Kathmandu: Rotary Club of Himalayan Golfers (RCHG) is set to host the Himalayan Swing Open 2025, a fundraising golf tournament under its Golf for All initiative, at the Gokarna Golf Club on Saturday.

According to RCHG President Daman Ghale, the initiative aims to make golf more accessible to young and underprivileged Nepalis while encouraging greater participation of women in the sport.

The club announced that 15-year-old golfer Avanie Rai will be the first beneficiary of the Golf for All program. To nurture her talent, RCHG will facilitate her enrollment at the Tarun Sardesai Golf Academy in Karnataka, India, where she will receive professional training and mentorship.

RCHG will sponsor 80 percent of her total expenses, with the remaining 20 percent covered by her family. Rai will initially train at the academy for a month, and upon evaluation of her progress, she will be offered an extended year-long training opportunity.

“Avanie has shown exceptional promise as a golfer,” said Ghale. “We launched this initiative to give her the opportunity to develop her skills at a professional level.”

Expressing her gratitude, Avanie Rai said, “I’m deeply thankful to RCHG for believing in me. This opportunity brings me closer to my dream of representing Nepal in international golf.”

RCHG member Aarati Rajya Laxmi Rana shared that the Himalayan Swing Open will become an annual event, with this year’s tournament expected to raise around Rs 5 million. All proceeds will go toward funding the Golf for All initiatives.

Altogether 120 golfers are expected to participate in the tournament. The winners will be offered prizes including a BYD Atto 3 as the reward for a hole-in-one on the 10th hole.