DUBAI // When Ashok Bakshi arrived in Dubai more than 25 years ago, he could never have known that he would play a key role in founding one of the oldest golf clubs in the emirate.
Bakshi, aged 75, one of the most respected amateur golfers in Dubai, died of a heart attack on January 28 while practising for the annual Omega Dubai Desert Classic pro-am tournament at the Emirates Golf Club.
Christopher May, chief executive of Dubai Golf, said Bakshi was a founding member of the club and was a popular club captain from 2002 to 2003.
Dubai Golf manages Emirates Golf Club, the first all-grass championship golf course in the Middle East which opened in 1988, and Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.
“Ashok was one of the longest-standing suppliers to the Pro Shop at the club, and there was never a request which he could not deliver, no matter how last minute, or how big or small,” said Mr May.
Bakshi was also a former vice-president of business development at Jumbo Electronics Dubai from 1981 to 1996, and had been a partner at Aztec Trading since 1998 until his death.
His colleagues, friends and relatives described him as a man of action.
Whenever Bakshi was at the club he always had a smile on his face, said Mr May. “He was a kind and generous man who always had a great relationship with all my colleagues at the club. He was always polite and treated them well,” Mr May said. “He will be missed by everyone at the club.”
In recent years Bakshi spent much of his time passing his love of golf on to his grandson. They played many rounds and spent time together on the Par 3 course and The Majlis, his favourite course.
“My son wouldn’t be able to play without his motivation, he looked up to him for everything,” said daughter-in-law Sonia Bakshi.
When Bakshi came to Dubai he started working with the late Manu Chhabria’s Jumbo Electronics in Abu Dhabi.
“My father-in-law motivated and inspired the family to games, education and setting up businesses in Dubai,” said Mrs Bakshi, a Dubai resident of 23 years. He graduated from St Xavier’s College in Mumbai in 1963 with a bachelor of commerce degree and went to work as a sales executive for an aluminium manufacturer until 1969.
He then worked as an assistant manager at Eid Parry, Murugappa Group, until 1971.
Bakshi, who completed his education in India, also worked in Delhi.
At Cadbury India, he was the company’s regional manager for North India for a decade until 1981 before migrating to the UAE that year.
His friends and relatives have been flocking to his family home to pay tribute to him, according to Mrs Bakshi.
“I have been friends with Ashok for the last 30 years and we played together so many times,” said Surender Singh Kandhari, chairman of Al Dobowi Group in Dubai.
“We organised events and set up the Indian Golfers Society Dubai together. That brought the Indian golf community together. We promoted the Indian golf tournaments at the Emirates Golf Club, which was a very important activity.”
Bakshi is survived by his wife Shashi, son Manish, daughter Meghna, as well as four grandchildren.
anwar@thenational.ae