In an EXCLUSIVE heart-to-heart interview with 4moles.com, former cricketer and avid Golfer Nikhil Chopra talks about his love for Golf, how Ajay Jadeja got him into Golf and more

 

 

By Priyanka Sen Sarkar

 

 

In India's transformative generation of cricketers, Nikhil Chopra, who was lethal with the ball as an off-spinner and effective with the bat, stood out. Considered as a one-day specialist, the former cricketer brought down his rivals like the finesse of a ninja warrior!

 

 

 

 

After showing his might amongst the loudest cheers and crowd roars, Chopra, who hung his boots in 2008, found himself in the quaint space of Golf. An ardent Golfer now, Chopra, who’s currently a TV cricket analyst, has a lot of celebrity Golfer awards in his kitty.

 

 

‘I live my obsession with cricket and Golf’

 

 

 

 

For the former iconic cricketer, the pull of both Golf and cricket is irresistible. As you take a closer look at his Twitter feed, you chance upon a tweet that intrigues you – ‘I live my obsession with Cricket and Golf- Where do you live yours?’

 

Quiz him on it and he shares blithely, “There’s undeniably a special allure associated with both the games and that makes you fall for them. Both are demanding games, both require laser-sharped focus and both create a terrain of their own, where the thrill of competition is a compelling ingredient of the setup.”

 

So being a cricketing legend, how did he take up Golf? “During our cricketing days, we went for a charity event in the US and to take a break from our hectic schedules, a lot of us went to a Golf course that was incredibly breath-taking. It was Ajay Jadeja, who was always an avid Golfer, got me started into Golf,” Chopra enthuses.

 

“The lush-green environs that were accompanied with tranquillity were indeed luring and I took no time to develop a fetish for the sport,” he shares.

 

 

On the growing tribe of cricketers turning Golfers

 

 

 

 

It’s a treat watching a growing tribe of cricketing giants such as Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Kapil Dev coping with their second passion- the passion for a different kind of greens. So, why are a rising number of cricketers in thrall to the lure of fairways and bunkers? 

 

“First, I believe Golf not being ageist makes it more appealing to cricketers who have a shelf life. Second, Golf, that needs to be played at an unhurried pace offers players an outlet to break from the mundane, unwind and reflect. Golf helps you to keep your sanity intact- it’s a game where you’re your biggest competitor, Moreover, Golf allows you to be yourself,” opines Chopra.

 

 

 

‘Kapil paaji is a fantastic Golfer’

 

Talking about his golfing association with Kapil Dev, who’s a pro on the Golf course, Chopra says, “It’s fantastic to play with Kapil Paaji as his amazing game showcases his passion and love for the game. It’s Golf that keeps us going.”

 

He comes up with an interesting revelation about former Indian Team Cricket captain MS Dhoni, who’s also a Golf enthusiast. “It was also fun to meet MS Dhoni- not on the cricket ground but on the Golf course,” grins Chopra. “We met for a pro-am tournament and we discussed everything from cricket to Golf,” shares he.

 

 

Make Golf popular as Cricket

 

 

 

Chopra feels it comes as a refreshing change to see Golf increasingly becoming embedded in the fabric of the sports landscape in India.

 

“With a lot of talent out there, it’s good to see the interest in this elite sport increasing exponentially. A lot can be done to make the sport as popular as cricket. There's a need to have more public driving ranges so that everyone gets equivalent opportunity to exhibit their talent. Also, there’s a need to make it more affordable so that the untapped talent pool, that has the potential to transform India’s presence in Golf, can be leveraged well,” quips Chopra as he signs off.