The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : VITS plays the perfect host

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 06, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

VITS plays the perfect host

A. Joseph Antony

HYDERABAD: Five courts and six ball boys/girls to man each of them are luxuries even the leading tennis clubs in the country cannot afford.

During the recent AITA Super Series U-16 tournament held at the Visvodaya Institute of Technology and Science campus in Kavali, this was quite common. The children and officials, all neatly attired in blue uniforms, kept the tournament ticking with their quiet efficiency.

A floodlit court staged most of the action and three more were used. A fifth court at the Officials Club was on standby. Better utilisation of the courts could have prevented some matches spilling into the night though.

The courts are spacious and can comfortably seat hundreds. "We plan to build more galleries," said tournament director Vidyadhar Kumar Reddy.

First-ever National event

So smoothly were the fixtures completed that the casual spectator would have assumed that the venue must have played host to many such events in the past. In reality this was the first National-level championship held here.

In addition to prompt disbursal of daily allowances, sumptuous food was served to coaches, players and parents accompanying them as well.

Much of the credit should go to organising secretary P. Audi Sesha Reddy, a National veterans doubles winner in 2004. He was mainly responsible for popularising the sport in this part of the world. So much so that a fairly large audience turned up to enjoy the action right through the championship.

Assisting him ably were Bhaskar Rao, Praveen Kumar, Suresh Babu, Saleem and physical education director Malyadri to name a few.

At the inaugural function, deputy rector D. Vinay Kumar Reddy set a 10-year deadline to see the emergence of a National-level player from Kavali. For all the efforts of the organisers, one hopes his words prove prophetic.

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