For someone who developed a fascination for golf during his training stint as a hockey player, the 40-year-old Ajay Bharti is now the proud owner of a team gold medal in the just-concluded USIC World Railway Golf Championship in France.
Ajay is the only one from the Telangana State to figure in the Indian Railways squad, the others being Giriraj Kharka (Jaipur), Inzamam-ul-Haq and Arshad Ali (both from Varanasi) and Sudipto Das (Kolkata).
“It was my first world championship and I am delighted with the way we performed. It’s a dream come true to top the team event. I just hope to keep going,” says the former national hockey player.
“It was a team effort and what is immensely satisfying is that we stayed focused right through despite inclement weather,” recalls Ajay. “When I was playing the individual round too, it rained and then stopped. But since game cannot be stopped, we had to play in continuous drizzle. Or else, even in the individual event, my performance would have been better,” he pointed out.
From the greens at Tarnaka IRISET to the picturesque course in France, it has been a memorable journey for Ajay, who is now dreaming to be a regular golfer in the national circuit. “I am keen to improve and will try my best to be among the top five golfers in the country,” says the former hockey forward.
