Aadil gets appreciation, three-year support from Virat Kohli Foundation

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 12

Local golfer Aadil Bedi, a class 11th student of Vivek High School, Sector 38, made the city proud after being honoured at Indian Sports Honour Awards in Mumbai on Saturday. 

The 16-year-old was awarded the Budding Golfer of the Year Award by Virat Kohli and Bollywood star Aamir Khan. He was among the seven sportspersons from different sports who received the awards. Bedi had wins in Singapore SSG BLR International Championship and Las Vegas Golf Open in USA. He was fourth in the True Vision Junior Golf Championship at Bangkok. He played 274 tournaments across the globe, winning 165 medals. The jury committee included P Gopichand, PT Usha and three other Olympians.

Bedi was given the title “Future Star Champion” by Aamir Khan, while the actor was handing over the award on the stage. “It’s a dream to meet Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza, Virat Kohli, Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Akshay Kumar, Hardik Pandya and P Gopichand. I felt like I was watching a TV show,” said Bedi.

He recently got confirmation from Australia’s golf associations to participate in four elite amateur events, including Australian Masters of Men’s Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne and Australian Amateur Championship at Wanneroo Golf Club and Lake Kerrinup Country Club, Perth.

In the last two months, Bedi had several achievements. He did well in the national amateur men’s circuit by finishing fourth in Ahmedabad and sixth in Jharkhand. He won Western India Amateur on his debut in Mumbai. At present, he is in the top 900 men’s WAGR rankings. He is making a transition from the junior to the men’s category and he has already accumulated 148 points and climbed to 14th position with two final matches yet to be left. 

“These two finals will be good practice for me before I move to Australia next year. I have worked hard and I am happy that the foundation promised to help me by providing me fitness and nutrition guidance for the next three years,” said Bedi.