Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JD)
Mangaluru, Jul 18: "India's hope of getting a tennis medal in the coming Rio Olympics rests on the mixed doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza," said Enrico Piperno, former Indian Davis Cup coach and also former personal coach of tennis stars Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza.
He was addressing media persons during his visit to the city as part of 'Fit and Bright Campaign' organized by the largest sports outlet in the city HAMSmart on the fourth floor of City Centre mall here on Monday July 18.
"Since the days of Vijay Amrithraj, we have produced quality tennis players in India. Now the hopes of getting a medal in the coming Rio Olympics lies on the mixed doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna. They make a very good combination and are the best mixed doubles pair of India.
"Rohan has the benefit of his power and height while Sania has the advantage of experience. Don't be surprised if Bopanna wins a medal for the country with Indian tennis legend Leander Paes in the men's doubles. The main drawback for this is the age factor of Leander Paes. He is 41 now and might play the next Olympics as well. In the last year or so his ranking has dropped from 12 to 56 as his body is not cooperating with the demands of the game. The pair tasted win in the last Davis Cup match against South Korea but they need to give their best in the Olympics as the best players from their respective countries will be challenging them in the doubles," he said.
Coaching Leander Paes
Recalling how he agreed to become Leander Paes's coach, he said, "When I was the number one singles player of the country I defeated the young Leander in the national championship semi-finals in 1990. He had just won junior Wimbledon championship and was showing very promising performance. In the flight Leander's father Vece Paes who was also my friend approached me to coach Leander. I was 30 then and a lot of tennis was still left in me. Then after facing the continuous requests for many days I finally agreed to coach with a condition from Vece that he would not be paying my fees until he gets the sufficient amount of funds. After two years Leander became the junior US open champion earning name, fame and funds and thus I received my fees.
"Even though Leander used to lack proper techniques as his cross court shots used to be a weakness, he never gave up. He then paired with Mahesh and won lots of laurels for the country including the historic Davis Cup win over France and the historic bronze medal in Atlanta Olympics. He can do anything when it comes to playing tennis and the fighter in him is still alive," he said.
'Sania's injury helped her to become the No 1'
"When Sania Mirza came to the limelight as a singles tennis player, she was very promising. Due to injuries she had to stay away from regular tennis and later she opted for doubles. But everything happens for good, today she is the number 1 seeded doubles player among women. As compared to singles, one can play more tennis as a doubles player," the former coach of Sania Mirza said.
Advice to parents
"We tend to keep feeding our kids and let them enjoy video games sitting at home. When they are 11 we take them to the coaches for moulding their sports career. But unfortunately the next four to five years the coach has to concentrate on their physical fitness and not the skills. So how can we produce good athletes and sportsmen? We need to teach them motor skills when they are 5 or 6 along with the discipline in food. Then by 12, the child will be able to give his best in the sports with the best physical fitness and skills," Piperno said.
Future in Sports
On the future of sports in India, Piperno said, "Today thousands of men and women are earning their livelihood in sports. In 1971, Prakash Amrithraj was the only professional athlete in India. We would be happy and delighted if someone gifted a t-shirt. We came with such difficulty and kept the Indian tennis moving. There is a good scope for athletes, sports analysts etc in future and it is an ever-green field of opportunities. Sports will also help you achieve good physical fitness."
Need more sportsmen from Mangaluru
"I have played in most of the cities in the country but I do not remember playing here. The reason may be that the city lacks basic infrastructure for sports and is 20 years behind. There are only few sportsmen from the city and emphasis must be given on producing world class athletes from here. The earlier we do that, the better it is for Mangalureans," he adviced.
About HAMSmart and Mission 50 World Class TV Anchors
Located in the fourth floor of city centre mall, HAMSmart provides space for sports discussions and sports interactions and welcomes the youth to join hands in promotion of sports. People in sports arena can partner with HAMSmart for Sports Initiatives.
Job Opportunities in Sports Management
Keeping this in mind, HAMSmart is initiating another program that is named ‘Mission 50 World Class TV Anchors’ Mission 50 World Class TV Anchors! Mission 50 World Class TV Anchors initiative is headed by P A Jose, former GM (HRD) of ONGC — MRPL and this programme will also give opportunities for beginners to improve their communication skills and anchoring skills. Selected 50 will be given rigorous training and practices. This is a dream project that needs support from every segment of the society including the leading institutions in Mangaluru said PA Jose.
Selection process will begin in August and registration can be done at HAMSmart from July 20.
Importance of Communication Skills
Communication skill is the prime skill everyone should have irrespective of the specialisation that they choose. Unfortunately, even in many degree programs we find absence of communication. Engineers, doctors, nurses, MBAs and every other who come out from the campuses need communication skills. The people who are good in communication skills get jobs and promotions comfortably. Since curriculum doesn't have it, one needs to get it outside.
Starting from basic communication modules, ‘Mission 50 World Class TV Anchors’ aims to train and develop 50 World Class TV Anchors. This will be done with the help of an overall coaching package that includes scientific interventions and rigorous coaching.
MD of HAMSmart Maurice D'Sa, Sylvia D'Sa, P A Jose, former GM (HRD) of ONGC — MRPL, M Suresh Rao former GM of Coal India Ltd and others were present at the press meet.