RAJKOT: When 17-year-old Jay Pandya won the national junior gold championship in Lucknow recently, he became the only second boy from Gujarat to achieve this feat.
The teenager is fast emerging as one of the promising players of golf, a sport that's gradually gaining popularity in the state. He has been ranked 9th by National Golf Union, the apex body of the golf in the country , in the junior category (15-18 age group).
But the road to success has been anything but easy for Jay .In August last year, he lost his father Chandresh Pandya, who had mentored him into taking and pursuing golf. Chandresh was an asthama patient.
“I badly miss my father who he did everything for me to pursue my passion of golf. He would travel with me wherever I went to play a tournament,“ said Jay , who is pursuing his class 12th commerce through National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
“My father wanted to see me as professional golfer. He would readily take time out of his busy stock-broking business to accompany me and ensure that I got whatever I wanted. I'm very happy that I won a national championship and had my father been alive, he would have been the happiest persons,'' said Jay.
“I first saw golf tournament in 2009 in Rajkot where the local administration has developed a golf course. I play ed there and developed a liking for the sport,“ he said.
In January 2015, Jay moved to Ahmedabad to get professional coaching at the golf academy at Kalhaar Blues and Greens under the supervision of leading Indian coach Vijay Divecha. Jay's mother Kamini Pandya works as a lab technician at a primary health centre in Khirsara village near Rajkot.
“Jay's talent was instantly recognised when the golf academy adopted him for furthering grooming as a golfer. The academy is taking care of his professional coaching and travelling across the country to play various tournaments,'' she said.
Jay is now preparing to leave for Bengaluru where he will play two national golf tournaments.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Vijaysinh Parmar is principal correspondent at The Times of India...
Read MoreVijaysinh Parmar is principal correspondent at The Times of India, Rajkot, and reports on the Saurashtra and Kutch regions. Apart from regular assignments in Rajkot, he travels extensively in rural area to report on the "other Gujarat". He reported on the drinking water crisis in interiors of the state in 2008, forcing the government to swing into action. He has also reported on the practice of untouchability still prevalent in parts of Gujarat.
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