Dubai Desert Classic pro-am canceled after player suffers heart attack, dies

DUBAI -- The Pro-Am of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic was cancelled on Wednesday as a mark of respect after former club captain Ashok Bakshi suffered a heart attack on the driving range at Emirates Golf Club.

Concerted efforts were made to revive the 75-year-old, including the deployment of an air ambulance, but Bakshi was later declared dead after further treatment at Rashid Hospital here.

Bakshi had been preparing to play as one of three amateurs, alongside Nitin Puri and SS Rajkumar, in the Gulf News 3 team with French professional Romain Wattel.

The driving range, putting green and golf course were closed by the early afternoon in the wake of the tragedy, which naturally overshadowed preparations for Thursday's first round.

An official statement from the tournament organisers read -- "The afternoon Pro-Am of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic was cancelled at 2:20pm following the tragic death of Ashok Bakshi, a founding member and past captain of Emirates Golf Club, who suffered a cardiac arrest while warming up for the Pro-Am on the driving range at Emirates Golf Club.

"Mr Bakshi collapsed on the practice range early this afternoon and was immediately attended to by the European Tour's chief medical officer, Dr Roger Hawkes, as well as the local paramedic team from the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Service, who are based at Emirates Golf Club during the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

"After initial stabilisation on the practice range, Mr Bakshi was transferred by air ambulance to Rashid Hospital, where he had further treatment but unfortunately passed away.

"The European Tour, in conjunction with tournament promoter golf in DUBAi and Emirates Golf Club, took the decision to close the golf course, as well as all golfing facilities at Emirates Golf Club, as a mark of respect to Mr Bakshi, who was a hugely popular figure throughout the golfing community in Dubai."

This article was written by Alex Leach from Khaleej Times and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.