The 38th ASEAN Senior Amateur Golf Championships was held in Thailand this month and according to CASGA Secretary General Dato Shamsudin Ismail, sports is a great way to strengthen diplomatic ties in ASEAN.
The championship brought together 279 senior golfers from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, all competing at Burapha Golf and Resort in Pattaya Thailand over four days in early November 2024.
The event, organized by the Thailand Senior Golfers’ Association (TSGA), featured both individual and team competitions that allowed participants to showcase their skills and engage in friendly competition.
The closing ceremony kicked off with the pledge to Brunei, as next year’s 39th championship host, with a ceremonial handover of the Confederation of ASEAN Senior Golfers’ Association (CASGA) flag.
During the ceremony, President of TSGA Chadej Musigavong formally presented the flag to Deputy President of the Brunei Darussalam Association of Senior Golfers Muhammed Lutfi bin Muhammad Hanif.
According Hanif, this exchange symbolizes Brunei’s ongoing commitment to ASEAN’s values of cooperation and cultural exchange.
Commenting on the sport, the Secretary General of CASGA Dato Shamsudin Ismail reflected on the broader impact of golf within the region.
“Golf can have a positive impact on business and tourism sectors, strengthening ASEAN’s economic and cultural connections,” says Dato Ismail.
Commenting on next year’s event, Hanif says that Brunei Darussalam is honoured to continue ASEAN’s legacy of sportsmanship by hosting the 39th ASEAN Senior Amateur Golf Championships.
“As a country that values both competition and collaboration, Brunei Darussalam looks forward to welcoming golfers, where we hope to further strengthen the bonds that unite our nations. Brunei Darussalam is keen to promote goodwill and sports diplomacy across ASEAN. By providing a welcoming space for golfers to connect and compete, Brunei highlights the unifying power of sports, fostering collaboration and cultural understanding across Southeast Asia,” says Hanif.
Brunei has a land area of 5,765 square kilometres – slightly larger than Luxembourg and just smaller than Delaware. While a small nation, it has a notable presence within ASEAN.
Known for its strategic location along the South China Sea and its rich oil reserves, Brunei shares borders with Malaysia and maritime boundaries with China, extending its exclusive economic zone 200 nautical miles from its coast.
Its capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, serves as Brunei’s political and cultural centre, where Bahasa Melayu is the official language, though English, Chinese, and indigenous languages are widely spoken.
Notes from the Editor: ASEAN Professional Golfers Association, founded in Singapore on 9 January 2008, is reviving its circuit tour and claims that it will soon host events in each of the ten ASEAN countries alongside the Asian Seniors Tour.
