The Tennis Village that churn out top pros

Krishna Bhupathi���s childhood was hardly privileged, but the dreams his father instilled in him were seven star. "My father only spoke of the Roches and Rosewalls," he said.
CGK, as he���s known in tennis circles, learnt early not to settle for anything less than the best. The Tennis Village, his high-tech facility, now home to his son Mahesh���s pet project - Apollo Tyres Mission 2018 - is proof of that."The child is my hero," he says. "And if I don���t give him the best, how can I expect him to give me his best?"
That was the idea behind the facility, thrown open to the 20 children, aged between 9 and 18, among whom hopefully there���s a potential Grand Slam singles champion. From the landscaped gardens to the manicured greens, to the sparkling pool, scrubbed floors, creatively engineered study rooms, and the state-of-the-art gymnasium, it���s apparent that it���s a performance driven set-up.
If the children are the centre of the scheme, then the staff are its pillars. It���s easy to tell that Mahesh Bhupathi spent much time and energy while selecting the people to take his scheme forward. Former India Davis Cupper Prahlad Srinath is at the centre of the coaching venture. As a player, Srinath was that rare mix of the solid and the spectacular, as coach he���s both patient and demanding. Canada���s effusive Bobby Mahal has been recently roped in.
They and the other coaches are assisted by a battery of physios and trainers, among whom is Javier Capitaine, who has worked with Maria Sharapova and David Nalbandian.
There���s a definite buzz among the children, who hail from all corners of the country. While the younger ones - nine-year-olds Jennifer Luikham and Nandini Das - are carefree and greet you with wide-eyed 'Good Mornings', the early teens are aware of their privileged position.
Their tennis, training and touring (they will shortly be traveling to Chris Evert���s academy in Boca Raton, Florida for specialized training) is all taken care of by Apollo Tyres Mission 2018, who have earmarked Rs 100 crore over 10 years. It defies logic that the AITA should think the money is not being put to good use.
Education is a crucial part of the programme. The details have been taken care of and the direction laid out. The results will come in time.