Having performed “well below his potential” within the final two Olympics, Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri mentioned that he'll do the whole lot in his energy to qualify for the Paris Games and make a bid for a dream podium end on the quadrennial showpiece.

Lahiri, who switched to LIV Golf from the USPGA in 2022 and shifted his base from Florida to Dubai, has been handicapped in his endeavour to safe a Paris berth as a result of the brand new rival entity can't grant world rating factors to qualify for the Olympics.

The 36-year-old should compete within the restricted tournaments accessible outdoors LIV Golf and hope to earn sufficient factors after which preserve his fingers crossed for a Paris berth.

“It’s very important for me to represent my country. I have been at the Olympics a couple of times, and both times I’ve played well below my potential and it’s something that I would love to change,” mentioned Lahiri throughout an interplay facilitated by FanCode.

“To be able to do that, I need those world ranking points. Unfortunately, that is the only qualification system even though, in my opinion, that shouldn’t be the case. But because that is the way it is, I am actually trying to play as many tournaments as I can outside of the LIV Golf schedule,” mentioned Lahiri.

The former world no. 33 had made the change to the rival LIV Golf inside months of his best achievement of ending runners-up at The Players Championship, an annual match on the PGA Tour, in 2022.

Lahiri mentioned he'll play a number of tournaments in Asia, together with the Indian Open later this month, to earn factors and be in rivalry for Paris.

“I am playing in Macao next week, I played in Oman two weeks ago, I’m playing the Indian Open. Most likely, add one or two more tournaments in May before the (Olympic qualification) deadline of the second week of June.

“So, I’m going to do everything in my power to give myself the opportunity to earn those points however it is possible,” mentioned the 2015 Indian Open winner, who can be seen on the DLF Golf & Country Club from March 28-31 after almost 5 years bidding for his second nationwide title.

“And that’s (performance) all I can really control. I can’t control the outcome, I can’t control whether I do make it to the team but I can put in the effort and my commitment, which is 110 per cent,” he added.

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After an outstanding 2015, which noticed him win twice on the European Tour, and the T5 end on the PGA Championship aiding his elevation to the PGA Tour, Anirban had a relatively quiet yr, till he completed runner-up at The Players Championship in 2022.

Lahiri would hope luck shines on him once more as he begins the essential part of his Olympic qualification journey. He is presently ranked 350 on this planet, whereas Shubhankar Sharma (201) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (229) are the entrance runners to make the reduce for Paris.

At the Tokyo Games, Aditi Ashok was in rivalry for a medal till the seventeenth gap earlier than falling quick by a stroke to complete fourth.

The 25-year-old from Bengaluru had gained the Asian Games silver in Hangzhou final yr and in addition secured her second victory of the Ladies European Tour season, clinching the Costa del Sol Open de Espana.

Asked about India’s probabilities on the Paris Olympics, Lahiri mentioned, “Difficult question to answer because golf is a sport which is very difficult to look at a personal best in terms of a swimmer or an athlete and say ‘oh this guy has got a good chance’.

“I do feel that Aditi has been playing really well and Gagan (Gaganjeet Bhullar) has been playing really well. Shubhankar (Sharma) has played very well on the golf course (in Paris, which will be used during the Olympics). I think Shubhankar should be a lock definitely on that flight to Paris.”

“Whoever gets there (Paris) I just... I hope it’s me along with the rest of the team but we have to prepare. At the end of the day, anyone of us can get on the podium but we need to peak at the right time,” he concluded.