Mithun eyes history

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Mithun Perera

With a second place at the season-opening Zaykabar Myanmar Open last month, in-form Mithun Perera is confident of winning his first Asian Tour title, when the £1.8 million Avantha Masters gets under way at the Jaypee Greens Golf Course in Greater Noida on Thursday.

The Sri Lankan, the first from the country to hold a full card on the Tour, was on the verge of creating history in Myanmar but was pipped by Order of Merit leader Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand, the eventual winner.
“That result in Myanmar really gave me lots of confidence as that has kept up my rankings on the Asian Tour. My target is to win at least one event this year. It’s so near,” said Mithun, son of Nandasena, a famous name on the Asian circuit during the 1980s and 1990s.
Mithun said he was keen to tee off in the stellar field, that has several Ryder Cup stars includung Scot Colin Montgomerie. He was also upbeat about his current form and hopes to better his debut performance at the event, when he finished tied-29th last year.
“I had a good finish at the Avantha Masters last year and it’s really exciting to be back again. There are many good players this week and it’ll be great to play against them.”
As the flag bearer for golf in Sri Lanka, Mithun also hopes that he can serve as an inspiration for his countrymen and take golf in his country to greater heights.
“A lot of Sri Lankans are following the Asian Tour as a result of my performances and many of them have been supporting me back home. They’ve been following my progress closely and cheering me every step of the way. I want to make my country proud and that’s why I’m also here,” he said.
With no less than 38 Asian Tour winners including three Order of Merit champions besides a host of Ryder Cup stars confirming their participation, the event is poised to become an intriguing contests.
The home challenge will be led by Jeev Milkha Singh, with S.S.P. Chowrasia, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri also in the field.