India and its magical stories – both on and off the course – enthralled the young players on the Ladies European Tour. Even as the golfing girls prepare for tough conditions on what promises to be a complex course with narrow fairways and forest on either side, they are high spirited and raring to go. Luckily the weather has been on their side, as winter sets in and tropical temperatures ease out. And so a party did the trick.
Riding on their victory at the Skills Challenge, where the Rest of the World beat the Asian Champs, Europe’s best golfers enjoyed their first official evening outing in a celebratory mood. Hosted at the Lodhi Hotel in the heart of Lutyens Delhi and just a stones throw from Delhi Golf Club, plenty was on their menu. Yellow and deep orange marigolds, elephants, Indian curry, press and good company – all adding up to the evening spice on a nice nippy November evening.
Note: All Pictures by Tristan Jones for LET
Food was mixed cuisine to cater for all palettes but the Indian fare was extensive from biryanis, gravies to special delights in vegetables and chicken. Safe bets were around for those who wanted a simple non-spicy meal ahead of the tournament. Indian delights for dessert were certainly work trying out.
Danielle Montgomery, Sophie Giquel-Bettan and Klara Spilkova posed by a stone carving of an elephant that presents itself to visitors at the reception of the Lodhi Hotel. The girls were excited by the decor for the evening with large brass pots of marigolds and dot-golden lighting on all the trees of the party courtyard.
Darling of the Indian side, Sharmila Nicollet looked resplendent in a pink two-piece Indian outfit. We’ve always known pink is her colour (and she wears it on every final day game) but to see her out in traditional clothes was certainly special.
Kiran Matharu, Sharmila Nicollet were seen making the right picks in the vast Indian menu and even give their visiting contemporaries a tip or two on what to avoid.
Shaili Chopra is one of the most trusted faces in Indian journalism. As editor-presenter she has gained accolades not only for her business journalism but also for her dedicated interest in golf. From Warren Buffett to Gary Player she has interviewed them all for business or golf. For over ten years now she has been the media face for this game and played golf with many professional players, golfing CEOs or celebrities. Her efforts have pushed up the interest in the game across the nation and brought it more attention. Shaili now also hosts India’s only dedicated & successful golf website called www.golfingINDIAN.com . From cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Gary Player, Greg Norman, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter, Adam Scott, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, KP Singh of DLF, YC Deveshwar of ITC and several others have been interviewed by her on the sport.
