Pranavi's Asian Games gold will inspire more Indian girls to take up golf: Shiv Kapur | Exclusive

New Delhi, October 12: The Delhi Golf Club is all decked up to host the DP World India Championship this week as world's biggest golfers like World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, a six-time Major winner, alongside Aaron Rai, the 2026 PGA Championship winner, and Ryan Fox, the 2026 winner of the British Open will converge at the National Capital to contend for the $4 million prize money.

Other Major champions include Shane Lowry, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose and Danny Willett, who will add further strength to a world-class line-up that has seven Major champions in all.

Leading the local charge will be Shiv Kapur, 44, who will attempt to utilise his experience of winning an international title on this iconic venue also his home course back in 2017, among several accomplished names like Anirban Lahiri, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Khalin Joshi, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Veer Ahlawat and Saptak Talwar.

Shiv, who was last Indian winner of an individual gold medal in the Asian Games at the 2002 Busan edition, spoke exclusively with myKhel on a plethora of topics from Pranavi Urs's historic gold at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, to the deadlock being broken between the DP World Tour and Asian Tour recently and the Indian Golf Premier League's (IGPL) increasing relevance for young Indian pros. Here are the edited excerpts:

myKhel: What is the first reaction that came to your mind after that 24-year Asian Games gold jinx was broken by Pranavi Urs? Did you speak to her or message her?

Shiv Kapur: I was watching all morning. I woke up at 5:30 that morning to watch the last shot of back nine, and I was messaging Karandeep Kochhar throughout. We were both kind of living every moment - great shot, great putt. I was on the edge of my seat, and I honestly was so happy to see it happen. I think it was overdue, men's or women's side either way, and it was great to see a gold medal come back to India. NDTV did a beautiful thing where I was able to speak to her live on video, and we announced a cash award on behalf of IGPL. She is such a hardworking girl who really showed a lot of composure under pressure, and I am very, very proud of her.

myKhel: How do you see this helping women's golf in general? What does this mean given there's been a 16-year medal drought in the men's category since 2010?

Shiv: The women's game started with Aditi doing really well at the Olympics and coming close to a medal there, which really gave the game a big boost. For Pranavi to then go on and win a gold at the Asian Games, you are going to see a lot of young girls take up the sport. The women's game is on the rise anyway, and I've seen a lot of these young girls playing on IGPL who are fantastic players. You always need heroes to look up to - that happened with cricket and other sports, and now it is happening with golf.

myKhel: Coming back to the DP World India Championship, what are your expectations playing on your home course where you know every nook and corner?

Shiv: The challenge whenever you're playing at home is to keep your expectations down. There are always expectations in any tournament, and you're looking to contend and have a chance to win on Sunday. Regarding home conditions, I've never seen the course play like this-the rough is the thickest I've ever seen, and the greens are in fantastic shape. Delhi Golf Club should be very proud of the course it's presenting this week, and as a member, I'm very proud. DP World, Yuvraj Narayan, and the entire team have done India a huge favour by bringing the best golfers in the world here, so just being part of the field gives me a lot of pride. Once it starts on Thursday, I'll be hoping to put myself in contention.

myKhel: How do you see the recent developments where the European Tour and Asian Tour have gone back to collaborating and taking professional golf forward?

Shiv: For the sport of golf to progress, everyone needs to work toward a common goal, which is to make the sport bigger, wider in reach, and more global. Any kind of convergence is good. From a player's perspective, there's always a defined pathway starting from your domestic tour to the Asian Tour, moving to the DP World Tour, and then on to the PGA Tour. It's a bit like the ATP Tour in tennis. Having everyone work under one umbrella is where the sport really grows, and I am very bullish about golf over the next 5 to 10 years.

myKhel: What is your perspective on the IGPL becoming very important for golfers and providing an extra platform to showcase their talent?

Shiv: For players to get good, you need a strong domestic tour-historically seen with the Japanese and Korean tours. Both PGTI and IGPL are doing a fantastic job growing the sport in India. IGPL is trying to take their players globally, fulfilling the mission of making our players better so they aren't just 'flat-pitch bullies' who struggle in English or Australian conditions. By giving them exposure to places like South Africa, Mauritius, and the Middle East, local players get better so they are ready to compete at the highest level internationally.

myKhel: How do you see Amandeep Johl - who has become the Delhi Golf Club captain recently after heading the PGTI - helping grow the game as DGC has a rich legacy of nurturing young talent like Rashid Khan?

Shiv: I am one of the beneficiaries of it, as Delhi Golf Club has been my home. I was able to play and practice here, always receiving great support and crediting much of my success to the club. Having Amandeep - a veteran pro golfer who has played worldwide and understands everything it takes to produce champions - is a great thing for Delhi Golf Club. I have very high expectations of him, and I know he will do his best to grow the game and keep the legacy of Delhi Golf Club producing future champions.