A conversation over lunch turned to passion for her

BENGALURU : Natasha Jai Chandra, a Bengaluru-based student is a promising golfer. She realised she wanted to play golf when she was four-years-old. Though her parents were reluctant when she walked up to them and told them that she wants to golf, they realised her passion when they saw her participate in several tournaments across the world and scoring well. 

Natasha, 13, was the first runner up at the recently held 2018 US Kids Golf Championship, which she took part in for the third time. Nalani Jai Chandra, her mother, says, “She had just turned 13 two days before the tournament. Seeing her compete with 13 and 14 year olds was a proud moment.” Natasha learned about the sport from her friends at lunch near a golf course. She started practicing golf when she was six years old. She would attend camps near Sarjapur Road.  Impressed with her performance at the camp, the coaches asked her mother to register her at the Karnataka Golf Association. 

When Natasha was six-and-a-half-years-old, she won the south zone golf tournament. She even qualified for US Kids Golf Championship after she played at the Europe Kids Golf Championship. Ever since, she has been participating in south zone golf tournaments every year and has been scoring well, says her mother. 

On her ninth birthday, her father surprised her with a customised golf kit with her name engraved on it. Her parents support didn’t stop there. Three years ago, they created a mini golf course in their residence in HAL for her. After school, Natasha practices for an hour every day at her 2,500 sq ft mini golf course. 

But managing studies and her passion isn’t an easy task for the young golfer. “I often have to e-mail my teachers to ask them the portions covered in class when I was travelling for competitions. I study them once I am back in my hotel room and attend tuitions to cover up the portions,” she says. Currently, the golfer is preparing for the European tournament to be held this year. If she scores well, she’s been shortlisted for the US Kids Golf Tournament again. and is being  trained by golfer Bamby Randhawa. Ask what’s the best part of the sport and Natasha says, “It’s the green space.”