HYDERABAD: From stumbling upon the sport to growing up in a culture steeped in it — India’s female golf stars who were in Hyderabad to play the Vishwa Samudra Golden Eagles Golf Championship 2022 on Sunday, November 20, had riveting tales to regale us with. Every one of them had an endearing backstory which we were all ears for, especially because in a male-dominated sport like golf, stories like theirs might not always come to the fore.
One such story was that of Ridhima Dilawari. Hailing from Gurugram, she took to golf when she was just eight years old. Would you believe that a sport that she plays professionally today was something she picked up at random? And the rest, as they say, is history.
Speaking about the championship, Ridhima, who has played in India as well as Europe, says, “The company managed to get me on board the championship in the 2019 edition as well. We had four events that year. The good thing about this championship is that it feels like family and it is fun.”
The fact that Ridhima hasn’t been home for more than two weeks straight this year tells one a lot about how challenging the sport can be, both physically and mentally. But nonetheless, the sport evokes a certain devotion in her. “This is why I love playing it. I could say this is like my 9-to-5 job,” she laughs as she shares.
Though golf remains a sport with more men than women, the athlete sees the number of women acing it at international tours and feels a sense of pride. She says that, in general, “It is hard to find Indian women in sports. We are pushed into a sport at a young age and even if we are good at it, everybody thinks that it’s not a reliable career option and that women shouldn’t be doing this. But I think the mindset is changing. I hope that we can be part of the change to help and encourage more women.”
So, what can we do better to motivate more women to take up the sport? “Golf should be made more accessible to girls so that they can see that there is money and future in it,” she opines.
When it comes to inspiration, Ridhima finds it in women sports stars like Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza. In fact, she considers these Hyderabadis as her idols. As far as her personal journey goes, the professional golfer will be playing in Europe as well as in India in 2023. And the long-term goal? “If I qualify to play in America, that would be the next step.”
Golfing is a part of the culture in Kolkata and it was but natural that Tvesa Malik would gravitate towards the sport, especially when both her father and grandfather used to play it. She reminisces how, when growing up, weekends were all about visiting the club and watching tournaments. With her father nudging her to take up golf, they soon found a local professional and that’s how her journey began. “It was gradual for me. When I was 16, I started performing better. It is an addictive feeling of succeeding,” she says and adds, “There were very few women professionals in the country but they were all very encouraging.”
Golf today is a huge part of Tvesa’s life and the same holds true for many other women playing the sport. “I see so many young girls who are talented getting better at the sport. I have seen the change happen in myself in the last three to four years too. If I am able to encourage someone, that’s really huge for me,” she says as she signs off.