Tokyo (Japan), Nov 20 (IANS) Indian golfer Diksha Dagar on Thursday made history by defending her gold medal at the 25th Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan. Diksha produced rounds of 68, 65, 72 at the par-72 Wakasu Golf Links in Tokyo to top the podium by a whopping 14-stroke margin in the women’s individual strokeplay competition.

Diksha, who had won gold at the 2021 Deaflympics and a silver at the 2017 edition of the Games, posted a three-day total of 11-under 205. Margaux Rezo of France ended second with an overall total of three-over 219, followed by Canada’s Erica Dawn Rivard at five-over 221.

The 24-year-old Diksha is the only hearing-impaired player across the globe to have represented the country in both Deaflympics and Olympic Games. She represented India at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.

Her compatriots Harsh Singh, with a three-day tally of 22-over 238, finished solo 12th, and Vibhu Tyagi finished his campaign in tied 14th place with an overall score of 24-over 240.

“I am very happy to have won back-to-back gold medals at the Deaflympics. The competition is getting tougher every year. I had to compete against girls from 20 different countries. I stuck to my plan – attacking the flags on par-5s and focusing on my short game and approach shots,” Diksha was quoted as saying by IGU Media.

“I would like to thank the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Golf Union for supporting me throughout this journey. I would also like to thank my sponsors, the Ladies European Tour (LET) and Women’s Golf Association of India, for providing me with the exposure to deal with stiff competition,” said the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) athlete.

Congratulating Diksha on her fantastic feat, IGU president Brijinder Singh said: “On behalf of the Indian Golf Union, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to Diksha Dagar for her historic gold at the 25th Summer Deaflympic Games in Japan. It is a proud moment for the entire nation, not just us. What Diksha has achieved is unprecedented; she is the only golfer on the planet to have played both the Olympics and Deaflympics. All the best to her for her future endeavours!”

IGU Honorary Secretary Shashank Sandu said, “Diksha is a product of the IGU system. At IGU, we strive to provide the best exposure and platforms to our talented youngsters to shine both nationally and internationally, and we will be continuing to do so in the future. Many congratulations to Diksha on her fabulous achievement. You will inspire more girls to take up golf as a career and bring laurels to the country.”

–IANS

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