Nalini Singh Siwach is one of the growing classes of women professional golf players, who is looking to make a mark at a higher level. A student of mathematics from Shri Venkateshwara College in Delhi, She was the only woman golfer selected for “mission Olympics’’, an initiative of the Indian Army to hone talented sportsperson through training and funds. She won in gross category of SAARC Championship, besides being part of the winning team and has in the past been runners-up at the Northern India Ladies and Sri Lankan Amateur Championship. As a professional she is among the regular performers and has also won on the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour in 2011.
In an interview to Swati Kapur of Indian Sports News, Nalini talks about her life and golf. Excerpts:
ISN: When did you play golf for the first time?
Nalini: I was 15 years old. My brother introduces me to golf. He started playing and I was like I will come and watch you. Then I started playing and it just kept on happening.
ISN: Smriti (Simi Mehra) says that you practice all the day. Is that true?
Nalini: I don’t know. Whenever she has seen me, I am playing. So it’s just a co – incident I guess.
ISN: What did you do with your first money cheque? What was the amount?
Nalini: I just gave it to my mom. It was around Rs 20, 000 I guess.
ISN: You were the only women golfer who was selected for Mission Olympics? How did you feel at that time?
Nalini: You know at that time I didn’t feel that it’s a big achievement. I had just started golf at that time. It was just part of my life. I had very casual expression.
ISN: How many awards have you won so far?
Nalini: I was 17 when I won the SAARC Championship in Nepal. Till now I have won around eight tournaments.
ISN: You are Delhiite. Delhi is going to complete its 100 years as a capital on 12th of December. Please tell us about your special memories with Delhi; the moments which you can’t forget in your life?
Nalini: I think all of them; but most of them are on India Gate. That’s beautiful place to go at night and ofcourse all the golf matches I won in Delhi.
ISN: Do you hate social networking sites?
Nalini: No, I don’t hate them. I just feel that is very time consuming and I just can’t sit and keep chatting. I just go out with friends and hang around and chat with them. Social networking sites take lots of time.
ISN: You like reading fiction novel in your free time. Which is your favorite one and what else you love to do in your free time?
Nalini: All fiction books because you can’t read them again once you have gone through with that book. Whenever I get off from golf, I do something that I haven’t done before and I love spending time with family.
ISN: You have done your graduation in mathematics from Venkateshwara College? Tell us some memories of your college life?
Nalini: Ohh none because my college attendance was like four per cent. But it wasn’t as if I bunked classes. I was always on golf course and I always had the permission. Most of my college days were spent practicing golf.
ISN: So, you were average student or…
Nalini: No, I was got 3rd rank in my college. I did Maths honors, so it was very tough. But then I passed with 77% marks.
ISN: Do your family and friends treat you as star?
Nalini: No, I am not a star. I have a very long way to go. Nobody behaves differently. It has never happened till yet. For this status, I have still to wait. I will be able to answer this question of yours when I achieve that status, because at present I am nothing, actually nothing.
ISN: Who is your biggest strength in your family?
Nalini: Everybody my parents, my brother, it keeps changing you know every moment, Sometime I feel I should consider my mother, my dad. Sometimes I feel I should consider my brother. It just keep changing moment by moment. They all are very supportive.
ISN: You always dress up very casually why? Don’t you like glamour or fashionable clothes?
Nalini: Yeah very true. I just feel that getting into glamour and fashion takes a lot of your time. I used to take a lot of time to get ready. So nowadays I just do it casually to save my time.
ISN: Usually girls who are into sports are very tomboyish, but you are very sweet & shy person…
Nalini: Oh no, I am totally opposite. Ya, my mom also wanted a tomboy…unlucky they are.
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