Aditi Ashok, the soft-spoken Bangalore girl who has been making waves with her brand of golf in the International and Indian golfing scene, represented India as a Junior at the age of 15 years at the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy in 2013. Aditi played in the 2nd Asian Youth Games 2013 at the age of 15 years. Aditi is the youngest amateur in the World at 13 years and 5 months to win the Hero WGAI’s Clover Greens Ladies Professional championship in 2011. Aditi has to her record as the best finished Indian Lady golfer and tied 8th at the Hero Women’s Indian Open 2012.
In December 2011, Aditi became the youngest Amateur (also equalled the record), at the age of 13 years, to win the 95th All India Ladies Amateur Open Golf Championship 2011 at Chandigarh Golf Club, Chandigarh. Aditi is the first junior girl in the country to have chosen to compete in the higher category. Aditi is the first Indian Amateur at 12 years to have represented India at the Asia-Pacific Invitational, 33rd Queen Sirikit Cup 2011.
Aditi won her maiden International junior title at 13 years (Individual Girls U-14 and Team India) at the 100 Plus Malaysian Junior Golf championship 2011 and won the Asia Pacific Juniors 2012 (U15 girls). Aditi is the National Junior champion and won the Toyota Etios Player of the Year 2012 (Junior Girls). Presently Aditi is ranked No 3 in the IGU Ladies Merit List and No.1 Junior in the country.
Aditi Ashok is currently taking part in the N R Group IGU Ladies & Junior Girls Amateur Golf championships at JW golf course from June 7-10th 2014, and she shared her views with SOM Correspondent. The writer also spoke to Raian F Irani, President, Indian Golf Union (IGU), who is responsible for bringing the National Ladies and Junior tournament to Mysore. Arjun Ranga, Managing Director, N R Group of Companies have given patronage by supporting golf in a big way and have sponsored the tournament in Mysore.
Below are the excerpts of the interviews with all the three of them.
SOM: How do feel taking part in the N R Group IGU Ladies & Junior girls Amateur golf championships played at the J W Golf course here in Mysore ?
Aditi: I have not played in this course for the last five years. I have been playing in different tournaments and did not have a chance to play in Mysore. Now the greens are good and the course is much better and the club authorities have done a lot of good work to keep the course in good playing condition.
SOM: You have achieved many firsts- the first amateur golfer at 13 to represent India and also to win the All India Ladies championships. What do you attribute your success to?
Aditi: I really liked golf and am a very focused person. I put in a lot of hard work and played really well and that yielded results. Hard work and practice helped me to achieve success at all levels.
SOM: You are currently ranked No.3 in the IGU Ladies merit list and No.1 in the country in the Junior girls section. What are your future aims?
Aditi: I definitely want to turn professional and become one of the top golfers in the World. I will decide in the next two years as I have to finish my schooling before turning a professional.
SOM: How did you take up to playing golf and who inspired you to do so?
Aditi: Nobody inspired me into playing golf. I accompanied my father to KGA and liked the game and took up to playing the game when I was 6 years old. My parents Ashok and Maheshwari encouraged me and I started playing tournaments when i was 7 years old at the Karnataka Golf Course (KGA) in Bangalore.
SOM: Which are the future tournaments you are going to take part?
Aditi: By playing well on the National circuit, I will get to play for India. I aim to represent India in the forthcoming Asian Games, the World amateur championships. I will also be taking part in the Junior Open in United Kingdom in August 2014 and in the Duke of York tournament in September.
SOM: How do think is the present Indian golfing scene?
Aditi: Golf in India has become more famous. Many girls have taken up the game which is a good sign. There are lot of golf courses coming out in the country which in turn will help lot of people to take up to play golf. The myth that golf is a old man’s game has been broken with more and more youngsters and girls taking up to the sport in the country.
SOM: How do you balance your studies with playing golf?
Aditi: My school-Frank Anthony’s Public school, Bangalore have been very supportive and have helped me a lot in perusing and excelling in golf. They let me take leave to play in tournaments and the teachers are supportive and take extra classes to help me cover the portions. That’s how, I could manage studying as well as playing in the higher level.
SOM: Who is your present coach and how has the coaching helped you in improving your golf?
Aditi: I train under Australian Steven Giuliano at Malaysia. I go often to Malaysia to train under him. I am in constant touch with him and when in Bangalore, I practice at the KGA. His coaching methods has helped me to improve on my game and since September 2012.
I would like India to be a power house in Golf: Raian F. Irani
SOM: As President IGU, how has been your stint so far?
Raian: Excellent. A lot of good things are happening. The IGU team is putting in lot of hard work to develop the game in the country. We have started different programmes to popularise the game and have introduced golf to children in schools in order to increase the base and attract and spot fresh talent.
SOM: How do you feel bringing bigger tournaments to two tier cities like Mysore and who will it help in popularising the sport?
Raian: Definitely it will help the stature of golf and in the longer run. Two tier cities will benefit with these type of exposure and tournaments. Local sponsors like N R Group, headed by Arjun Ranga, coming in to sponsor the IGU Ladies & Junior Girls Amateur tournament in Mysore also goes a long way in promoting the sport. It indirectly helps the clubs in Two-tier cities who lack in certain facilities, but they make it up with hundred percent commitment to the game.
SOM: How do you think is the future for Indian golf in the days to come?
Raian: The golfing scene in the country is vibrant. It is a positive sign. We are going step by step and trying to give more exposure to the players by sending them to play in as many international tournaments as we can. In 7-10 years we would like India to become a power house in golf.
SOM: Tell us on the future plans of IGU?
Raian: We are presently laying more emphasis on training and upgrading the quality of coaches and tournament directors. IGU intends to increase more number of golf courses in the country and are in talks with the respective state governments to allot lands for golf courses and academies.
NR Group will continue to help sports activities: Arjun Ranga
SOM: Your views on N R Group of Companies promoting golf by sponsoring the IGU Ladies & Junior amateur golf tournament in Mysore?
Arjun: We are lucky to have Mysorean Raian Irani, as the President of IGU, who went a long way getting this tournament to Mysore.
N R Group has always supported sports in a big way. As our organisation is also into women empowerment with the Agarbathis manufacturing, we found it fit to sponsor the tournament.
SOM: NR Group has always been supporting sport in Mysore. How do you think this venture of yours will help the upcoming golfers in Mysore?
Arjun: This in one way where-in we could provide more opportunities for local golfers to get the needed exposure in taking part in such tournaments. With the IGU allotting the tournaments to Mysore it will benefit the youngsters a lot and will be an annual affair. N R Group will be sponsoring this event annually.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / June 09th, 2014