Ranveer Saini, first Indian golfer to play in Special Olympics World Games

New Delhi: When 14-year-old Ranveer Saini will tee off at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles on Monday, he will become the first Indian to compete in the event.

The Gurgaon-based golfer was diagnosed with Autism, a neurological disorder characterised by impaired social interaction, at the age of 2. He started playing golf at the age of nine.

"The Indian Golf Union has supported Ranveer in his endeavour to bring more laurels for the nation. In 2013 Saini had won two gold medals at the Special Olympics Asia-Pacific Golf International in Macau. In LA, Saini will be competing against 300 special golfers," a release said.

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After being impressed by Ranveer’s performances at the international level, the Indian Golf Union went all out in motivating renowned coach Anitya Chand to train the kid.

"Out of all the golf associations across India, the only organisation which came up to us to support was the IGU. Each council member in the IGU recognised and applauded the great work done by Ranveer and came forward to sponsor his golf training from last year till he left for the Special Olympics World Games 2015 in Los Angeles. Now he is all set to battle for the country," said Kartikeya Saini, father of Ranveer Saini.

Anitya Chand, who has coached Ranveer right from the onset of his career said, "From holding a club for the first time to winning in Macau, Ranveer has come a long way. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds because the biggest challenge for me was to communicate with him. Soon he realised that he should listen to me and now he hits a 260 yards ball and can play with any normal golfer."