A 16 year old star golfer is the modern day Arjun! | Arjun Bhati
Do you think 16 year old Arjun Bhati from Noida who is one of India’s best golfer at junior level has anything in common with the Arjun of Mahabharat? Don’t know about this golfer yet? Then you must read this.
We all agree these lockdown days are hard. Being home all day, no hanging out with friends or going out to play.
But one thing I have enjoyed is being able to watch all those yesteryear’s shows on Doordarshan. And I have noticed my parents do not seem to worry about ‘screen time’ either when these shows are on. In fact we watch it all together. I particularly love watching Mahabharat with all its drama and like many others, my favourite character is Arjun. His name immediately conveys an excellence in his skill- archery. But I often find myself wondering why he is considered more of a hero in a story where so many are brilliant at one thing or another.
Recently, I read about another Arjun, a 16 year old Arjun Bhati from Noida who is one of India’s best golfer at junior level. I couldn’t help make a mental comparison of him with the Arjun from Mahabharat.
So Arjun Bhati is a golf prodigy. Along with many other tournaments, Arjun has won the Junior World Golf Championships four times.FOUR times. Ok so master of his skill? Check.
His interviews from the time he was 12 say he has always been very clear he wants to win an Olympic gold for India. Razor sharp focus on his goal? Check.
This is turning out to be a fun exercise. But is there any other similarity?
Wait, why am I reading about Arjun Bhati now when all sports tournaments are cancelled. Why is a sportsperson in the news at the time of a global crisis? I will tell you why. Arjun Bhati was in the news for donating ₹4.30 lakhs to the PM-CARES relief fund, which he raised by selling 102 trophies he had been awarded with.
Arjun Bhati looked beyond his game. Beyond his trophies. Yes, he could zoom into his target while at golf, but he could also zoom out and try to make sense of the larger picture. Of life around him, of asking himself what is the right thing to do. Arjun Bhati at 16 helped many more people than most of us would through life.
So, a thinking person, similar to the Arjun of Mahabharat whose introspection and questions to Krishn gave us The Geeta? Check.
When Arjun Bhati’s grandma got to know that he had sold off all his trophies, won over the last eight years, she told him, “You really are Arjun.”
I agree. Arjun Bhati, you really are a modern-day Arjun. And that is why people will remember you, even when your sporting days are done with.
