Young golfer Yuvraj Singh Sandhu excited to tee off at Golconda Masters Telangana Open 2021

Young Indian golfer Yuvraj Singh Sandhu is all set to compete at the Golconda Masters Telangana Open 2021 which is going to begin on the 2nd of September after a long break in the golfing calendar due to the global pandemic.

Last year, Sandhu finished 14th on the PGTI Order of Merit. The pandemic precluded his full-fledged participation from PGTI and Asian tours.

Ahead of the tournament, The Bridge caught up with the Chandigarh-based golfer who is going to play back-to-back tournaments after a long gap of one and a half years due to the pandemic.

"We all are aware how the pandemic and lockdown has changed our lives. Things are starting to get normal which is a very good thing. I am really excited to tee it up again in the upcoming events, I am really looking forward to being on tour, to travel and playback to back weeks, following the whole routine of playing a golf tournament, is a different feeling. It's been a really long time since I left my house to play a tournament, I am sure it's going to be different. The travelling will be different as we have to take care of ourselves. It's going to be a challenge keeping safe while travelling or playing tournaments but all in all, I am excited that life is getting back to normal." said Yuvraj Singh Sandhu while talking to The Bridge.

In any sport and for any professional sportsperson diet plays a pivotal role. In a sport like golf too which is played at a long stretch of the entire day, diet plays a crucial part in terms of hydration as well as stamina. The Chandigarh lad gives utmost importance to his fitness and diet and this is the reason why he has a trainer to chalk out his fitness and diet plans.

"I will be playing a tournament which is spread over 4 days, competitive golf for 4 days with 18 holes to be played in each day. As a part of the preparation, I have been working out with my trainer, Lavesh Chaudhary. Fitness and diet play a very important role, I have been very particular about what and when I am eating. I am in the carb-loading phase, my carbohydrates are more in my diet, as it helps my body sustain through the competitive week and post-tournament, I will make sure that I give ample amount of time to my body to recover. The key would be proper rest after the tournament, a lot of protein intake during the tournament and proper planning of water intake and hydration." explained golfer Yuvraj Singh Sandhu.

In every sport and for every sportsperson it is important to do a self-assessment of what one's strengths and weaknesses are. Yuvraj Singh Sandhu too does that and he also analyzes the weaknesses and strengths of his competitors.

"I have had a really good session of 3 months before this tournament, where I have noted down my strengths and weaknesses. I have really worked on my weaknesses over the last 3 months. I am a firm believer that if you have to achieve success, you have to outwork your fellow competitors and I feel and believe in myself that I have outworked a lot of my fellow competitors. I think it will payback and will reflect in the results of the upcoming tournaments. I will just go out there and have fun and follow my preparations, it's been a long time since I played a tournament and I think things will fall in place." said Yuvraj Singh Sandhu.

For any sport to grow in the city one needs to have a good infrastructure and according to Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, his hometown Chandigarh is one such city that has a world-class infrastructure not only in golf but in other sports, as well as the government too, supports a lot.

"I am based out of Chandigarh. I feel it is one of the best cities for any athlete, not just for a golfer. It has amazing scope for all athletes, including track and field, racquet sports or even golfers. The city is small, the travelling time is comparatively less, there are good trainers and physiotherapists available, the infrastructure is gradually improving as well."

"With regards to golf, we have a lot of interest and top government officials have started supporting the sport since it has been reintroduced to the Olympics. Keeping all these factors in mind, I feel Chandigarh could be the next big sports hub in India. There is a wave of change and it is going to drive the sporting culture of the city forward and that makes me really hopeful about our future prospects in the sport." said the Chandigarh lad Yuvraj Singh Sandhu.

The Golconda Masters Telangana Open 2021 will see 122 golfers from India and other countries like the USA, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka battle it out against each other for the much-coveted title.

Therefore, the competition is going to be a stiff one for the 24-year-old Sandhu. In 2020 he played seven tournaments on PGTI and made six cuts, including top-five finishes in two.

Yuvraj will look to continue in the same fashion or do even better this time.