Bhubaneswar: Kashika Misra has become the first golfer from Odisha to be ranked No. 1 among ladies amateur golfers in India.
Kashika, who is from Berhampur, capped a string of consistent performances with a runners-up finish in the recent IGU West Bengal Ladies and Junior Girls Golf Championship held at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. It helped Kashika her move up from 4th in the rankings to the top place, with a 16-point lead.
Manvi Singhania, another golfer from Odisha, is currently in 36th place in the amateur ladies golf rankings.
Kashika was part of the Indian team that took part in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Vietnam from March 6 to 9.
Next week, she will be representing India in the prestigious Asia Pacific Golf Confederation championship, to be held in Hong Kong.
A meeting with President Draupadi Murmu on May 22 at Rashtrapati Bhawan has motivated Kashika to work even harder and achieve more laurels for Odisha and India.
Having completed her Class XII at Gurugram’s Shri Ram School, Kashika will be joining a university in the United States for graduation course and improve her golfing prowess.
Kashika picked up golf just five years ago and developed her game rapidly to secure a WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking) in May 2023.
Kashika attributes her success to coach Anitya Chand, guidance of her parents Kiran Mishra and Brigadier Tapas Mishra, support of the Bhubaneswar and Delhi Golf Clubs, Odisha government, and the blessings of Lord Jagannath. She is also thankful to MGM Minerals Ltd. for their unstinted support.