Bringing together the movers and shakers of Corporate Singapore
The game provides a unique opportunity to connect people in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere
Jayaprakash Jagateesan, the executive director and chief executive officer of The ALDigi Group, has been playing golf for the last two decades. While he does not get on the course as regularly as he would like to these days, he’s making time these few weeks to take part in The Business Times Corporate Golf League 2023, an annual event that’s presented by Singapore Pools.
AlDigi Group is a member of ONERHT, which has been a strong supporter of the BT Corporate Golf League for many years. ONERHT is a platform of brands that includes Singapore-based regional law firm RHTLaw Asia, which currently has over 2,000 legal professionals and 600 partners in 15 jurisdictions.
In this interview, Jagateesan talks about how he first picked up the sport, why he counts Vijay Singh among his favourite golfers, and why he enjoys mixing business with pleasure on the golf course.
Why does ONERHT support the BT Corporate Golf League?
We have been a strong supporter of this event for many years. With avid golfers among ourselves and our stakeholders, it was natural for us to support the event which brings together leaders of Corporate Singapore onto the course. We continue to field a social team for the event to enable our clients to join us and forge new connections.
Many participants enjoy the networking aspect of the event. What about you?
The BT Corporate Golf League provides a unique opportunity to connect people in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. It’s a great way to build relationships and make new friends through a sport that encourages conversation and fosters camaraderie.
Away from the formal setting of boardrooms and on the pristine courses, conversations flow more naturally during 18-hole rounds with our partners and friends. This is in addition to the other sporting benefits such as developing one’s physical and mental skills.
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Share more about what the ONERHT Foundation does.
The foundation is a registered charity and grant-making philanthropic organisation in Singapore. Since its inception in 2015, it has raised more than S$4 million for over 24 beneficiaries to support meaningful causes in education, the environment and sustainability, disadvantaged groups, as well as the arts and sports.
At its last event in October last year, the foundation entered into a memorandum of Uunderstanding with the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) to support golf development in Singapore. In line with its goal of promoting sports, the foundation and SGA will collaborate on various projects and outreach programmes to promote golf as a healthy sporting activity.
When did you first pick up golf?
I’ve been playing since 2004. I took it up initially because of my colleagues who played regularly, and I was later inducted into this golfing group called MGR, where it was not just about camaraderie and networking but also organising charity golf events.
In my earlier days when I played more regularly, my handicap was 16. My current handicap is 22 due to the lack of playing time. I intend to play a lot more now that I have more colleagues taking up golf.
Who is your favourite golfer?
Tiger Woods is clearly an all-time favourite with all those memorable comebacks and iconic putts. Vijay Singh also impressed me when I took up the sport because of his ability to play the most impossible shots like using the toe of his putter to shoot an eagle in the PGA Championship, and making an unreal shot during a practice round in Augusta. Executing these shots needs lots of practice, and he was certainly one of the most hardworking golfers on the PGA Tour.
What does ONERHT hope to gain from participating in the BT Corporate Golf League?
It’s great to meet up with old friends from the other teams that have also been regular participants over the years. As an organisation, ONERHT is proud to support and promote golf as a sport. After all, the current president of SGA, Tan Chong Huat, is also the chairman of the RHT Group of Companies.
And your own wish for the event?
I would like more corporates to join the league to make this a larger event. That will enable the business community to come together to not just network and socialise, but to build on CSR (corporate social responsibility), collaborating on projects that give back to the community.
This article is brought to you by ONERHT.
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