This has been a month of India Shining – not only on the moon – but also in various sports! Chess, Archery, Wrestling, Hockey, Golf ….. You name it. And right in our midst, in South City 1, is one such sportswoman – Vani Kapoor, now a professional golfer. Vani started her journey as a young student of Sriram School at a golf camp at the DLF Golf Course, and with her total dedication to the sport has achieved international fame.
We met her just as she was about to leave for Ireland to play The Irish Open, and spoke to her about her motivation, challenges and many successes as she undertook this extremely difficult journey.
Anita: Vani you are an icon for many young women golfers like Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar, Tvesa Malik etc. as you were one of the first to go professional. How has that journey been?
Vani: For me ever since I was introduced to golf at the age of 10, it’s only been golf, golf and more golf! I would start the day at 5 am with golf practice, then school, come back home, do some homework and then back to the course. My parents were a huge support and once they built up my interest in this fascinating game, there was no looking back. I had one of the best coaches in the country, Anitya Chand, who not only taught me the game but was also like a life coach, shaping me into what I am today over 15 years.
Anita: What are your challenges?
Vani: This, like all sports, is a mental and physical game. Learning to be completely calm and balanced, and to work on your physical fitness, is very challenging. Also, as you play across different continents, the weather conditions are very tough, from extremely cold and windy, to hot and humid, and you have to adjust your game accordingly.
Anita: Any major learnings playing on the European Tour?
Vani: Yes! As Indians, we are more conservative in our approach and risk-taking. Watching the American and European girls I realised they play to their full potential and are not scared of failure. They give it their all!
Anita: What has been your best win?
Vani: Winning my 30th tournament with the Hero Cup at my home ground at DLF, in front of my friends and family, was a huge win!
Anita: What keeps you motivated year after year, as it can get very lonely playing across different continents, time zones and weather conditions?
Vani: The sheer pleasure of winning! And the challenge is that you can never really master this game. I keep trying to improve myself.
Anita: You are a huge inspiration for our youngsters. All the very best for the Irish Open!
