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Meet Diksha: India’s Ace Para-Golfer and Arjuna Award Holder
Dreams, passion, dedication, and efforts are limitless. Boundaries cease to exist for these things. As APJ Abdul Kalam once said, “Dream is not what you see in sleep, it is the thing that does not let you sleep,” Diksha Daagr is the true embodiment of this quote, who is an example of how passion knows no bounds. The 23-year-old para-athlete has represented the Indian contingent at several international games and even brought laurels to the nation. She is one of the Arjuna Award recipients this year. Diksha Dagar is a beacon of hope for all the aspiring women in sports out there.
The star para-golfer is also a 2-time medallist at the Deaflympics (Olympics for Deaf), including a gold medal in 2021. She achieved this after clinching a silver medal in the same back in 2017. She participated in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, becoming the first-ever golfer to compete both in the Deaflympics and the main Olympic Games. She also participated in the 2018 Asian Games.
Meet Dikhsa, The Star Golfer and the First Indian Para-Golfer to Play in the Olympics
Born in Haryana, Diksha’s journey to become a golfer and achieve that, was a path filled with obstacles. Despite her father being a former golfer, she had to overcome challenges in the course of her journey. However, because of her father, Colonel Narinder Dagar, she caught on to the early ropes of golfing since the beginning. Her parents were her biggest supporters and always helped Diksha to not take her hearing disability seriously. She became the second Indian woman succeeding Aditi Ashok, and the youngest to achieve a Ladies European Tour (LET) at the South African Open in 2019. She was 18 when she achieved this milestone. Along with this, she secured her first victory at the Investec South Africa Women’s Open in 2019.
Presently, Diksha has 2 LET laurels under her name and is preparing for the 2024 Olympics. She is a groundbreaker, a beacon of hope for all women aspiring to make a career and name in sports. The athlete started wearing a hearing aid at the tender age of 6. In the beginning, it was troublesome and difficult for her. Her brother, Yogesh Dagar had the same condition as hers. Despite this, their father was willing and determined to give both of their children a normal life. He thought that sports would boost her confidence. It is, thus, that her parents did not bother them much about her academics as she was proficient in tennis, swimming, and athletics.
She did not let the obstacle of not being able to communicate become a barrier to her dreams. Managing both academics and sports was surely a big task but her parents were supportive and because of whom she is today. During an interview, she said how the world of sports and athletics was on hold due to the pandemic. She mentioned how everything in life is handed or granted to you easily. Some things must be earned. She said how being a left-handed golfer came with its own set of problems, which included a lack of expertise in the instruments for the golfers in India. Her determination and passion were the dominant things that paved the way for her to source her clubs from the USA, clearing out any obstacle between her and golfing.
Diksha revealed that she used to be an introverted person who stayed up in her room and detached from world affairs. Barriers in communication were a major setback in her confidence. But golf was the thing that boosted her esteem and confidence to take that long stride and today, she stands tall with pride.
Diksha emphasizes on the requirement of better female representation in the category of sports in India. She acknowledged how education is prioritized over sports in most Indian households.
In order to do that, she requested for a transformation and advancement in societal perceptions about women opting for sports. Change in the mindset plus support from families and government along with sponsors, is crucial. She specifically highlighted the significance of launching activities for kids that create opportunities for them to engage in sports and challenge conventions.
