New Delhi, June 1 : To give a boost to amateur and recreational players in the country, the Indian Golf Union (IGU) has given sanction to the first Mid-Amateur Tour of India (MATI), which will be organised from October this year. The Mid-Amateur Tour of India (MATI), the first structured tour for amateur golfers, will be conducted under the aegis of the Indian Golf Union (IGU), the governing body of golf in India. The MATI is the brainchild of former senior sports journalist Robin Bose, co-founder and director of the promoting company the Golfinghub Media and Events Private Limited. While amateur golf has always been the stepping stone for those keen to pick up the sport as a profession, MATI opens a window for serious golfers in the age group of 35-54 years who have chosen to strike a balance between their workspace and competing on the golf course. It is also an opportunity for those who have been restricted to club events due to a lack of opportunities in this segment. "We are excited to start this novel project in Indian golf which will hopefully help broad-base the sport and encourage many more golfers to awaken the competitor in them. Backed by a superb team, I am confident MATI will stand out with its endeavour to end the vacuum in this segment while showcasing the players in a never-before way," said Bose. A prominent highlight of MATI is that all events carry World Amateur Golf Ranking points (WAGR), making it aspirational for those keen to collect enough points over time and travel abroad for premium mid-am tournaments like the British and US Mid-Am, the organisers informed in a release on Thursday. Director General, IGU, Major General Bibhuti Bhushan (retd) welcomed the initiative. "We are happy to sanction MATI and this novel initiative by Golfinghub to cater to the Mid-Amateur segment. We hope the Tour will fuel the aspirations of golfers, men and women, in this segment to keep the Tricolour flying high." The first season will comprise 11 events across the North and South Zones in the country, culminating in the Tour Championship. To be played in the stroke play format, the Zonal Preliminaries will be followed by a Zonal Final with the top names then taking part in the Tour Championship. The Tour will be managed by Bitsport Pvt. Ltd., a leading sports media and events company. The venues in North Zone include Chandigarh, Panchkula and the NCR Region, while the events in the South Zone will be played at Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai. /IANS