Mauritius to host Stars Golf League for ten years

Mauritius will host the inaugural edition of the Stars Golf League on the island from 25-28 March 2027, bringing together 36 global sporting and celebrity personalities across six franchise teams. Introduced at Sugar Beach in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, the USD 1.6 million competition is being positioned as a ten-year annual fixture, with international coverage expected in more than 130 countries.

The Stars Golf League Mauritius was officially introduced on Saturday, 22 August 2026, during “The Opening Swing,” an exclusive reception held at Sugar Beach, in Flic-en-Flac. The launch was attended by representatives of Government, tourism and business leaders, commercial partners, media and the league’s international delegation. Kapil Dev, R. Madhavan, Mahesh Bhupathi and Brandon de Souza set out the sporting, commercial and destination ambitions attached to the new competition.

The format will combine 24 golfing legends, six leading women golfers and six celebrity golfers in a franchise-led team competition. The confirmed roster so far includes renowned golfers Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie; former South African cricketer AB de Villiers; India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev; former Netherlands footballer Ruud Gullit; and former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh. 

Brandon de Souza even referred to personalities associated with Manchester United and Liverpool as part of the international sporting appeal being assembled. The final mix, he said, would bring together figures from golf, cricket, football, tennis and cinema. More names and sponsors, he added, would be disclosed as preparations advance.

A full week of destination exposure

The organisers’ central commitment is that Mauritius will not simply stage one edition. The league is intended to return annually over ten years, establishing the island as the long-term home of an international sporting property. Its proposition extends beyond four days of competition: elite golf, celebrity participation, entertainment, business engagement, tourism and global broadcasting are being brought together under one event platform.

Brandon de Souza said that the international delegation was expected to spend a full week in Mauritius, giving the event a footprint beyond the four competitive days. The objective is to use the golfers and personalities around the league to draw attention to the island’s courses, which he described as hidden gems, its hotels and the wider tourism offering.

“What we are aiming for is to make sure that Mauritius is the cynosure of the world: not just in the eyes of the golfing world, but in people’s eyes more broadly,” de Souza said. 

A franchise model with an established pedigree

Former tennis star player Mahesh Bhupathi placed the new league within the portfolio developed by the team behind the World Tennis League – which has attracted players like Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka – and the World Padel League. Those properties have already brought elite athletes, entertainment and international broadcasting into team-based formats over several seasons, providing the operational model for combining competitive sport with entertainment, franchises and international reach.

“The Stars Golf League is going to be our third property. It is a franchise-based concept and is very unique,” he said. “Following the success of the IPL, we truly believe that franchise-based sport is gaining momentum across the world. We are here to deliver world-class golf.”

The former doubles tennis world No. 1 also paid tribute to co-founder Amit Sharma, whom he credited with helping to assemble the Stars Golf League project and its international delegation. 

Golf as a platform for tourism

For Mauritius, the announced scale is significant: a USD 1.6 million prize purse, 36 international personalities and intended broadcast exposure across more than 130 countries. The potential value will depend on how the final roster, franchise ownership, sponsorship programme, broadcast distribution and visitor experience are developed before March 2027.

The promise is not limited to television visibility. A delegation spending a full week on the island could support hotel stays, golf tourism, hospitality spending, business networking and destination marketing. Sustaining those benefits over ten annual editions would give the event a different economic profile from a one-off tournament.

The organisers have set out an ambitious proposition: to use a franchise-led sporting competition to give Mauritius a recurring place on the international golf calendar. The coming months will determine how the first edition, scheduled for 25-28 March 2027, translates into a durable and profitable event for the island.