Coimbatore, Aug 11: Even though the All India Tennis Association turned down her offer to train budding talents in India, former Number one India tennis player Nirupama Vaidyanathan has plans to open a tennis academy in her hometown of Coimbatore, in another couple of years.
Though she was taken aback by the rejection, Nirupama told reporters here that she did not want to make this a big issue, “which is unjust from the part of AITA.”
Stating that she has no grudge against AITA turning down her offer, Nirupama, drawing parallel with sprint queen’ P T Usha’s ordeal in starting an academy, said sports bodies in India should be run by a sports personality or who knew the game well, or at least there should be sportspersons in the advisory board, to take the game forward on par with International standards.
Asked it she subscribed to the views expressed by various experts, after the IPL controversy and the BCCI issue, that Government should take over reins of all sports associations in the country to have transparency, she said whether it was government or private, people at the helm should have played the game and at least have thorough knowledge.
On her plans to start a tennis academy in India and if she wanted to seek any support from Government for the purpose, Nirupama claimed she was yet to receive the money for attending the last Commonwealth Games from the organisers.
However, she hastened to add she would love love set up an academy in Coimbatore, her home town, or Nagpur, her husband’s place.Some 90 per cent of the trainees in her Tennis Centre in the US were Indians, who have lot of talent, Nirupama said.
When reporters persisted, she said “Yes. I want to start an academy in Coimbatore. Not now, but in a couple of years.” (PTI)
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