Wasim Khan was minutes away from making a call to his abba (father) that would have made his day.
“Aap agar mujhe free kar dein to main abba ko bataoon (if you let me go, I’ll inform father),” said Wasim, fondly stroking the gleaming bike he had just won.
“Father doesn’t understand too much of what I do but he will be very happy.”
The 19-year-old is destiny’s child.
Three-and-a-half years since he carried a golf bag at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC), Wasim took the first step towards possibly rewriting his fortune. On Tuesday, the teenager won the best golfer award at the Inter-Club Invitational Caddie Tournament at the DLF Golf & Country Club.
Hailing from the small town of Aligarh, Wasim’s been away from home for over four years and the family isn’t familiar with his vocation. Wasim too hadn’t heard of golf until caddying became a means of supporting his family of five.
Amidst the euphoria was a hint of remorse.
“I wish she was here with me today,” Wasim said of his mother, who passed away due to illness when he was just three-months-old. “Father has played both the roles wonderfully,” Wasim said proudly.
Wasim was 13 when he dropped out of school as his father sent him to Delhi in the hope of earning a livelihood. Opportunity beckoned at the DGC and Wasim slipped into the role of a caddy. “I didn’t understand golf but slowly picked up its nuances,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Wasim was 13 when he dropped out of school as his father sent him to Delhi in the hope of earning a livelihood. Opportunity beckoned at the DGC and Wasim slipped into the role of a caddy. “I didn’t understand golf but slowly picked up its nuances,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Sure, he did. On Tuesday, Wasim moved a step closer towards realising his dream of not just caddying for Adam Scott, his favourite golfer, but perhaps even playing alongside him one day.
Asked how the win would help him turn pro, Wasim was quick with the reply: “Now, I can train longer at the course, get more practice. I will make the most it.”
Earning a quick buck uppermost on his mind, Wasim could well have taken a wrong turn early on. That he didn’t, makes his tale special.