There’s an air of excitement with an almost palpable energy when Oliver Gan talks about the landscape of grassroots golf in the Philippines.

As a father of two junior golfers and a former national jungolf champion himself, Gan knows what he’s talking about.

His heart has found a home in the verdant greens and his dedication to championing golf from the youth level shows in his splendid work as president of the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP).

But, as is often the case in the unforgiving arena of leadership, the role is a thankless one.

A damned if you do, damned if you don’t kind of grind.

Yet, Gan, with an almost defiant glint in his eye, doesn’t seem to mind, so long as he keeps the ship sailing in the right direction, navigating the often tumultuous waters of organizational leadership.

“You know, I would say that here in junior golf, we don’t really have major issues. The only problem is solving huge problems,” Gan quipped, a wry smile playing on his lips, during a lively and insightful interview on Daily Tribune’s Off The Court.

His words, though delivered with a touch of humor, carried the weight of experience, of battles fought and challenges overcome.

“So, it’s been three years and it was a rollercoaster ride for me,” he added.

Then the 41-year-old Gan shifted to a serious tone.

“But seriously, it’s hard because we are trying to pave the way for the junior golfers to excel. It can’t be avoided that there’s too much competition because the parents will always be involved in Junior Golf,” he said.

“It’s very hard to deal with the parents because they will always want the best for their kids.”

And this is the real challenge: managing not just the aspirations of young athletes, but the intense, often overwhelming, desires of their parents.

“So, it is impossible not to have any controversy since we are dealing with kids, where the sky’s the limit for their future,” Gan explained.

“And it’s not just golf that we’re trying to nurture here but also the character of the kids. Their well-being.”

For Gan, his brand of JGFP leadership stands for a holistic approach, preaching a philosophy that transcends mere athletic prowess.

It’s about molding individuals, fostering resilience, and instilling values that extend far beyond the golf course.

“And how can you say that a six-year-old would become the next Tiger Woods? So, it’s been very challenging. It’s been three years of hard work,” Gan said.

The weight of responsibility, the enormity of the task, was evident in his voice. But he manages it with unshakable resolve.

Gan’s journey to the helm of the JGFP wasn’t a conventional one.

He wasn’t part of the inner circle, not a long-time fixture within the organization’s leadership. Gan was, by his admission, simply a participant, a parent deeply invested in his child’s golfing journey.

“Well, I came in to lead the foundation that I was not even part of. I was just a participant. But I realized that I’ve invested so much in my kid to become good,” he said.

This personal investment, this deep understanding of a parent’s hopes and dreams for their child, fueled his desire for change.

The landscape of junior golf, as Gan observed it, was riddled with issues.

“I wanted to put the kids on the right track. The problem was, shall we say, the junior golf before was very exclusive.”

This exclusivity, he felt, was a significant barrier, limiting opportunities and stifling the growth of a truly broad-based talent pool. The consequences, he lamented, were evident on the international stage.

“And every time we compete abroad, we do not perform. We might be good locally but going international, we don’t have any advantage. We lost the advantage that we had during the times of the likes of Jennifer Rosales and Artemio Murakami wherein we were winning in the junior world championship,” he rued.

Time for change

The stark contrast between past glories and present struggles painted a grim picture, one that Gan was determined to rectify.

Gan’s vision of Philippine junior golf is one of inclusivity, meritocracy and international competitiveness.

But some don’t see it that way.

“So, it was very hard because the vision I wanted was always being questioned.”

He minced no words when recalling the past leadership.

“The leaders then were, I think, didn’t want to admit that they weren’t or lacking in paving the right track. They were just leading the foundation for their own sake, which for me is unacceptable.”

This realization and deep-seated dissatisfaction fueled the desire for a paradigm shift.

“So, we called for a new leadership, then had an election. And fortunately, I won by a landslide. It was the parents who put me here.”

The victory sent a clear message of the demand for a new direction.

“You know, when they called for an election, I didn’t even know the voters because it was their foundation, and I was coming from the left wing,” Gan said.

“But I won by a landslide and here we are now. I’ll fight and stand for those who voted for me.”

Thankless but fulfilling job

Gan’s commitment is unwavering.

He understands the sacrifices, the immense personal cost of leading such an organization.

“But you know, it is a thankless job as long as I see that we’re going on the right track. I don’t mind even if I go hungry,” he said with conviction.

As he looks to the future, the goal is to build on the momentum of the solid foundation laid and to ensure that Philippine junior golf continues its robust development.

This means expanding reach, nurturing new talent, and consistently providing opportunities for young golfers to hone their skills and chase their dreams, not just on the local fairways, but on the grandest stages of international golf.

In his tireless pursuit of this vision, one thing is clear: Gan is catalyzing change one swing, one child, one dream at a time.