Women golfers in the capital will be seen smashing the ball in the ninth hole with panache to prove their worth on the course, which has long been a man’s domain. As the DLF Ladies Invitational Inter Club Golf tournament to be held exclusively for women in the city and NCR kickstarts tomorrow, participating women golfers tell us why golf in India as remained a gentleman's sport.
Golfer Latika Thukral feels that golf enjoys more male attention as women are still learning how to swing the club. “It was a game for the elite and was exposed to only a few sections of society and dominated by businessmen, corporates and royalty. I also feel that in India, sports for women are not very popular. This might be due to the lack of opportunities in a male dominated society,” she says.
Having said that, Latika is sure that things are different now and will change in days to come, “Indian women golfers are now competing on an international level,” she says.
Rama Chawla, deputy general marketing, DLF Golf & Country Club adds, “Golf has taken off really well in the last few years. We have seen that the numbers have seen a rise when it comes to lady golfers. In fact, DLF has been sponsoring the Indian Open for the last three years and there has been a good response from adventurous women.”
Experts in the field feel that Indian women somewhere lack sporty attitude. “I think women are not really into sports here and they don’t like much of outdoor activities,” avers ace golfer Latika Khaneja.
On the other hand, golfer Pritha Goswami shares that the lack of an organised body to promote golf for women in India has also been a major drawback. “Since there was no organised body for women, many women didn’t get a chance to pursue it. However, professional organisations for women are coming up, so the game is gaining popularity among the current and prospective players,” she adds.