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Captain's man in Tiruchi

Constituency: Tiruchi II

Electoral politics may be a completely different ball game, but A.D. Sendhureswaran isn't fazed by it. The 36-year-old basketball international is quietly confident about taking on his powerful political opponents in the Tiruchi II Assembly seat as a candidate of actor Vijaykant's newly-floated Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam (DMDK).

"I have faced serious challenges as a basketball player. My long innings in the international level has toughened me and has given me the confidence to face and overcome any challenge. Though politics and electoral battles are totally new to me, I have jumped into the fray with confidence so as to serve society. `Win and only win' is the motto of any sportsman, and it will stand me in good stead in this election", he says.

Sendhureswaran, who represented India for eight years (1989-97) as captain and player, also has the honour of ensuring the national basketball championship for the Tamil Nadu team for five years in a row from 2000.

His entry into politics was accidental. After the Madurai conference, when `Captain' Vijaykanth launched his political outfit, he was attracted by the actor's commitment to serve the people. The `Captain' had a lot of interest in sports and when both met up, they found they had many things in common. "We both had the same wavelength. I wanted to take the plunge into politics and I thought the new political outfit with its mass base would be the best option. I immediately joined the party".

"When `Captain' wanted me to fight the elections from the Tiruchi II constituency, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. I am confident of a win here, as the party has a very wide network of effective units at all levels. There is a big team of youngsters to do the campaigning and woo the voters," says Sendhureswaran. Sendhureswaran, son of the former IAS officer, A. N. Dyaneswaran, is not alien to Tiruchi. "My father hails from Arasangudi village near Tiruverumbur and my paternal grandmother was a doctor here. I have lots of relatives in the district."

Syed muthahar Saqaf

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