World body serves an ace for wheelchair tennis in India

MUMBAI: For differently-abled tennis buffs in the city, there's reason to cheer. India is among the countries the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has zeroed in on to promote wheelchair tennis. The ITF in association with the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has identified three cities-Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai-where locals will be encouraged to take up the sport starting at the regional level, and eventually on the international circuit.AlthoughBangalore's Boniface Prabhu is a well-known name in global wheelchair tennis,the sport hasn't taken off in India. Introduced in 2002, ITF's project SilverFund is now trying to revive the concept in India. "AITA plans to import about40 wheelchairs from China. We have about 40 players in India but they aren'tprofessionals, so our first target is to reach out to people,'' explains NarSingh, wheelchair tennis development officer, AITA.To spreadawareness about the sport, ITF has sent a two-member British team of JayantMistry, a former wheelchair tennis professional and ITF ambassador, and leadingcoach Stuart Wilkinson, to Delhi and Chennai. Mistry, a two-time Grand Slamchampion in the wheelchair doubles category, hit a few balls with Wilkinson atthe Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) courts onWednesday."Unlike tennis where the focus is on physical fitness, inwheelchair tennis we focus on the perception of the ball and the movement,because you have to hold the racquet in the playing hand while moving,''explains Wilkinson. The 31-year-old coach says a sustainable programme can bedeveloped in India. "The difficult task is to get people to the courts,'' saysWilkinson.Mistry, whose parents hail from Surat, says wheelchairtennis gave him a new lease of life. With his father working as a small-timecarpenter and mother employed in a hosiery factory, Mistry's childhood inLeicester was tough. Physically challenged since birth, he was raised to be afighter. Even as a little boy, he dreamt of providing a comfortable life for hisfamily some day."My parents always told me I had to do something onmy own. They encouraged me with emotional support, and I knew it was all theycould provide. I realised I had to make life better for my family. Initially, Ihad these lows about being born with a disability, but I tried to look at thepositives. I don't think I've done too badly in life,'' smiles 43-year-oldMistry, who won 20 singles and 48 doubles titles before retiring in 2007 afterelbow, wrist and shoulder problems. He represented Britain in over 20 World TeamCups (wheelchair version of the Davis Cup). Wilkinson says Leander Paes couldhelp promote wheelchair tennis in India. "Leander bonded really well with Peterat the US Open. Their wives got along and their children were in the samecreche. Leander went out of his way to help Peter. It was a very nice gesture,''recalls Wilkinson.