Diksha Dagar: Difference between revisions

{{MedalCompetition|[[Deaflympics]]}}

'''Diksha Dagar''' (born 14 December 2000) is an Indian female professional golfer.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.deaflympics.com/athletes/eDRzUTY3R1MwOWNIMEJwUDJFcFJzQT09 |title=Diksha Dagar |website=www.deaflympics.com |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> She has competed in several amateur golf tournaments despite her [[deafness]]. She became no 1 amateur ladies golfer in India from November 2015.<ref name=wagr>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wagr.com/playerprofile/diksha-dagar-21434 |title=Diksha Dagar |publisher=World Amateur Golf Ranking |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> Diksha Dagar represented [[India at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics]] where golf was included in the [[Summer Deaflympics]] for the very first time and competed in the women's individual golf event securing a silver medal.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/other-sports/indian-amateur-golfer-diksha-dagar-credits-dad-for-her-silver-win-at-deaflympics/story-ZQUIqD3vOP6UPUVb4f7rfO.html |title=Indian amateur golfer Diksha Dagar credits dad for her silver win at Deaflympics |date=28 July 2017 |work=Hindustan Times |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> Diksha also qualified to represent [[India at the 2018 Asian Games]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://scroll.in/field/890164/go-to-us-college-or-turn-pro-indias-number-one-amateur-diksha-dagar-ponders-life-beyond-asiad |title=Go to US college or turn pro: India's No. 1 amateur golfer Diksha Dagar ponders life beyond Asiad |last=Bhattacharya |first=Arka |date=12 August 2018 |website=Scroll.in |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/asian-games-2018/story/india-at-asian-games-2018-full-squad-of-india-1310326-2018-08-09 |title=India at Asian Games 2018: Full squad |work=India Today |date=9 August 2018 |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> She is also considered as one of the emerging amateur golfers in India.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/asian-games/overcoming-handicap-17-year-old-diksha-dagar-overcomes-disability-to-purse-golf-5303483/ |title=Diksha Dagar, 17, overcomes disability to pursue golf |date=13 August 2018 |work=The Indian Express |first=Tushar |last=Bhaduri |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> In 2019, she became only the second Indian female golfer after [[Aditi Ashok]] to win the [[Ladies European Tour]] and became the youngest Indian woman to do so at the age of 18.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/golf/top-stories/teenaged-diksha-dagar-creates-history-wins-south-african-womens-open/articleshow/68442432.cms |title=Teenaged Diksha Dagar creates history, wins South African Women's Open |newspaper=The Times of India |date=16 March 2019

|access-date=2019-03-18 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/sports/diksha-dagar-becomes-youngest-indian-woman-to-win-on-ladies-european-tour/article26561497.ece |title=Diksha Dagar becomes youngest Indian woman to win on Ladies European Tour |last=Krishnaswamy |first=V. |newspaper=The Hindu Business Line |date=17 March 2019 |access-date=2019-03-18 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.espn.in/golf/story/_/id/26286722 |title=The right clubs changed everything for left-handed Diksha Dagar |first=Jonathan |last=Selvaraj |date=2019-03-17 |work=ESPN |access-date=2019-03-18 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Diksha was born on 14 December 2000 with hearing problems and started to wear hearing aids since the age of six.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://en.asiangames2018.id/athletes/athlete/DAGAR-Diksha-3020717/ |title=Dagar Diksha |website=Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Palembang |access-date=26 August 2018}}</ref>

 

She started playing golf since the age of seven, along with her brother Yogesh Dagar, who was also profoundly deaf. She was coached by her father Narinder Dagar, a former scratch golfer who also serves as an army personnel.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://zeenews.india.com/hindi/sports/indian-amateur-golfer-diksha-dagar-credits-dad-for-success/432133 |title=महिला गोल्फर दीक्षा ने कहा- पिता को जाता है मेरी सफलता का श्रेय |date=12 August 2018 |work=Zee News Hindi |access-date=15 August 2018 |language=Hindi}}</ref>

She started playing golf as a left-hander in the amateur level in 2012 and noted for her clean long striking during her early career. In November 2015, she was the low amateur at the [[Hero Women's Indian Open]] on the [[Ladies European Tour]]. She has won several amateur golf professional tournaments since entering into amateur circuit in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://ladieseuropeantour.com/diksha-dagar-leading-amateur-in-india/ |title=Diksha Dagar leading amateur in India |date=14 November 2016 |publisher=Ladies European Tour |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> In 2016, she became the only Indian golfer to be ranked within top 500 in the world rankings for U18 category.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://m.hindustantimes.com/other-sports/diksha-dagar-takes-the-quiet-fairway-in-quest-of-sporting-dream/story-DCHlWtVnj8ZchybhLrg1BJ.html |title=Diksha Dagar takes the quiet fairway in quest of sporting dream |date=9 December 2016 |work=Hindustan Times |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref>  

In 2017, she won her maiden professional event at the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour. In March 2018, she won the Singapore Ladies Amateur Open. Diksha Dagar also registered the best score by an Indian at the Thailand's Queen Sirikit Cup history when she achieved it in June 2018 with a score of three under 69 and helped the Indian team to finish sixth in the women's team event.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://golfingindian.com/diksha-dagar-does-well-in-queen-sirikit-cup/ |title=Diksha Dagar does well in Queen Sirikit Cup |date=14 May 2018 |work=Golfing Indian |first=Anand |last=Datla |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref> She also totalled four-under over the three days, the lowest any Indian had gone in the Queen Sirikit Cup history.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/haryana-girl-diksha-dagar-notches-up-best-score-by-an-indian-at-thailands-queen-sirikit-cup/articleshow/64142189.cms |title=Haryana girl Diksha Dagar notches up best score by an Indian at Thailand's Queen Sirikit Cup |work=The Times of India |first=Sharad |last=Kohli |date=13 May 2018 |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref>  

Dagar turned professional in early 2019.<ref name=":0" /> In March 2019, she emerged as winner of the 2019 [[Investec South African Women's Open]], a tournament on the [[2019 Ladies European Tour]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ladieseuropeantour.com/diksha-lands-maiden-let-title-in-cape-town/ |title=Diksha Dagar Lands Maiden LET Title in Cape Town |date=2019-03-16 |publisher=Ladies European Tour |access-date=2019-03-18 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theleader.info/2019/03/17/diksha-drives-to-victory-in-investec-sa-womens-open/ |title=Diksha drives to victory in Investec SA Women's Open |date=2019-03-17 |newspaper=The Leader Newspaper |first=Lali |last=Stander |access-date=2019-03-18 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> This was her first win as a professional, becoming India's youngest woman to clinch a Ladies European Tour title at the age of 18. She defeated South Africa's three-time champion, [[Lee-Anne Pace]], by one shot.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/11667632/diksha-dagar-wins-south-african-crown |title=Diksha Dagar wins South African crown |work=Sky Sports |first=Keith |last=Jackson |date=16 March 2019 |access-date=2019-03-18 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://scroll.in/field/916857/meet-diksha-dagar-a-hearing-impaired-golfer-who-won-her-first-professional-title-at-18 |title=Meet Diksha Dagar, a hearing-impaired golfer who won her first professional title at 18 |website=Scroll.in |date=17 March 2019 |access-date=2019-03-18 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.espn.in/golf/story/_/id/26279817|title=Diksha Dagar wins South African Women's Open |date=2019-03-16 |work=ESPN |access-date=2019-03-18 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> She became the first Indian to clinch the South African Women's Open title and second Indian female overall to claim the Ladies European Tour Title.<ref name=":0" />