Basking in the glory of her recent success at the 2018 Hero WPGT, Sharmila Nicollet talks about her Golfing acumen, her glam quotient and more in an exclusive interaction with 4moles.com. 

 

 

By Priyanka Sen Sarkar

 

 

She exudes that proverbial ‘touch-me-not’ aura but Sharmila Nicollet, India’s glamorous poster girl of Golf, has set the Golfing terrain on fire with her playing prowess.

 

Serving an unusual combination of beauty and brains coupled with a no-frills demeanour, it’s a lethal mix of her Golfing talent, elegance and oomph that adds an aura to Sharmila’s mystique.

 

 

 

 

 

From making the right noises on the greens to speeding up heartbeats, Sharmila, who comes as a ferociously competitive player, has done it all and with aplomb!  The Indo-French player became the youngest Indian golfer to qualify for the Ladies European Tour. Sharmila won the 2009–2010 Order of Merit on the Women's Golf Association of India and then five further events to finish on top of the 2010– 2011 Order of Merit.

 

 

 

The glamourous Golfer recently generated a lot of buzz as she ended her 18-month title drought by defeating Neha Tripathi in the play-off in the second leg of the 2018 Hero WPGT.

 

 

Basking in the glory of her recent success at the 2018 Hero WPGT, Sharmila Nicollet talks about her Golfing acumen, her glam quotient and more in an exclusive interaction with 4moles.com. 

 

 

 

Donning many ‘sporty’ hats

 

 

 

 

 

Sharmila flashes a disarming smile as you quiz her on how did she take up Golf. Not many know but the leggy beauty was a competitive state-level swimmer, amassing 72 medals in regional and national meets before she shifted her focus to Golf full-time. She also plays basketball, tennis and has a penchant for horse riding.

 

 

She reveals with a smile, “I started Golf just for fun and I was 14 when I won my first Golf tournament. I realised that I have the aptitude to pick it up and in a year and a half, I was representing India and abroad.  So I thought when I play well and more importantly when I really enjoy Golf, why not pursue the same as a full-time career. Also, swimming or other sports weren’t as lucrative as Golf in India that time. That was then I quit all other sports and completely focussed on Golf.”

 

 

‘Being glamorous comes naturally to me’ 

 

 

 

 

Confidence oozing to the brim, Sharmila sets the temperatures soaring every time she graces the greens. Touted as one of the hottest Golfers, how does she take that label?  “I think it’s embedded in my persona. I do not go out of my way to look glamorous. Being glamorous comes naturally to me and it definitely infuses a feel-good factor. I swear by the dictum: Look good to play well.” shares Sharmila with a grin.

 

 

She ups the ante when she’s playing week in and week out. So how does her fitness regime look like?  “I have a diet regime and I ensure that I try to follow even when I am travelling,” says Sharmila.  

 

 

 

‘Women Golf in India needs to grow at a great pace’

 

 

 

 

Golf in India is fast emerging as a major force to reckon with in the global sports landscape. Even as Aditi Ashok, wowed her growing fans with her match-winning forays on national and international turfs, women Golf in India needs to strengthen its roots more, feels Sharmila.

 

 

“There’s no denying the fact that Aditi has increased the glory of women Golf in India. She is very talented and has taken the game to a whole new level. It’s really heartening to see the game growing in India,” says the Golfer.

 

 

The growth excites Sharmila and she would just like to see more girls playing Golf. “I feel that women Golf in India needs to grow at a faster pace, a much faster one. Parents much encourage their girls to take up the sport. The day is not far when we’ll see a string of women Golfers making their mark on the global terrain. A Golf boom, especially women’s Golf, definitely awaits India in the next few years,” opines Sharmila as she signs off.