Golfer Diksha Dagar escapes unhurt in car accident, will compete at Olympics

Paris, August 1

Indian golfer Diksha Dagar, who is due to take part in the Olympics next week, has escaped unhurt from a car accident involving her and will compete in her event as scheduled.

Diksha, who will not be seen in action till next week, was involved in an accident late on Tuesday night. Her father Col Naren Dagar, who also doubles up as her caddie, also came out injury-free from the incident.

However, Diksha's brother, who was also in the car, had minor injuries, while her mother hurt her back and needed to be hospitalised. She is under observation.

Diksha is making a second Olympic appearance and was on the course on Thursday to practise for her event, which begins next Wednesday.

She spent more than a couple of hours at the putting greens and went to see the range and generally got a good feel of the course. She had come here last month too.

She said her mother was recovering well and her father was with her. An Indian Golf Union official was also with Diksha at the course.

The Dagar family was in the car, when it was hit by another vehicle on Tuesday night.

They were returning from a function at India House. It is a normal practice for golfers or their caddies to hire cars while playing in Europe. This gives them an ease of movement.

Many other countries have arranged transport for their athletes staying far away, but the Indian athletes often travel by the Games buses. The golfers and their family members, and some other athletes, have hired own vehicles for themselves and their families.

Otherwise, they have also been using taxis since the Games buses take a lot of time from the Games village or the hotel to the venues.

The car was at a traffic light and started when the signal turned green. There was an ambulance coming from the perpendicular road and it blinded a second car which was on the other side of the ambulance.

Since Diksha's car had started after the light turned green, the ambulance stopped, but the other car tried to go past and hit the vehicle in which Diksha was travelling.

The family spent considerable time at the hospital after getting medical care from the ambulance which was nearby.