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Bhupathi working on ‘Dhoom tennis’

Principal Correspondent

— Photo: Vipin Chandran

NEW IDEA: Mahesh Bhupathi, seen at a clinic in Kochi on Friday, is promoting a new concept called ‘Dhoom Tennis’.

KOCHI: Mahesh Bhupathi is working on a new concept, ‘Dhoom Tennis’, which aims to bring the sport’s superstars closer to players and fans across the country.

The series, which is being planned in ten cities, including Kochi, is likely to start by December.

“People don’t have access to stars like Sania Mirza in many parts of the country. We plan to change that,” said the doubles star, a winner of ten Grand Slam titles, in Kochi on Friday evening.

“It will be a one-day event and eight players, including Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna and I, will be playing exhibition matches, interacting with kids among other things,” said Mahesh.

Prakash Amritraj and the Uberoi sisters Shikha and Neha, are also likely to be involved in the project.

‘One of the best’

Mahesh and Leander Paes, who have given the country many glorious moments in doubles, will be pairing up for this year’s Beijing Olympics.

“We are definitely one of the five best pairs in the world. Our job is to go there and win,” said Mahesh about his chances of winning an Olympic medal.

Regarding the forthcoming Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan in New Delhi, he said, “as long as our two singles players are ready we should do well. On grass, we beat them last time.”

Contract extended

Kochi’s Regional Sports Centre is one of the ten centres of the Mahesh Bhupathi Tennis Academy in the country and the contract between the two, which is now in its third year, has now been extended by another three years.

The MBTA is now planning to start an advanced level program in Kochi with the aim of producing national and international-level players.

New centre

The MBTA, which started a centre in Dubai recently, plans to start a new one in Sri Lanka and Mahesh will be travelling to Colombo tomorrow in this connection.

Mahesh also conducted a tennis clinic for kids at the Regional Sports Centre.

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