Mumbai, Nov 23 (NationPress) Pranavi Urs has made history by clinching the IGPL Invitational Mumbai golf title, receiving accolades from PT Usha, one of India's most celebrated female athletes and the current President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Usha, who was recently present at the Delhi Golf Course for Rory McIlroy's appearance in India, expressed her excitement over Pranavi's achievement in the IGPL Mumbai, where she competed against India's top male professionals, including her partner, Karandeep Kochhar, who secured second place.

Usha remarked, “Pranavi, you didn’t just dream of victory — you worked for it, and you proved that champions transcend gender.”

She further emphasized, “With this significant win, Pranavi demonstrated self-belief and reminded us all that barriers — even societal norms — can be overcome.

“By focusing on her objectives instead of the challenges, Pranavi conquered the daunting notion that a woman couldn't triumph in a men's professional event — and she made it a reality.”

Pranavi, who also participated in the 2023 Asian Games, where the Indian women's team finished fourth, expressed her joy at Usha's supportive words. She tied for 13th place in the individual competition.

Usha is renowned for rewriting history throughout her athletic career, spanning over two decades, and is widely regarded as India's greatest female athlete.

Pranavi was thrilled to receive such recognition and stated that Usha’s comments were deeply meaningful to her.

Usha holds the record for the most medals by an Indian athlete at the Asian Games, with a total of four gold and seven silver medals. Her four gold medals were achieved at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, Korea.

In 1985, she made history by winning five gold and one bronze medal at the Asian track and field Championships in Jakarta. Between 1983 and 1989, she amassed 13 gold medals in various Asian track and field Championships, with a 14th gold added in the women’s 4 x 100m relay in Fukuoka, Japan, nine years later.

At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Usha narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing just one-hundredth of a second behind in the 400 meters hurdles.

A recipient of the Arjuna Award in 1984 and Padma Shri in 1985, she was appointed to the Rajya Sabha in July 2022.

In December 2022, Usha made history by becoming the first woman to serve as the President of the Indian Olympic Association, a position she continues to hold.

Pranavi, who has bounced back from a wrist injury this season to regain her playing rights on the Ladies European Tour, made her debut on the IGPL Tour.

She delivered a remarkable performance, carding an impressive 8-under 62 in the final round, totaling 14-under and surpassing Kochhar (12-under) by two shots to claim the title and a prize of Rs. 22,50,000.

Pranavi has become the first Indian to win in a field comprising both male and female professionals, despite Indian women participating in similar tournaments across Europe.

When discussing her triumph over male professionals, Pranavi stated, “I can't articulate the feeling; I'm still in a daze that I've actually won. Competing against the boys is a fantastic format and platform, allowing me to gauge my game against theirs.

“The girls are performing significantly better than the boys on the international stage. So, I consider gaining that experience back home as a major advantage for me.”

In 2022, Hannah Green won a tournament in Australia that also featured male competitors, and she triumphed in the 72-hole event.

Linn Grant, a Swedish professional, won the Volvo Cars Scandinavian Mixed title in both 2022 and 2024, competing in a field of 78 male and 78 female professionals on the DP World Tour.