Golf hero Anirban has his roots in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: Anirban Lahiri is making waves in international golf, particularly after his spectacular runners-up finish at the recently-concluded The Players Championship in the TPC Sawgrass in Florida in the USA. He pocketed a whopping $2.8 million, the highest-ever prize money won by an Indian in a sports tournament. The 34-year-old Indian was a shot behind […]
Hyderabad: Anirban Lahiri is making waves in international golf, particularly after his spectacular runners-up finish at the recently-concluded The Players Championship in the TPC Sawgrass in Florida in the USA. He pocketed a whopping $2.8 million, the highest-ever prize money won by an Indian in a sports tournament. The 34-year-old Indian was a shot behind the winner Cameron Smith of Australia. However, very few are aware that his roots lie deep in Hyderabad.
Although son Anirban moved over to Bengaluru, the Lahiris – Col (retd) Tushar Lahiri and Navanita – reside in AWHO Colony at Gunrock since 1999. Anirban was born in Hyderabad. Father Tushar is a retired doctor in the Army while mother Navanita is a professor of English literature. Last year during Covid-19 lockdown, Anirban, his wife and the kid were staying here.
The Lahiris, who are now in Kolkata for a short visit, followed their son’s historic achievement from their Secunderabad residence. “We were up all night until 4:10 am on Monday (March 14) following every shot on TV and then the internet. We spoke to him and his wife around 7 am after he finished his media interaction”.
“After that we were too exhausted to celebrate. Couldn’t even sleep throughout the day, because of phone calls and messages from family, friends, well-wishers,” said Navanita.
Anirban did his schooling in Army School, RK Puram and was the head boy in 2004-05. His journey began in golf; he first held his club while accompanying his father, who used to play at Army Golf Club at Bison Course. Anirban was just five-years- old then.
“Initially, he enjoyed merely being on the golf course but his continuous exposure to the golfing environment helped Anirban to come closer to the game. His father presented him a junior set and then a ladies set. He started playing sub-junior golf and his first big experience of a golf tournament came at Royal Golf Course in Kolkata when he was 11-years-old. He was very excited to see many young golfers because there were hardly any children playing at Bison Course in 1997. Incidentally, Anirban was the only child playing at Bison in 1999,” said Navanita.
Interestingly, Anirban started playing in the seniors tournament at the age of 12 years old. His interest towards golf began to excite his parents. But the turning point came when Anirban met coach Vijay Divecha at the age of 14 years in Delhi. “Perhaps it was the best thing to happen to Anirban as his game began to improve and there was no looking back. He continues to have Divecha as his coach for the last 20 years. They have a special relation and Divecha has become more of a mentor,” added Navanita.
Anirban turned professional at the age of 20. That time he was in third year degree in Commerce in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Vivekananda College, Sainikpuri. By then he was India amateur No.1. “Anirban realised he could not achieve much by being at amateur circuit and turned professional. He was busy participating in golf tournaments in Thailand, Japan, Malaysia even when he was in Bhavan’s College. As a second year B.Com student, he represented India in the 2006 Asian Games in Second year B.Com and won the silver medal for the team event.”
Navanita said it was a big victory in the USA but all this happened because of wonderful support that Anirban got, particularly from Gati. “When he won the Gati Open in Secunderabad, Mr Agarwal came forward to help Anirban in pursuing his career. It was a huge help then.”
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