Abolition of trade benefits by the US, the major buyer of Bangladeshi shafts, has left little impact on the export of Bangladeshi golf shafts, with shipment rising by more than 35 per cent in six months to December, the government said.
The shaft of a golf club is a long and tapered tube which connects the golfer's hands to the club head.
The state-run Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed that the country exported golf shafts worth $ 7.79 million in the July-December period of the current financial year compared to $ 5.76 million a year age.
Annual exports now stand at over $ 12 million, the data showed.
Mamiya-OP (BD) Ltd, a Chittagong-based Japanese company, is manufacturing and exporting golf shafts and arrows to leading brands in the USA, EU, Fareast Asia and Oceania.
The company exported nearly 2.0 million shafts and arrows in the last financial year which was 1.0 million five years back, officials of the company said.
Rory McIlroy, the number one golfer in the world, won ten golf championships, including the last Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship 2015, in last 55 weeks.
In October 2014, Mr. McIlroy said the latest Nike Vapor Pro driver (driver is the golf stick used to send ball farthest), he was using, had also a role in his betterment in the Ryder Cup last year.
Tiger Woods, the former number one and living legend, used many brands of golf clubs, including UST Mamiya.
Mamiya-OP is providing shafts to leading global brands such as Nike, Adidas, Ping, UST, Wilson and so on.
Stars like Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Brandt Snedeker or national golf legend Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman are playing golf using many brands of golf clubs whose shafts are made by Mamiya-OP.
Manager and company secretary of Mamiya-OP Ashish Chakraborty told the FE that better quality with dynamic design and durability has helped them create a vast market for Bangladeshi shafts and arrows.
He said the suspension of GSP facility by the USA at the beginning of the last financial year (July 2013) came as a big blow to them as the country imports 60 per cent of shafts and arrows Bangladesh exports.
"But we have overcome the problem only by ensuring the quality of products which helps us beat Chinese or Thai companies," he said, adding that his company is now meeting more than 10 per cent of the global demand for golf shafts.
When contacted, sports journalist of a leading daily Badiuzzaman Milon said Bangladeshi golf legend Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman uses global branded golf clubs.
"Initiative taken by Mamiya-OP will help establish an integrated brand in the country in future when Bangladeshi global champions will not only use the shafts or arrows but also their own golf clubs," he said, adding that trade of the items will also increase multiply.
Golfer Jamal Hossain Mollah told the FE that local golfers use golf clubs of different brands like Nike, True Temper, Aldila, Grafalloy, Project X and UST Mamiya which are imported.
"I feel proud that the golf clubs I'm using, its shafts might be Bangladeshi," he said.
Mamiya-OP has around 1,000 workers and is exporting around 2 million golf shafts and arrows a year.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com
Shipment of golf shafts surfs ahead despite US benefit cut
Yasir Wardad | Published: February 03, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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