Diksha Dagar earns a ticket to the Olympics

Diksha Dagar earns a ticket to the Olympics where she will make her debut in the company of Aditi Ashok. Anirban Lahiri and Udayan Mane are playing this week.

162

29 July 2021: There is added delight for Indian golf fans. Diksha Dagar is all set to make her debut in the Olympics after late withdrawals opened the door for her. The women’s event starts on August 5.

Her father Narinder Dagar and the Indian Golf Union have been working relentlessly for the past few days to try and stay ready for an eventual opportunity. Diksha was the second alternate on the list of golfers for #Tokyo2020, and needed some late withdrawals to make way for her debut.

Golf fans will remember that Diksha already has a silver from her appearance in the Deaf Olympics in 2017.

India will have a full field of four golfers – Diksha will join Aditi Ashok in the women’s golf field. Anirban Lahiri and Udayan Mane are on the course today for their first round in Tokyo.

Hero MotoCorp supports Indian golf
Hero MotoCorp supports Indian golf

Diksha was in Ireland for the ISPS Handa Invitational when she learnt the news. It is expected that the Indian might pull out from the event and prepare for her sojourn to Tokyo to play at the Kasumigaseki Country Club next week.

The opportunity for Diksha arose when South African golfer Paula Reto – who was 59th of 60 golfers in the field – dropped out of Tokyo 2020 on Wednesday. The first reserve for the South African was Sarah Schober, an Austrian golfer. Fortunately for Diksha, the Austrian declined, paving the path for her debut.

The left handed Diksha turned professional in 2019, a year after representing India at the Asian Games. She collected her second victory on the Ladies European Tour when she won the 2021 Aramco Team Series in London. Her first win came in her rookie season when she won the South African Open in Johannesburg.

It is understood that the IGU is working with the Indian Olympic Association to arrange the logistics and accreditation related arrangements for the Indian to reach Tokyo.