‘Grabbing Rio spot was four years in the making’

For golfer Aditi Ashok, grabbing a Rio Olympic spot was four years in the making. Since 2012, Aditi has competed in professional events as an amateur entrant, just so she could accumulate the ranking points needed to qualify for the mega event.

“The Olympics is the greatest sporting event in the world, and to be a part of it is incredible. When I was 14, my mother and I started planning for this. I started playing professional tournaments as an amateur, simply because I dreamed of teeing off at the Olympic Games.

“The amount of planning that has gone into this, only my mother and I know. It’s easily one of my biggest accomplishments,” the 18-year-old said here on Tuesday.

The city girl, who topped the Q-school for the Ladies European Tour last year, finished inside the top-60 of the Olympic golf ranking list to make the cut.

“I’ve not had a great time in the events that I played this season, but I did what was required to qualify for Rio,” Aditi said.

Aditi has also put in the work, with her Malaysia-based coach Steven Giuliano and fitness coach Nicholas Cabaret, who lives in France.

Confident

The World No. 444 is confident that she can put up a good show. “If I can play four solid rounds of golf, then anything is possible,” she said.