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Raring to go
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With a string of achievements behind him, Daniel Raj displays a potential to go much further on the international plane
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PHOTO: K.RAMESH BABU
STRIKING RIGHT The wait had been worth it for Daniel Raj.
For quite a while, Daniel Raj had been sick and tired of being second string, either losing in the quarter or semi-finals. Each time he called his father Obed Raj to convey these messages, his father would console him that in God's time Daniel would win.
That hour in the sun came during the recent Visvodaya Institute of Technology and Science (VITS)-All India Tennis Association (AITA) super series championships for boys and girls under 16 years at Kavali, Nellore.
In a way, it was sweet revenge too. Daniel overcame Kaza Vinayak Sarma, another talented lad, 6-3, 6-2 to take the boys singles crown.
Vinayak had beaten Daniel in Kolkata earlier this year. From starting off as a qualifier, Vinayak had gone on to win the title at Kolkata and later at Gurgaon. Coming back to Kavali, Daniel had a game plan.
Vinayak's big serves would be an obstacle, if Daniel didn't take remedial action.
Daniel intercepted them quickly, blunting most of their firepower. Presently, he turned the tables on Vinayak by wresting the latter's serve in both sets quite a few times.
That Daniel's ploy proved fruitful became evident in just about an hour's time, during which he restricted the action to two sets and winning in a fairly straightforward fashion.
When Daniel deployed a winner to claim the crown, his eyes turned heavenward to offer a silent prayer of thanksgiving.
The wait had been worth it. And yet a few years ago, he had absolutely no designs on tennis, knocking a cricket ball about when he had leisure time.
In time he realised that his place in a team sport could never be assured and he sought an avenue to exhibit his talent in an individual pursuit.
Under the tutelage of C.V. Nagaraj, coach at the RRC courts, Daniel beat two top players of the state.
Victory proved a heady catalyst and before long, he won two AITA Talent Series titles at Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad in 2003 and 04.
Shortly after, he subdued top rung players such as Vinay Kamineni and B. Vikram Reddy, India No. 1 in the under 16 years category at the Nutrine championship series in Chennai.
Daniel finished a losing finalist, no mean feat in such high level competition. Representing the state in the AITA inter state championship at the National Tennis Academy in Gurgaon, he was instrumental in AP clinching the gold.
Setting his sights higher, Daniel shared the doubles titles at Bangalore and Kolkata. In the National School Games in Pune and Ahmedabad, he struck silver in the under 17 and 19 categories.
With a string of achievements behind him, Daniel has reached No. 6 in the national under 16 rankings.
His play displays a potential to go much further on the international plane.
The biggest stumbling block to realising his ambitions is the lack of sponsorship. For those interested in promoting sports and sportsmen, Daniel would be a very good prospect to back.
A. JOSEPH ANTONY
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