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The Ekalavya of golf
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Yet another caddie is turning golfer and young Chikkarangappa is a player to watch out for
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ON COURSE Like all caddies, Chikka began to absorb the nuances of the game, and learning by imitation he soon had a decent golf swing PHOTO: V. SREENIVASA MURTHY
Many young sportspersons love to see their name in the newspapers. And that thrill is multiplied when they get to see their photographs also. For young Chikkarangappa aka Chikka, soon to turn a teenager, the dream of seeing his name and photo in print came true when he won the South Zone Indian Golf Union Tournament for juniors and sub-juniors in his age group. The youngster was however very disappointed that he missed out winning the higher age group title, losing out by a single stroke.
Chikka started out in his association with golf as a nine-year-old. Staying in a village near the Eagleton Golf Resort, Mysore Road, he wanted to contribute to the family income and was given a job as a forecaddie. That meant his job was to stay ahead of the regular caddies when golfers were playing and spot the ball after they hit their shots.
Like all caddies, Chikka began to absorb the nuances of the game, and learning by imitation he soon had a decent swing. Over the last couple of years, the lad learnt to read the greens and his putting improved by leaps and bounds.
Showing plenty of promise, he attracted the attention of the coach, Vijay Divecha. After watching the youngster for some time, Divecha drew the attention of the promoters of the resort to the boy's potential and soon Chikka was playing competitive golf. The club underwrote all his expenses incurred during travelling to the tournaments, and Chikka began to play at different golf courses.
Divecha reckons the boy has huge potential. "He is an avid learner and an assiduous pupil. He puts in long hours of practice and before any tournament, stops his caddying job to practise for the tournaments. He has a lot of motivation and his game is driven by the desire to win."
Initially Chikka may have felt out of place while competing with youngsters from well-to-do families playing with and against him. Along with his swing, he practised English in good measure and now can speak the language confidently. He even made a couple of speeches after winning some tournaments, reeling off his thanks to all his benefactors, including his school and parents for their encouragement.
Divecha says the number of kids playing in the junior/sub-junior tournaments has swelled in numbers. This season, the kids are on a bus tour from Ooty to Kodagu, Bangalore and then Hyderabad. The last couple of South Zone Tournaments have had more than 80 kids playing and a great feeling of camaraderie is developing among the youngsters. They enjoy travelling around in the south and, more importantly, are learning to play under diverse conditions at the golf courses in the various cities. Some parents also make the rounds with the kids but mostly Divecha manages them.
Chikka has had four victories in a row in the tournaments played this season. He won in his age group in the tournament at Ooty, and at Kodagu he bagged both his age group and the senior title. At the Bangalore Golf Club last week, despite having a fever on the opening day he played and was strongly in contention for both the titles. However, he faltered with just three holes to go on the final day.
The national-level tournament will be starting soon and the player to watch in the age group 13 to 14 years, no doubt, is the young caddie Chikka.
D. RAVI SHANKAR
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