Who Is Aditi Ashok?: She qualified as the first female Indian golfer for the Olympic Games last month to be held in Tokyo. The two-time Olympian, who has qualified in 45th place, is all set for her second successive Olympics appearance after the Rio Olympics.
The Indian golfer took to Twitter to announce the news and mentioned that she feels privileged to have the opportunity to represent her country and sport. "I still think of @Rio2016 like it was only yesterday," she wrote.
I still think of @Rio2016 like it was only yesterday. To have the honour of playing for India @OlympicGolf @Tokyo2020 is beyond exciting. I’m privileged to have the opportunity to represent my country & my sport at the games again.#Tokyo2020 #OlympicGolf
— Aditi Ashok (@aditigolf) June 29, 2021
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📸 @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/rVN0Tu1ckD
In a recent interview with The New Indian Express, the 23-year-old golfer expressed her view prior to the game.
“I have played well leading up to the Games, so I hope I can carry that momentum and have a great week,” she said.
Here’s what we know about the first female Olympic-bound Indian golfer:
-India’s top-ranked golfer is the third Indian to make the Olympic cut after her male compatriots Anirban Lahiri and Udayan Mane
-Aditi Ashok became India’s youngest golfer at the age of 19 at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
-Speaking of the elements that pushed her to achieve her goal, she said, “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.”
-The young golfer who started playing at the age of 5, played her first round of 18 holes at the Bangalore Golf Club as a six-year-old.
-At the age of 12, Ashok began competing under 18 and amateur categories instead of under 13 or 15.
-She went on to win the National Amateur title and also bagged the National Junior Championships for consecutive years – 2012, 2013 and 2014.
-The Bengaluru golfer has bagged international titles such as the Hero Women's Indian Open and the Qatar Ladies Open in 2016 and the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in the following year.