"No Problem Even If You Can't Hear the Sound" [Paris Olympics]

Indian Female Golfer Dagar, Congenital Hearing Impaired
Plays with Hearing Aid, Secures 2 Wins on European Tour
Overcomes Pre-Tournament Traffic Accident Setback to Thrive

Diksha Dagar of India, ranked 165th in the world, has emerged as a notable athlete in the women's golf event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Diksha Dagar is teeing off at the 3rd hole during the first round of the women's golf event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. [Giancourt, France = EPA·Yonhap News]

On the 7th (local time), she shot 1-under-par 71 in the first round of the tournament held at Le Golf National Olympic Course (par 72) in Guyancourt near Paris, France, finishing tied for 7th place. What drew attention at this Olympics was not only her performance but also the fact that she is a rare left-handed female player. She is congenitally deaf, having been unable to hear since birth. Although she wears a hearing aid that amplifies sound, she often relies more on lip-reading to understand speech.

Dagar overcame her disability through golf. Guided by her father, she started holding a golf club at the age of six. Her father, who served as an officer in the Indian Army, was a single-handicap golf expert. Dagar, who stood out on the amateur stage, won the Ladies European Tour (LET) at the South African Women's Open in 2019 at the age of 18, becoming the youngest Indian player to do so. Last year, she secured her second LET victory at the Czech Ladies Open. Notably, she also competed in the 2021 Brazil Deaflympics (the Olympics for the hearing impaired), where she won a gold medal.

Dagar’s journey to the Paris Olympics was not smooth. On the 1st, after attending a dinner with the Indian delegation, she was involved in a car accident on the way back to the accommodation. Her father and mother were also in the car. Fortunately, Dagar and her father were unharmed, but her mother had to be hospitalized for several days for treatment. Her father, who always carries her golf bag, once again took on the role of her caddie.

After completing the first round, Dagar said at a press conference, "The accident could not have been avoided. It was no one’s fault. By the grace of God, no one was hurt, and being able to participate in my second Olympics is a blessing and good fortune." Regarding her hearing impairment, she smiled brightly and said, "A fellow hearing-impaired person told me, ‘I followed you around watching your game, and it really gave me strength.’ That made me very happy. I want to walk the right path and do better things to give more strength to people with hearing disabilities."