents in the region while promoting the sport in Bangladesh.”

The Asian Tour is a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.