'I don't take things for granted'

He’s young, ambitious and thirsty to make it big in the golfing arena. Golfer Anirban Lahiri turned professional just four years ago and he has already won two Asian titles and qualified for the British Open two years in a row, including this year.
Anirban has an exciting year ahead of him and he can’t wait to get it under way. “Everything that I am today is because of my parents.I was introduced to golf at the age of eight by my father, who is a doctor in the Army. I grew up playing golf in various Army golf courses around the country. I fell in love with the game and wanted to pursue it professionally,” says Anirban.
The decision, though, did not sit well with his folks, who are high achievers in their own right. His mother is an educationist and his father a doctor. “I completed my BCom via correspondence. I chose BCom because it was easy and wouldn’t take up too much of my time, as I wanted to concentrate on golf. Holding just a graduate degree is akin to being illiterate as my entire family rank academics very highly. But, in the end, they loved me enough to support my decision to turn pro. Since then, I have worked very hard to improve my game. My parents see that and I’m sure they are very proud of me,” explains Anirban.
He appreciates the sacrifices his family made so he could pursue his dream. “Golf is not a poor man’s sport. There are equipments and shoes and travel to different tournaments. So, my parents lived frugally so I could pursue my passion. I travelled sleeper class in trains to get to tournaments,” says Anirban. Money was hard to come by for this Bangalore boy. Luckily for him, when he turned amateur at 18, he was noticed by Mahendra Agarwal, the MD and CEO of a logistics company, who offered him his first job. “I moved to Bangalore and took up the job. But when I turned pro two years later, I was broke. I lived only on prize money. So, it was important that I won consistently. Two years after going pro, a twowheelers manufacturing company sponsored me. An electronics major also took note of my work. Things have been better financially, but I realized where I’ve come from and appreciate my roots. I don’t take things for granted,” says Anirban.
With golf being the love of his life, Anirban seldom gets time to hang out with his friends. But he says he does not mind that just yet. “I love doing what I do. That is the overriding and underlining factor for me. Golf has changed me in every possible way and I am what I am today because of the game,” he says.
But that does not mean the game does not have a downside too. “There is only one list of top golfers. And every year, there are scores of new golfers trying to get a foot in the door. In competitive sport, there is no room for lax behaviour and resting on past laurels. You have to keep performing and show consistent results. Else, you will be forgotten,” says Anirban.