Conquering the greens: Golfer Vani Kapoor

For someone for whom golf wasn't the first choice of sport, Vani Kapoor has conquered the greens exceptionally well. In a game that is heavily male dominated, this young golfer has managed to swing her way to recognition and success, nationally and internationally. She has retained her number one position for two years in a row at the top of the Hero Order of Merit, and won the Best Golfer Award at the Take Solutions India Golf Awards recently. And what's more,  she is now Thailand’s golf ambassador. In this exclusive chat with SheThePeople.TV, Vani Kapoor talks about the secrets to her success and aspirations for the future.

Golf: From initial hate to later addiction 

I have been playing golf professionally for 4 years now. I was introduced to this game at the age of 9 and ironically I was forced into it. I hated the sport. After getting trained properly at the Dlf Golf Course under Anitya Chand, I knew that I wanted to become a professional golfer. I was 14 then.

With the right guidance golf became an addiction. Golf I could say is the wind beneath my wings! It makes me fly to the most beautiful places in the world and this is something that excites me the most. Golf has helped me make an identity of my own. It just keeps me going.

Enjoying her time on the greens: Vani Kapoor

I want to be that role model and help popularize woman's golf in India.

The turning point: Realisation that one needs to enjoy the journey

I guess 2013 would be my turning point in my career. I was not enjoying the game and was getting frustrated as I was not getting the desired results. It was that year when I realized and came to terms with process is everything. One should enjoy the journey rather than stressing about the results. Result is just the outcome of the process that we put. That made me love the sport.

The 5 year plan: Working towards improving the world raking of 767

I haven't been concentrating on my world ranking. That's something I am working on this year. Being number one for the past two years and being appointed as the Thai golf ambassador motivates me to work harder and win more in life. It keeps me going. It gives me more confidence and strength and I take the next step with greater zeal.

My goal is to break 100 in the world golf ranking. Along with that I want to play many tournaments outside of India and bring down my world ranking.

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The motivation to be a role model

I want to be that role model and help popularize woman's golf in India. This is something besides the fact that I love winning. It is the only thing that motivates me to excel.

Gender disparity doesn't pinch if you are in the top three

My goal in life is to do well globally not just in India. Thus I took the sport up professionally. Plus if you are among the top three in the country you do end up earning a decent amount which isn't too bad.

The must-have qualities for a sportsperson 

Honesty, Hard Work and Discipline, a lot of golfers would say the same things. And it’s true indeed. Your hardwork always pays off, if you show honesty and be disciplined, your achievements will give you more motivation, strength, and drive you to conquer the next huge goal.

Swinging to her strengths: Vani Kapoor

Hardwork never goes waste. Keep working hard and believe in yourself it will make things easier.

The unwinding strategy

I love catching up on my sleep! Besides that friends and movies keep me busy.

The coach has been the influencer

My coach Anitya Chand. He has not only been a coach to me but also my mentor who is guiding me in each and every stage of my life. And obviously my parents as well to always have been supportive.

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Golf is an expensive sport

It's an elite sport. Extremely expensive. One has to bare all the costs. Finding sponsors is a difficult task. I am lucky to have one of the best courses with the best technology.  But most players do not have access to such training and it gets difficult.

The government needs to support Golf  

Professionally in golf the government involvement is not so good unlike other countries. This is one of the major reasons why golf is not a popular sport.

Women should be encouraged to pursue their talents

By having more junior programs, holding more campaigns at schools, we could encourage more women to go on field. Women are way stronger in today’s world and I believe that there is no field where a woman can’t step on. Besides hundreds of family and managing homes issues, they aspire to be independent and are brave enough to make huge decisions for themselves. Like me, every woman is very career orientated. Their excellency should not be hiding behind the closed door. All of us should showcase out talents in whichever field we choose be.

Advice for young golfers

Hardwork never goes waste. Keep working hard and believe in yourself it will make things easier. This is something that I strongly believe in.