Feature by Anand Datla
October 08, 2014: Golf is a pursuit of excellence in solitude. Amidst the silent greens though, the golfer lives in a noisy world. They can feel his innards churn and chug, even as he or she tries to rein in the cacophonic crescendo of noises from deep within their bodies. Only those that can calm their mind and control their nerves can master the undulating terrain, all in the course of their work day. S Chikkarangappa, the emergent golfer from Bengaluru received a few pearls of wisdom to help tune his mind, from an accomplished sportsman who mastered the vagaries of emotion in building his legend and legacy. Rahul Dravid, the former Indian cricket captain and the unimpeachable wall of the modern era, spent time with the golfer to guide the young man about a few important nuances in the art of mind management.
Dravid is an ambassador of the GoSports Foundation, which is working to empower Indian sports persons through their program. Incidentally Chikka is a beneficiary of the foundation’s Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorships. The golfer from Bengaluru spoke about the precious time he spent with Dravid and informed the media about the lessons he has been learning from one of the greatest batsmen to have played the game of cricket.
Chikka spoke to the media at the end of the first round of the BILT Open at the Delhi Golf Club. “I’ve received a lot of valuable inputs from Rahul Sir relating to the mental aspect of sport in the last few months. He is the brand ambassador of a foundation with which I am associated. I met him two months back and we had a long conversation,” informed the golfer. “We’ve been in touch since then. He advised me to follow a particular routine each time I’m competing. He also asked me to be in the present and take each shot at a time and not get too ahead of myself in order to avoid pressure.”
Chikka is currently lying fourth midway through the tournament, fifth of seventh in the PGTI Super Series. The 21 year old has been true to his promise in recent times – winning the Surya Nepal Masters and Kashmir Masters earlier this season. Chikka finished seventh at the Eagleburg Masters on his home turf a week ago. He is currently lying second on the PGTI Order of Merit, about five lakhs in earnings behind an equally promising Rashid Khan.
If Chikka can heed Dravid’s advice and manage to keep his nerves under control and focus on the moment, he could reap some rich rewards in the days to come.
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