Anirban Lahiri asks fellow golfer Cikkarangappa to be his caddie at Tokyo Olympics

Even as India sends its largest contingent to an Olympic Games, one athlete will be part of Tokyo2020 not as a player but as a caddie. S Chikkarangappa, 27, missed qualifying for the men's golf competition, but Anirban Lahiri, set for his second Olympics, chose to provide him with a close look at the competition by asking him to be his caddie.

"It's a win-win situation for both. When Anirban offered me this opportunity to be his caddie, I accepted instantly. I am really glad that Anirban is giving me this experience. I will get to see an Olympics live in person. The younger generation has so much to learn. Yes, I won't be there as a player but this experience will be something different," Chikkarangappa said.

He found it hard to come to terms with missing the cut for the Olympics. For, he was India No. 2 before the second wave of Covid-19, and led him to miss some tournaments, causing his ranking to drop. Representing India at the Olympic Games, is a dream and the Tokyo experience will help him in that direction.

"This experience (caddying for Anirban) will help me prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games. This will help me going forward," he said.

Chikkarangappa speaks about his bond with Lahiri with gratitude. "We are more than friends, we are like brothers. We have known one other for 18 years. He's been a great friend, brother and always had my back. We have the same relationship today as we did 18 years ago. We will work together and do our best to return with a medal," he said.