Persistence pays off in sport, and golf is no exception. A case in point is 16-year-old Ayaan Gupta’s biggest win of his career at the Panchkula Golf Club on Friday.
The Chandigarh athlete won the IGU Haryana Juniors, part of the Indian Golf Union’s National Circuit, with scores of 75,72,71,77 in the April 11-15 event. Competing on an IGU spot, Ayaan was also the overall winner in Categories A and AB combined.
The going wasn’t easy, given the heat and large field — over 70 players from all over the country were contesting for top honours, but Ayaan held his own.
For one who took to golf at 5, Friday’s result puts into perspective the hard work over the years. It has been a long journey from the time when Ayaan won his first international tournament as an 8-year-old at the 2014 US Kids International Championship.
Mentored by Ultimate Foundation coaches Sundeep Verma, Pritam Saikia and Karanbir Singh Lall for 8 years, Ayaan’s list of laurels is long. Prominent among them is the Pondok Indiah International Junior Championship in Jakarta in 2017.
Playing the IGU junior boys circuit since 2018 and finishing top-10 in several events in Category ‘B’, Ayaan’s progress was halted by the pandemic in 2020, but as it is said talent cannot be subdued, and Ayaan’s win on Friday is proof.
Photo Credit: Sundeep Verma
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