BENGALURU: Portspersons always dream to represent their nation in the Olympics, at least once, in their career. At 23, when Bengaluru golfer Aditi Ashok tees off at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in the Tokyo Olympics, she will become a two-time Olympian. She competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics as the youngest woman golfer in the competition as well. Having started to learn about the sport from the age of five, her quadrennial event appearance shows that she has come a long way.
In fact, she had only started swinging at the golf club as a family activity. However, Aditi played her first round of 18 holes at the Bangalore Golf Club as a six-year-old. And in no time, she was playing for other junior tournaments since seven and enjoyed competing against the boys and defeating them. Her impressive performances at various levels gave a fillip to her budding career which later helped her to compete in the Rio Olympics. “I have always enjoyed playing golf, especially competitive golf.
Till the age of 12, I competed with boys and winning against them was always fun and challenging. Also, when I was 11, I finished 4th in the All India Ladies Amateur Championship. So that was a big confidence builder. And at the age of 12, I started competing in under 18 and amateur categories instead of under 13 or 15. I always pushed myself to do better. All the success I had in my junior and amateur days both at the national and international levels made me believe in my decision of turning professional,” says the Arjuna awardee.
However, a question always arises, how will the person who decides at an early age to take up sports professionally, can strike a balance between the game and his/her studies. Aditi too had her share of challenges. When she travelled for tournaments, it meant that she would have to miss classes, but her friends came to her rescue and helped her to catch up with the school work.
“It wasn’t easy. But I must credit my school The Frank Anthony Public School for supporting my dreams and aspirations. If not for the school, I would not have gone so far in golf,” she says, adding, “And of course my parents and friends in class helped me catch up with school work whenever I used to travel and miss school.”
She is a regular on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the Ladies European Tour (LET). The city girl, who has won three LET titles has been in decent form of late, and even came close to a maiden LPGA success when she paired with Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational over the weekend, where they finished tied-third. “I have played well leading up to the Games, so I hope I can carry that momentum and have a great week,” says the golfer.