NEW DELHI: Indian golfing great Jeev Milkha Singh feels that the country’s golfers need to be more mentally strong to be able to win medals in the Olympics. In the recently concluded Paris Olympics, Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar, Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar represented India in the event but failed to win a single medal in the sport.

In their Olympic debut, Shubhankar and Gaganjeet finished T40 and T45, respectively in the men’s golf event. The former Asia No. 1 Shubhankar achieved India’s best-ever men’s result in golf in the Olympics. He surpassed Anirban Lahiri’s previous best result of T42, attained during the Tokyo Games.

In the women’s event, Aditi, who was playing her third Olympics, finished T29 while Diksha managed a T49 finish. In the Tokyo Olympics, Aditi had finished fourth.

“Our golfers need to be more mentally strong in the Olympics, they have talent and ball striking skills but on that particular week, they have to be focussed. Athletics has changed when my father (Milkha Singh) started it and now. He just wanted to wear an Indian blazer and represent the nation. Now athletes are getting all the support from the government, they are more determined and want to die for the nation. And that is why we are winning medals,” Jeev Milkha Singh told a wire agency on Tuesday.

Talking about his playing career, the veteran golfer asserted that he is eyeing a major senior tour title before retiring from the sport.

“I will continue to play senior tour and want to play till 70 if I can keep myself fit. I hope to win a major on senior tour before my career is over,” he said.

Agencies

KR Desk