Click to play videoIf there is one Indian sports story to celebrate this year, it is Jeev Milkha Singh’s. He gave us reasons to be proud, week after week. Jeev put Indian golf on the world map. Today, we celebrate the glory of 2006 with the man himself.
Gaurav Kalra: Jeev, welcome to CNN-IBN. Since you have been back now, it’s been a week or so. Has it finally sunk in, what you have achieved over the last year or so?
Jeev Milkha Singh: Honestly when I started the year, I never thought that I was going to end up like this. But it’s slowly sinking in, I think have had a great year and enjoying every bit of it.
Gaurav Kalra: Since you have been back, it’s been felicitations, it’s been celebrations, your family has been in it. Have you picked up a golf club at all?
Jeev Milkha Singh: Not at all. I haven’t picked up a golf club. I think I’ve played 40 weeks this year. I deserve a break. After the Volvo Masters of Asia, I have not picked up a club and I think I’m not going to pick up a club until January 1.
Gaurav Kalra: It was an incredible year for you. You were 300-odd, you hadn’t won a single tournament for seven years and all of a sudden, you finished 2006 at 37 in the world. Do you believe it yourself?
Jeev Milkha Singh: Honestly, I don’t. I started this year thinking that if I could get one win under my belt I would be really happy. But winning the Volvo China Open gave me a lot of confidence and trust in my game. And after that, things have been great. The main change I have made is that I was very result-oriented in the last six years. But I told myself after I won the Volvo China Open, ‘You just go out there and try to follow your process and routine and see what happens.’ Then I won the Volvo China that week and after that I have just been focusing on the process and routine, and that’s given me immense amount of confidence and I have gone ahead and got a lot of top-tens and a lot more wins.
Jeev Milkha Singh’s tremendous year can be seen with his achievements:
- He finished 37th in the world
- 21st on the money list - $2,705,348
- UBS Order of Merit - $591,884
Gaurav Kalra: As these things piled up, how did you explain it to yourself? You talked about the process, but you must have also made changes in your game.
Jeev Milkha Singh: Yes I did make a few changes like in my posture, and my takeaway. A good friend of mine helped me in that – Amritinder Singh. And also, a lot of mental training to be more disciplined in my thinking, and my focus on something, and that’s really helped me too.
Gaurav Kalra: Jeev, I can also tell you that your dad (Milkha Singh) has a wonderful swing. He is going to give you some competition.
Jeev Milkha Singh: We’ve played enough golf. So I think he’s drilled it in me that you need to work hard. I think I can give him a hard time now.
Gaurav Kalra: But he makes an interesting point. He says that ‘I was on eof the leading sportsmen of this country and that pedigree sits on Jeev as well’. Obviously you have the pressure of coming from a family of this nature and coming from a man who was a such a legend in Indian sport.
Jeev Milkha Singh: I think I take it in a positive manner, because I feel that if my father could do something in athletics for India, why not me in golf? That’s why I took the plunge and I have decided to go ahead on the big stage and hopefully I can take it ahead from here.
Gaurav Kalra: In fact a lot of people don’t know that your mother as well was a national level volleyball player. She was the captain of the Indian volleyball team. Your sister asked you how much of the money you earned this year will you give to your sisters?
Jeev Milkha Singh: I think I’ll take them to Vegas and show them some good shows. But I’ll keep them away from gambling, because I like watching a shows quite a bit. So, we’ll keep it that way.
Gaurav Kalra: But there’s a lot of money in the bank now Jeev. Have you thought about what you are going to do with it?
Jeev Milkha Singh: It’s in the bank, but haven’t given it a good thought. I’m more into real estate, so I would like to buy a house somewhere nice.
Gaurav Kalra: A boy from the golfing academy asked, will you be able to beat Tiger at the majors? In fact, before we go into that question, here’s what Tiger Woods earlier had said about you:
“I have met Jeev a few times. What he did at Valderrama, one of the toughest circuits in the world, and obviously with what he’s doing in Asia, he’s having a great year. I think it’s just a matter of confidence. He’s playing a lot of golf and he’s starting to turn the corner. It’s good to see him. I know about him quite a bit and he’s such a great guy.”
This is the No 1 golfer in the world singing praises for you.
Jeev Milkha Singh: I am very excited and especially words coming from a great player like Tiger is an honour. Not only is Tiger the best golfer in the world, I think he’s a great human being. When I played with him, I learnt quite a bit. The way he follows his process and routine, and the way he conducts himself off the golf course too. I think that’s excellent and people need to learn from that and what he’s done for the game of golf, I am thankful to Tiger.
Gaurav Kalra: You did compete with him at the Shanghai Masters. If I could ask you, what was that experience like, walking with the No 1 golfer in the world, exchanging notes, what was it like?
Jeev Milkha Singh: On the first tee I was so nervous. I have never been so nervous even while winning a golf tournament. But after the first hole, I settled down and we started talking a big about different things. Obviously we spoke a lot about golf, but after that we started talking about the holidays, what he’s going to do, what I am going to do. How is yacht was and how was coping up with his dogs and stuff like that. So, it was good fun.
Gaurav Kalra: Jeev, why was there a need to launch a new golf tour in Indian and how do you see this going over the next year or so?
Jeev Milkha Singh: I wasn’t here when this took place. But players obviously asked me for support and I did that. I haven’t got the details about it yet, but I think the players wanted a change and everywhere I the world, players are in fact running their tours.
Gaurav Kalra: What’s your take on how the game is placed in India now? Arjun Atwal didn’t have a very good year, but Shiv Kapur made some good progress. Now how do you see Indian golf placed at the moment? How much will your success make an impact?
Jeev Milkha Singh: I think Indian golf’s on a high. I think we have got a lot of talent. There are a lot of good players like Arjun, Shiv, Jyoti, Daniel Chopra who’s done a lot for this game. We have got a lot of young talent coming ahead. We just need good structure basically for the game to become big.
We need a good domestic tour, need help from the sponsors, especially the corporates coming in so that there is more money in the sport. I will also add that the government needs to have more public courses, so that a common man who’s walking on the street wants tp play golf or his son wants to give it a go, he can at least have a chance.
Gaurav Kalra: Lastly, you qualify for all the majors. You play at Augusta becoming the first Indian to play a masters event. You must be looking forward to it. What are your expectations from 2007?
Jeev Milkha Singh: Augusta National is my dream Major championship. I am very fortunate that I will be walking on that golf course in April. I would like to have a great week. I have always dreamt of playing at Augusta and my dream’s come true. I will be playing a lot in the US so I would like to have a good season so that I get full playing rights for the US Tour for the year 2008.
Gaurav Kalra: Jeev thank you very much for joining us.
Jeev Milkha Singh: Thank you. It was a pleasure talking to you all and a Merry Christmas to all of you.
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