He has not touched a bat since retirement in 1994. But mention golf and his eyes light up. Kapil Dev is game for golf anytime, even under floodlights. He can discuss the swing of the golf club as authoritatively as the swing of the cricket ball that he so craftily exhibited against some of the best batsmen in the game.
Many years ago, he nurtured the dream of representing India — in golf. “It would be great to wear the India colours at the Asian Games,” was his resolve. It did not fructify. Business interests occupied a larger share of his life and also attention to his family, wife Romi and daughter Amiya. For Kapil, however, it was tough to miss a round of golf.
Our meeting point often would be the Delhi Golf Club and not a cricket ground. “So serene, so captivating…,” he would go on. I have not known Kapil praise a cricket field so effusively. The invite to the Unitech-Kapil Dev Invitational Golf was thus hardly surprising. But the congregation certainly was!
The scenic Unitech Golf And Country Club was teeming with enthusiastic kids and over-enthusiastic parents. It was an under-14 event and “great fun” as Kapil gushed, attending to the errands of an organiser. Goody bags as prizes were lined up and strict instructions issued for lunch to be served “warm” once the kids were done with their exploits on the golf course.
Nine-year-old Akshat Sharma, slightly taller than the golf club that he swung with much style, caught Kapil’s attention. He had a hole-in-one. “O my god! Never visualised this could happen. We must have a prize for him,” he orders. Akshat, a student of the Billabong High International School in Noida, meanwhile, basks in the glory, his parents the proudest couple around.
There is talent, as Kapil avers. “I am amazed at the intensity that the kids bring to their vocation these days. It is one thing to have the facilities but you also need to be disciplined and passionate to follow the sport you love. I am very impressed with these kids. It is so cold and windy and they show no discomfort at all.”
There are 25 of them, cute little aspirants, all style and attitude of a professional golfer, displaying their golf richness in abundance. They have been hand-picked for this competition. The focus is not on winning at all. “I want to give them the feel of a competition,” says Kapil, who has planned an all-India event soon on the same lines.
The kids are coming in with their cards and Kapil is busy. He wants the presentation ceremony to be sleek. His affection for the young golfers leaves an impression on the gathering. The kids have enjoyed a lovely day, even if cold and windy. But Kapil’s warm gesture has created a window to perform for the youngsters. They now await the all-India event!
