Eight-year-old golfer Lia Naidoo is proof that dynamite comes in small packages.
The young lass was named Sports Star of the Year in the POST/SuperSport Let’s Play awards.
“I was so surprised when they called out my name. I could not stop smiling,” she said on winning the award.
The Grade 2 pupil at Victory Christian Academy was introduced to the sport just over a year ago by her dad, Fred Naidoo, when he noticed her potential.
He and Lia’s mom, Mary Ann Naidoo, enrolled her for golf lessons to help develop her skills and then registered her with SA Kids Golf.
Within a year of starting to learn, and with much determination, Lia started to flourish in the sport and began competing at a national and international level.
“I listened to my coach and put into practice what he said. Very soon I developed a smooth swing and my putting improved,” said Lia.
In February this year she entered the US qualifier event in Bronkhorstpruit, where she was chosen to represent her country at the US Kids Golf World Championships in North Carolina.
Locally Lia entered the SA Kids Golf Junior Open Tournament from January this year and has won gold throughout the competition’s eight tournaments. Lia will fly to Malaysia on December 9 for the Malaysian Kids Golf Championships.
Lia attributes her winning and success to God, saying without His guidance she would be nothing.