Tokyo Games: Olympic is always special: Lahiri

Mumbai: With two weeks remain for the Tokyo Olympics, Indian golfer, Anirban Lahiri hopes to make the most of it and get the country on top in this biggest sporting extravaganza of the globe. Lahiri who will don the Indian colours at this event talked about his preparation and approach for the Games in the recent PGA Tour - John Deere Classic press conference.

Representing your country in the world’s biggest sporting event comes with its own perks and added pressure and Lahiri like every other athlete is learning to adapt to the new normal of the sporting environment. He said, “I think the dynamics are very different. For one, I mentioned the Olympic experience is not like anything else. To some extent that might be a little different this year given the conditions, but in terms of actually playing the tournament, there are maybe two or three differences.”

Lahiri also shared his thoughts with regards to how different the mindset is while playing Olympics as compared to a normal tournament by saying, “I think the biggest change in dynamic is how you approach the week and also how you deal with the environment because it's very different from what we do week in and week out. I think the biggest difference, like you said, about the Olympic pressure is you don't get anything for coming fourth. It's a race to the podium, and it's a bit of a sprint.”

Lahiri was delighted when he was asked about Udayan Mane who will tee off alongside him at the Games. He said, “I'm really happy, very happy that India is going to be fully represented in the men's event. I'm very excited. Look, it's going to be a life-changing experience for him. He's still in his early stage of his professional career”.