 A sports max zone, the sport of golf is steadily growing in the Caribbean with representation at various competitions in the region and beyond. Now many juniors are gaining recognition in their countries, particularly in TNT and Barbados. However, one junior player has taken the international scene by storm, with some even comparing him to the legend Tiger Woods at his age. The semi-year-old Barbadian Ashton Okola's name has been on the lips of many in golfing circles, winning tournaments globally, even as far as Africa. And as a reward for his outstanding achievements, he was named Junior Sportsperson of the Year at the recent National Sports Council Ceremony at the Sir Garfield Sober's complex in Will Day. Let's meet the little man doing himself massive things on the golf course, Ashton Okola. Ashton, welcome to the sports max zone. Great to have you on, sir. And let me say this first of all, I first went on a plane, Ashton, at 15 years old. Now you're 70 years old and you've already visited four continents. How many countries have you played golf in? Eight. Eight countries, can you name them? Can you remember them? Mexico, South Africa, United States, Uganda, South Africa. Yeah, you said that. I think in the Dominican Republic you can add them as well. The Dominican Republic and Mexico and Italy. All right. Well, first of all, Ashton, we're really happy to have you on. I've been seeing your progress in international golf for a while now and it had been our plan for a few months now to put you on the show, to talk about your achievements so far. So we just mentioned your title successes that you've had already in Florida and South Africa. What has it been like so far at this young age, breaking onto the international scene in such a big way? It's very exciting and sometimes very nervous. I read a report that you suggested that you have matured in the past couple of years whereas maybe two years ago you would get very mad if you had some bad shots on the course that now you take it a lot better and I found it amazing because you were talking as if you were a big person because you were suggesting when you were younger and the fact is that you're still very young. Golf can be a very frustrating game. I know players who get very agitated when their shots don't come off well. Can you talk to us about how you've been able in the past couple of years referencing the point I just made about when you had bad moments on the course and how you handled them then to how you're handling them now? So I ended the row on number one at the blue monster. The first shot on the first round I hit that ball into the water and then the next shot after that I hit into the water again so I ended up getting a five on that hole. And yet at the end of the hole I was feeling very happy so I just tried to make it up for the rest of the holes but sadly it wasn't enough so I came for it. Yeah. Ashton, when did you... In 2022. Right. When did you realise that you really loved golf and you wanted to play golf? At my first tournament perhaps in the old peoples. Yeah and how important is it that you know you have your parents with you supporting you because many children are not lucky like you to have their parents you know giving them all their support. I'm happy that they're here and I'm just glad that they came with me. Yeah. Tell me a bit about your coach now. How is coach? He's good. He's teaching me a lot about... He's teaching me a lot so like when I use my driver on the first shot I need to stop cutting it to the left and hit it with my string. Yeah so he's really there for you. You have school right and you have golf. How are you Ashton able to do both? Some people can't even do school alone. It's tough but once you get used to it it starts getting easier and easier. Ashton just very quickly I gather that you actually started playing golf when you were like two years old. Can you remember that and can you talk to us about how you felt at that time playing? I didn't really know what to do at two years old so I just like hitting the balls. Alright is mommy around? We want to talk to mom. Yeah and while mom comes in what a sensational story because he has been doing so well. We're talking about seven years old here you know. Yes. What were you doing at seven Mariah? I can't remember so I find it so amazing that he remembers all these things I mean seven I can't remember. I used to love to dance so let's just say maybe I was dancing because I did do dance classes professionally but the way how Ashton is able to you know explain what he's been doing and remember these things Ricardo I can't remember. Yeah and I really do want to hear and I suspect we'll have a quick chat with his mom in terms of how he started in this sport because golf is not necessarily the type of sport that you start doing at two years old unless there is a plan a very specific plan to steer the child in that direction. In that direction and so I want to get an understanding of how that came about but yeah tremendous performances that we've seen from him and he's been quite the rave in these tournaments at his level he's been tremendous and you just have a look at it there look at him there so much composure and confidence when he's on course and that just seven years old absolutely fantastic. Yeah all right well let's talk to his mom though Janneel because his parents are Jamaican but they are living in Barbados and Janneel must be very proud of what Ashton has been able to achieve so far Janneel welcome to the sports mat zone great great to have you on the show can I start here yeah can I start here though because I'm pretty certain that while you recognized a few years ago that Ashton did have a knack to be a good golfer what he has achieved as a seven year old is probably beyond your expectations. Absolutely Ashton blows me away repeatedly you know we didn't know how good he actually was when we were moving to Barbados a golf pro told us that he was very special and he was very effusive and we weren't sure what to make of it and the reason we put him in his first competition at three was just to get a sense of you know what he was like as compared to the rest of the world and once we saw that he was you know really making his way and he actually he's has an intuitive knack of the game. I think that's what's what's special and so once we saw that intuition and that natural ability we just felt it was our responsibility to do everything you could to support that nurture it and push him forward. Yeah I gather that a bit of it could be in his DNA as well Janneel because his dad was a pretty good cricketer as a teenager I'm told. Yes so his dad played for Jamaica's under 19 team I am not Jamaican other than by marriage and the mother of a Jamaican child as a family was actually originally and we I'm an athlete my husband is an athlete so we thought he would have some kind of athletic ability but we didn't really think it would be golf so it just goes to show you that you know life happens as you're there and trying to make plans. Yeah how did it become golf? Well we really just needed a place for him to go to stay occupied to be honest we were moving from Jamaica to Barbados we were living in Antigua for a little while and when he was in Jamaica he was at Fundaciones which at that point was a full bilingual immersion preschool and he was 18 months there and wearing full uniform and a short term our only short term options in Antigua was to put him in a nursery and that felt like a step backward so someone said well I see that there are some children at the golf course why don't you inquire and I called the lady at the golf course she said I never see them so young but call the coach and tell him that you have you know work to do you need a place for him to stay and see what the coach will say and the coach said you know my children are amongst the best golfers in the region and they started following me around the golf course at that age so don't worry about it and if he if he needs you know if he doesn't like golf I'll have a football I understand you need to get work done you know your husband is in court unavailable so I will I will facilitate you and when I went to pick him up he told me there was no football necessary and this child has something special and he's never seen a two-year-old hit a ball like that and it was quite astonishing not anything we would have ever imagined at all I expected to pick this child up and and and you know that would have been the end of that um he said no matter what you do make sure you keep this child in the sport yeah and once he said that with the kind of passion he did I knew maybe you know there was something there yeah we've got to leave it here Jenny but it's one question before we go because I see he's a lefty like Phil Nicholson um is he a left-hander generally yes he is left-hander left putter um he does he's left-handed dominant but when he first learned to play because they didn't have left-handed clubs and he was only two so we weren't sure whether he was left-handed or right-handed he started actually playing right-handed so he can swing he can play right-handed and left-handed wow this is a pretty special young stuff and um congratulations as well for the national junior award that he won for Barbados which is amazing for a seven-year-old I've never heard a seven-year-old winning an award like that in in Barbados but thanks Janille for talking to us and all the best for young Ashton as he pursues his career in the sport of golf this is an amazing story thanks for talking to us thank you so much thank you for having us yeah bye we have a lot more coming up on the sports night zone after this