She dreamt of playing for the Indian national hockey team, and things were moving smoothly in that direction until she was injured while practising at one of the women’s national camps. But perhaps destiny had something else in store for her. While her love of wearing the India blue had kept her away from books, the injury made her realise the importance of education, and she took her studies seriously from then on.
Nix, as friends often call her, completed her BCom and followed it with an MBA. But a sports lover at heart, she kept playing different sports, including golf, tennis, cricket and basketball, at university, state and national levels, and also found plenty of success in track and field. She set state records in the javelin, discus and shot put, but it was golf that finally caught her attention, and she has been playing the game professionally for the last three or four years.
Introduced to golf by her father
Nikki Ponappa was introduced to golf by her father, then a colonel in the Army, and first set foot on a course when she was 14. “I first went on the course when I was 14 or 15 years old with my dad, who was then serving in the Indian Army. As I was passionate about hockey, golf seemed the slowest game on the planet to me, and I figured then that the game was not that happening. So it was just to keep my father company that I used to go to the golf course,” said Nikki, explaining that it was her job with ING that brought her back to the greens.
“After my MBA I got used to the corporate structure, and my first job was in the advertising industry. I then spent four good years in the financial sector. But it was my job with ING that brought me back to the golf course, this time for ‘business on course’,” said Nikki, adding that education is the biggest asset one can have.
“Education is the biggest asset one can have, and I was fortunate to have a supportive and encouraging family who let me learn my lessons. What I learnt on the sports field I brought to my sales job at ING, where I was a national topper in sales, and my corporate learning is what I have implemented in my golf journey. I played golf as an ice-breaker with high-net-worth individuals, who were my clientele, and I started enjoying the game. So even though I had found it the slowest sport, it came back to me by a different route,” the multi-talented golfer told ISN. She turned professional directly, without playing on the amateur circuit.
Turning professional in 2007
What started as part of her business work gripped her more than any other sport. Coming from an Army background, she had easy access to a golf course, the KGA in Bangalore. She found golf reflective, unlike other reactive sports, and that was reason enough to hold her attention and take it to another level. She turned professional in 2007.
“When I first saw a newspaper article on women’s golf going professional, I thought to myself, this is my chance to get back into sport. I gave up an illustrious career. It was not easy, though, as I jumped straight into professional golf and no one wanted to sponsor me. But I worked at getting sponsorship with the faith that I would get it, and then Wipro came along after many presentations I had made to various companies. This is where my corporate and MBA training really helped, as I had no background in golf,” recalls Nikki.
To keep her mental balance on the course and beat stress, she has been practising Vipassana meditation. She is also a fitness enthusiast, and her day is incomplete without a session in the gym.
“Women’s golf in India is in good hands with the WGAI and Champika Sayal, who is the backbone of our tour. Her passion for the game is inspiring. I had Wipro as a sponsor from 2007 until April this year. TaylorMade and Adidas are my equipment and apparel sponsors,” she added.
Working with NGOs
Apart from golf, she is involved with an NGO in Hampi and will also be working with children with special needs through sport at TAMARA, an NGO in Bangalore.
“I have quit my job and I am not running after money. Now that I am engaged in social service, I do it because one should do something for the have-nots. I also believe that whatever you do from your heart and with commitment, things automatically fall into place,” said the 30-year-old golfer.
Nikki Ponappa, who plays on the Hero WPG Tour, believes that life has many things to offer and that we should accept things as they come. “My ultimate goal in life is basically to be happy. I am a slave to my heart and wear it on my sleeve,” said a philosophical Nikki.
By Akshi Aggarwal
Indian Sports News
