Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni has thrown his hat into the ring and is ready to battle cancer by endorsing the Cancer Crusaders Invitation Cup golf tournament, aimed at raising awareness about cancer.
The tournament that will be played in the Texas Scramble format will take place at the Boulder Hills Golf and Country Club in Gachibowli on March 3 and 4.
“This tournament is mainly to spread awareness about cancer among the upper echelons of the society. There is a misconception that only the poor are afflicted by cancer. The tournament will hopefully serve as a myth-buster and encourage people to get regular checkups,” said Dr P. Vijay Anand Reddy, founder of CURE Foundation, the organisers of the tournament.
The first edition of the tournament, held in March 2010, was headlined by former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev, an avid golf enthusiast. This year, it is Nagarjuna. “I’m very happy to be associated with this Initiative,” Nagarjuna told this newspaper, adding “they’re doing something fantastic here and it is a pleasure for me to help them out.”
“I had a thyroid problem a while ago. I never knew that was the problem. I thought I was fit and fine. But I was getting tired far too frequently and I got it checked. That was how the doctors discovered my swollen thyroid gland,” Nagarjuna said.
“While my problem may not have been as serious as cancer, it only goes to highlight the importance of catching any disease at the earliest,” he said.
If all goes according to plan, the Cancer Crusaders Cup should do its bit for the battle against cancer. And with prominent people like minister D.K. Aruna, US Consul General Katherine Dhanani and fitness expert Dinaz Vervatwala taking part, the odds are stacked in its favour.
