Tweet
Over the years Shreya Ghei has got used to correcting people who assume she is related to Gaurav Ghei. Like her famous namesake, Shreya too will represent India in the Asian Games when she flies to Guanzhou later this year. Keeping Shreya company will be two other Delhi players Gurbani Singh and Vani Kapoor, making a total of three Delhiites in a team of four competing in the Womens golf event.
The trio were selected on the basis of their performance in the Asian Games trials that were held from the 27th of July to 6th August at the JP Greens in Noida and the KGA course in Bangalore. Soni Manjeet Singh, the chairperson of the ladies section of the Indian Golf Union, says it is not a surprising statistic. "I too have seen majority women's players coming from Delhi. Delhi has always had a lot of good players. Perhaps women's golf is doing well here because there is already a strong base for the sport. We have over 12 courses in the NCR."
The three Delhi girls share another commonality none of them have yet crossed their teens. Its a phenomenon that has Soni Manjit Singh beaming, "Initially women's golf had players in the mid 40s, today our top players are less than 20. It's some thing that gives me hope for the game in India."
While their long range drives draw appreciative "oohs and aahs" the trio still need some one to drive them home from the course. All three are studying in school where the clash with studies is inevitable and frequent. Vani Kapoor who picked up golf six years back just to spend more time with her father says bunking school is the norm whenever she has to play a tournament although she adds that the Shri Ram School in Gurgaon which she attends, understands her predicament and gives her leave as and when required.
At just 15 years of age, Gurbani Singh is the youngest in a squad that already doesn't have many years of experience between them. She doesn't believe her age is a handicap. "I may be young but at the same time, it is a help to me when I play abroad because then I don't get intimidated easily." Good friends with team-mate Shreya, Gurbani says its an advantage for the team as its easier to bond with a player from the same city.
Shreya though, is undoubtedly the the star of the team. The best performer by far at the Asian Games trials - Ghei was 16 strokes ahead of her nearest competitor at the selection trials for the Asian Games. Ghei admits that a training stint in the USA helped her game. "I trained at the Dave Pelz golf school during my vacations. It was a short course but it really improved my game."
In her last year of school, 17 year old Shreya plans to continue playing at the amateur level for some time - although not in India. "I will be going to the USA, hopefully to a university with a golf team. I will play college level tournaments over there. Maybe afterwords I'll take a call on whether I will turn professional." But for the moment she, like her teammates is enthusiastic about the Asian Games. "It's a huge achievement to represent your country at the Asiad. To win a medal would be a bonus," she signs off.
Full Text RSS Feeds | WordPress Auto Translator
