Pink and Green

Indian women golfers are slowly coming into their own.

Ask Sania Mirza and she will tell you that to pursue a career in sports for any woman in India is quite challenging. Despite having talent, the backing of sponsors and everything going for her, Mirza finds herself in troubled waters, so one can imagine the plight of women in other sports, especially when it's golf.

With all the good work done by the men golfers, the sport is now being recognised as one where Indians can do well and make a career out of their game. But for women it's still in the nascent stages, although things are looking up. Now money is pouring in from names such as DLF. Emaar-MGF too has been promoting the sport, while brands such as AIS, Swarovski too have been pitching in here and there. Things are on the up and people associated with the sport believe that the future is bright.

As Simi Mehra, one of the pioneers of the sport in the game, says, "Its still in the nascent stages and a lot needs to be done, but we are going in the right direction and the future looks bright."

The number of women taking up the sport in the last few years has been on the rise in the last few years. India was given wild card entry at the Golf World Cup, where Mehra and Irina Brar participated. Brar, from Chandigarh, is said to be one of the brightest prospects in the country and she admits that it has been quite challenging. "When I first took up golf, there was a lot of scepticism from all sides, naturally, but now things are changing."

A lot of credit should be given to the Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI). Kavita Singh, secretary general, WGAI, has been a major promoter of the game in the country. "From scratch we have a full-fledged women's domestic tour and now with international events like DLF Women's Indian Open and Ladies Masters, there are ample opportunities for our golfers." Champika Sayal,secretary general WGAI has been at the forefront of bringing international names to the country as well as roping in the sponsors for promoting the game. In fact, it was she who introduced the game to the likes of Brar. Singh, however feels that, "There is enough talent and all that is needed is the right amount of backing in several areas."

While US-based Mehra has been the star player helping the Tour grow, others like Brar, who represented India at the World Cup along with Mehra, have been doing well on the circuit. As Brar puts it, "We need more international exposure to enhance our skills and compete with the big names and hopefully with the help of WGAI, we should be able to do it."

Nandan Kamath, director, Go Sports, a Bangalore-based talent management company, feels that the sport is heading in the right direction. "Things are certainly are on the upswing with more high-quality tournaments on the calendar."

Sharmila Nicolett and current national amateur champion Megha Bal are youngsters who are coming through the ranks. Nicolett admits that the going is tough being a woman and playing golf in this country. "But if you are determined and have the talent to match it, then no one can stop you from achieving your goals."

It's only three years since WGAI was set up, and in a short time it has achieved quite a lot. Kamath says that this is just the beginning: "The sport definitely has the potential to catch on among young women given that it is relatively safe, is played in good environments and has the style element to go along with it." So far, the signs have been encouraging. "There is no doubt in my mind that we can produce champions on the women's tour as well," she adds.

India was among the 18 countries invited for the World Cup in South Africa. This is a massive confidence-booster for a sport which until the last few years was lost in the wilderness. A lot of these youngsters take up or learn golf in foreign countries, and they want to represent their country and popularise the game. For instance,15-year-old Tanya Wadhwa learnt and honed her golf skills in the US, whereas players like Shweta Galonde and Vaishavi Sinha have already represented India at the Doha Asian Games.

So if Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie can compete with the Woods and Els, don't be surprised to see the likes of Brar and Nicolett sharing the greens with Randhawa and Jeev.