The seven-member Indian golf team will be led by Indian Olympian Aditi Ashok at the 2023 Asian Games, which will take place in China between 23 September and 8 October.
Pranavi Urs and Avani Prashanth won the women’s selection for the Asian Games 2023 selection trials held at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkata on Thursday. Aditi Ashok would be joined by both players in the Indian team for the continental competition. Aditi didn’t take part in the trials because she was admitted based solely on her rating. Aditi almost missed out on a medal in Tokyo 2020, thus she would like to win it this time.
Twenty-year-old Pranavi Urs and Avani Prashanth, 16, who won the Queen Sirikit Cup 2023 in the Philippines earlier this year, tied for first place at 10-under 206. Tvesa Malik placed herself in the third position with a score of nine-under. Malik had made the cut in the last Asian Games because of her ranking, but this time she failed to make the cut.
Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympian Diksha Dagar would not play in the Asian Games in China as she finished fifth in the trials with a score of three-under 213. In the men’s trials, Khalin Joshi was followed by SSP Chawrasia on the leaderboard. While Khalin Joshi totaled 13-under 203, SSP Chawrasia managed 11-under 205 for second place.
Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma got direct entry on the basis of their ranking; Khalin Joshi and SSP Chawrasia will now join Lahiri and Sharma in the team. Lahiri has one silver medal, as he was part of the Indian golf team that won at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.
Khalin Joshi and SSP Chawrasia will join Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma on the Indian men’s golf team. Lahiri and Sharma did not compete in the trials and were handed direct entries based on their rankings. Lahiri was part of the Indian golf team that won silver at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.
However, Rashid Khan, who won a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games, did not secure his berth as he finished fifth, scoring six-under 210. Overall, 19 men and 19 women competed for the available Asian Games spots.
India has won six medals—three golds and three silvers—across individual and team events since golf made its debut at the 1982 Asian Games. All medals have been won by men.