Asian Games 2018 | There are no nerves heading to Jakarta, says Diksha Dagar

Asian Games 2018 | There are no nerves heading to Jakarta, says Diksha Dagar

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Amateur golf player Diksha Dagar has stated that she isn't nervous heading into the Asian Games and that it'll be like any other tournament for her. Apart from the key focus which is the Asian Games and academics, this year will be important for her in terms making a career choice as well.

Being a student of class 12, she will be on the verge of making an important career changing decision for herself. She could shed the amateur title soon to enter the world of professionals. Ahead of the Asian Games, she claimed that she is not experiencing any kind of nerves and that the Games are going to be like any other tournament.

“There are no nerves heading into the Asian Games. It’s like any other tournament for me,” she said.

Born with a hearing ailment, Dagar has won many tournaments as an amateur. She won the Singapore Ladies Amateur Open and then went on to make the lowest score ever recorded by an Indian in the Queen Sikrit Cup at Malaysia, totalling four-under. She, however, admitted that she’ll have to watch out for the golf course at Asian Games.

“I have played there before at the Indonesian Open. The course there is narrow, it has a lot of bunkers and conditions are windy. On top of that, there are several undulations and fast greens. I have to be mentally prepared for that,” said Dagar.

Her father Colonel Narinder Dagar, played golf as a hobby and often took her to the army course in New Delhi, where she has been training all along.

“She was always interested in sports and has played tennis among other sports. With the access I had to army golf courses, it was easy for her to pick up the game. It has been a very encouraging journey so far,” said her father Narinder.

Currently, she is India's no.1 amateur and after finishing her school, Dager will be at a crossroad where she would have to decide between taking up professional golf career or continuing her higher education on a sports scholarship in the US. Her father states that the decision will depend on her performance in her academics.

“She has a lot of tournaments lined up. The Asian Games, the World Amateur Championships and the Indian Women’s Open. We will take a decision at the end of the season on whether to turn pro or go to the US. She will only go if she receives a scholarship,” her father said.

A significant achievement for Diksha was at the Women's Pro Golf event at the DLF Classic Golf and Country Club in New Delhi, where she won by 11 strokes, shooting three under-par rounds. Right now, the biggest tournament for her will be the qualifying school for the Ladies’ European Tour at the end of the year. Aditi Ashok had ranked second on the LET in 2016.

Qualifying for LET will be on Dagar’s focus right now. She also appreciated Aditi Ashok and Shubhankar Sharma's role in the Indian Golf.

“Yes, she played well on the LET. I watched Shubhankar Sharma as well. He played very well in the first round [of the PGA Championships]. He was two-under through 17 but finished with a one-under,” Dagar said.

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