Winning laurels for the country is not the only attraction drawing athletes to multi-discipline events like the Olympics and the Asian Games. For many, the combination of living in the games village, dining with fellow athletes, watching other sports and bumping into their heroes is equally exciting. That’s what they remember and look forward to, apart from the medals.
Golfer Anirban Lahiri feels such events present a unique experience. The India No. 1 has been to the Olympic Games twice. He was part of the team which won the Asian Games silver in Doha in 2006. For Hangzhou 2023, he is in the side with Shubhankar Sharma, SSP Chowrasia and Khalin Joshi.
“It’s a different feeling which you don’t get elsewhere,” Lahiri told RevSportz from Dubai, where he lives these days. “Standing on the Asian Games podium as a 19 year old was a special moment. Other than the medal, we were given a stuffed oryx (an antelope). It was the mascot for Qatar 2006. I have it at home (in Secunderabad). There are so many things you remember.”
It’s not just medals or stuffed toys. There is a lot more that athletes bring back, some tangible and some not. Personal treasures. “I have selfies with Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt,” said Lahiri. “That’s the fan in me and these are my fan boy moments. It was like seeing Tiger Woods for the first time. They inspire you. To see people one looks up to from up close is phenomenal.”
Depending on playing and practice schedules, the 36 year old wants to catch up with as many sports as he can. He follows tennis, hockey and badminton, and describes meeting Leander Paes at the games village in 2006 as his first big moment as a fan. “To see great athletes train, focus and go about their job is an experience in itself,” said Lahiri. “This time, we have some stars in badminton. And there is Neeraj Chopra, the latest heartthrob. He is doing crazy things. If I can, I will watch them in action.”
Lahiri, a father of two, is also a cricket fan, who became more attached to the game during his stay in the USA to play in the PGA Tour. “I guess it had something to do with an India connect,” he said. “I started watching more cricket after shifting to USA. I know cricketers who take interest in golf. If our schedules do not collide and they are in the village, I will try and meet some of the players.”
All this will also depend on how he fares on the greens and fairways. Golf has been a part of the Asian Games in the last 10 editions. Medals are awarded in individual and team championships. Lakshman Singh in 1982 and Shiv Kapur in 2002 had won gold. Rajeev Mohta bagged silver in 1982. Indian teams claimed gold in 1982, and silver in 2006 and 2010. The country has no medals in women’s golf.
“In team events, two individuals have to have a good week,” said Lahiri. “If that happens, one or two good rounds from the other two works well for the team. Shubhankar, SSP and myself are in form. Khalin is a promising young player. The women’s team also has a good chance. If you ask whether we can win medals, I will say yes. If you ask gold, I will say why not! But it all depends on the day.”
After birdies and bogeys, at the end of the day, Lahiri plans to go looking for athletes in familiar tracksuits in the dining hall. It opens the door to another world, which is in his heart but not physically close enough. “You look for that someone or bunch of them in India colours, in the queue or at the table,” he said. “We don’t know each other. That’s where we find out who we are, what we do.”
An outing like this is mostly about the medal. But that’s not all there is to it. Enriched by his Asian Games experience on and off the podium, Lahiri seems to be in a happy state of mind looking ahead to the challenges and surprises awaiting him in China. He knows that on his day, he can be as good as someone capable of a top-five finish in a major. That’s not bad shape to be in before teeing off.
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