Written by: Manvi Singh

Diksha Dagar made a surprising cut for the women’s golf event at Tokyo Olympics after South Africa’s Paula Reto withdrew and Austria decided not to send a replacement in form of their golfer Sarah Schober. 

Diksha Dagar with father Narinder Dagar and coach Sundeep Verma Chimmy.

From Galgorn Castle in Northern Ireland to the Tokyo suburb of Saitama, it is quite a journey, but when the Olympics call, it becomes the one worth taking.

The windfall entry for Diksha Dagar came into play after South Africa’s withdrawal making this to be Dagar’s debut on the Olympics course. A heartfelt dream of a 20-year-old came alive with a handed opportunity of making a world presence by teeing off along with Aditi Ashok, representing the Indian country at the Olympics. 

The sequence of events that led Diksha to Tokyo is about as unlikely as they come and involved a late positive Covid test, a withdrawal and some desperate scrambling by her father Narinder and coach Sundeep Verma.

Aditi Ashok made in the field of 60 players initially invited for the Olympics, complimenting her valour, India will now have two stakeholders for the Olympic Games. 

Aditi Ashok

The two-time Ladies European Tour winner has earlier played at the 2017 Deaf Olympics winning the silver medal and also teed-off at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games hence while competing the world statured women golfers ain’t new for her yet Olympics invite seems to be like everything she ever wanted. 

"I screamed ‘Yes! Yes! Yes! and then I cried," Diksha said at a media interaction in Tokyo on Tuesday when she was asked about her reaction to the Tokyo Games entry. "It has been my dream to play the Olympics."