ISPS & Golf

Supporting golf across the globe

Dr Handa has a long history in supporting golf throughout the world and sponsored his first tournament on the Japanese Tour over 15 years ago. Since then ISPS has supported events across the European Senior Tour, Asian Tour, Legends Tour, Ladies European Tour, Japan PGA, Golf Australia and the Australian PGA, using them as a platform to raise the profile of blind and disabled golf

 

ISPS’s heritage in blind and disabled golf and Dr Handa’s commercial and philanthropic investment in golf is the foundation of its wider mission for golf to become a Paralympic sport

 

Dr Handa’s golf ambassadorships include:

 

- International Ambassador of the Ladies European Tour

- International Ambassador of the Asian Tour

- Honorary Chairman of the Japanese Blind Golf Association

- Honorary President of the International Blind Golf Association

- International Ambassador of the Faldo Series Asia

- Chairman of The Legends Tour (U.S. Women’s Senior Golf Association)

- International Ambassador and Patron of Golf Australia

- Honorary Patron of The Duke of York Sports Foundation

- Member of the On Course Foundation Global Council

 

 

Dr Handa set up the Japanese Blind Golf Association in 1988 and was the driving force behind the formation of the International Blind Golf Association (IBGA) in 1998. The IBGA was set up to better coordinate the efforts of blind golf associations around the world and is the governing and sanctioning body for international blind golf events

 

The IBGA has players representing 18 nations. There will be six IBGA sanctioned events in 2012. These will be held in Scotland, Canada, Italy, Australia and the U.S.

 

Dr Handa is Honorary Patron of the Duke of York Sports Foundation which promotes amateur sport for the benefit of young people and offers academic and golf scholarships to 13 - 18 year old players. He is also a member of the On Course Foundation’s Global Council. The On Course Foundation gives members of the British Armed Forces who have been seriously injured the opportunity to play golf and be employed within the golf industry

 

ISPS is a Major Partner of the Faldo Series Asia, Sir Nick Faldo’s global player-development initiative

 

ISPS work with a number of ambassadors in golf including Gary Player, Ian Woosnam, Sam Torrance, Sandy Lyle, Laura Davies, Ian Baker-Finch, Legends Tour Ambassadors Jan Stephenson, Pat Bradley, Kathy Whitworth and Jane Blalock

 

Dr Handa is the first Japanese person to be appointed to the post of Vice President at the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), the UK’s oldest and largest charity, in recognition of long-standing contributions to blind welfare. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors at the Association for the Blind of Western Australia