Aditi Ashok at Olympics 2016 could make for a stellar year

A special feature by Champika Sayal

February 20, 2016: India’s most admired and talented female professional golfer Aditi Ashok is busy etching her story into India’s golf history. Nine years of single minded dedication has helped Aditi force her way up the order, vying for an individual entry to the Olympics 2016 – an exemplary feat indeed for herself and for women’s golf in India!

The young teenager who is currently in preparation for her final year of high school needs to be lauded for being India’s rising star, already an owner of a European Tour card. Aditi’s position at 59 was enough for me to take a deep breath and give a thumbs up to this young Bangalorean, who is quickly becoming an icon for young Indian golf aspirants.

A country with virtually no golf or sports culture, until a decade ago must put sports and golf in particular as a mandatory game across schools and colleges in the country.

A lesson on sports governance could well be taken from South Korea- a nation that has seen a surge of women golfers in the last decade topping world rankings. This swing has largely been due to respect that women golf players received from the people of their proud nation.

Having fallen in love with the game of golf at the age of 10 while watching the first ever Ladies European Tour Championship on Indian soil at Eagleton Golf Club in December 2007, Aditi Ashok knew that this was the game she wanted to excel in. No looking back for Aditi who showed maturity beyond her years at every tournament that she played in the past five years.

After achieving her full Ladies European Tour Card for 2016 as the top qualifier, Aditi is poised to take Indian’s tri colour to the Rio Olympics as the first Indian female golfer to break into the top sixty for an individual entry. With cut off dates fast approaching it has to be the endeavour of our nation to ensure that Aditi Ashok betters her form to further secure her Olympic berth.

No doubt her regime of hard work coupled with a tunnel vision to achieve her goal & maintaining her humility will be key factors in her journey towards the Rio Olympics.

Champika Sayal is Secretary General, WGAI