After winning the HWIO Aditi Ashok has the weight of performance to back up her precocious talent which has been the talk of the golfing fraternity for a while now.
SHE IS slowly getting used to all the attention. It does get a bit too much at times, but Aditi Ashok, 18, is learning to live and cope with it. Minutes after rewriting a few pages in Indian women’s golf history by winning the Hero Women’s Indian Open (HWIO), she went through her media duties—the photos, the autographs, the interviews and more. Then she suddenly remembered she was hungry.
As she headed to the dining area where the buffet was laid, her colleagues on the LET from various countries stood up and started chanting “Aditi...Aditi... Aditi...” and clapped. The youngster almost stopped in her tracks. That’s when it hit her for the first time that she had achieved something special. More accolades would pour in over the next few days.
Shy, but witty, it is not often that Aditi is stuck for words, but she could not help uttering, “Oh, my God.” She smiled and went headlong into a sea of handshakes, hugs and selfies with her colleagues on the Tour. The 34-year-old Beth Allen, an American now settled in Edinburgh, who is also a kidney donor and a two-time winner this season and a legend in her own right, rushed forward for a big hug, making for a great picture—that of the leader on the LET Order of Merit with the leader in the Race for the Rookie of the Year.
Aditi has arrived, broken the glass ceiling of Indian women’s golf and become an international star. She is much adored on the LET. One of the ‘babies’ on the Tour, she has risen above her age to become one of the most noticed and followed golfers on the Tour. The Tour could not be happier; as Ivan Khodabakhsh, CEO, LET, says, “It is so good to see Aditi win. We all knew she had it, but to do it at such a young age is fantastic. She will be great for Indian golf and for the Tour.” The theme was recurring and consistent.
This story is from the December 2016 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2016 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hockey World Cup- India Gears Up For Glory
Hosts India will have to play out of their skins to win their second Hockey Men’s World Cup title.
Best Fitness Games For Workout
If going to the gym and bulking up the body is your idea of getting in shape, it’s time you reconsider it. From bodyweight training to resistance and high-intensity workouts, here is how you can ace the fitness game without giving up on your workout targets for the year yet again.
Novak Djokovic Has Proved His Mettle Yet Again
Sport can be cruel and unforgiving, but it is also humbling. Over the years, many great athletes have succumbed to the various forces in playmost of which, if not all, are not under their controland while some could never reclaim their past glory, others showed why they really can never be counted out. Novak Djokovic is one of them
Do Virat Kohli's Captaincy Skills Call For A DRS?
No doubt Virat Kohli is the best batsman to have emerged from India in recent years. He is a lion among kittens, Atlas shouldering the weight of India's batting. But, as a captain overseas, he has a long way to go.
Lebron James
In 2016, Northeast Ohio’s Favourite Son Used His Incomparable Skills to Deliver a Title to a Suddenly Revitalised City, While Using His Voice to Have an Even Wider Impact.
Winter Workout: Hot Moves For Cold Days
With the advent of the chilly months, it can become tough to brave the cold and train when all you want to do is curl up under a warm blanket. Trainer Raoul Hirani and physiotherapist Tariq Wasim tell us how professional footballer keep going, without letting the cold play spoilsport.
A Steep Learning Curve
Making the transition from the junior level to the senior team has been quite challenging but a hugely rewarding experience.
Scorecard - Don't Blame It on Rio
Apathy towards the Olympics could cast golf in a negative light and jeo paradise its standing with the IOC for the 2024 Games and beyond.
Rahul Dravid: The Great Wall Of India
Rahul Dravid’s contribution to Indian cricket or, rather, the game, is not just confined to his record with the bat. A true philosopher, he continues to inspire as well as serve cricket on and off the field.
P.V. Sindhu, Sportsperson Of The Year
A Dream Run at the 2016 Olympics was followed by major successes on the International tour, making Sindhu the unanimous choice for the sportsperson of the Year award
