Former Indian tennis participant Leander Paes and Managing Director Shrachi Sports activities, Rahul Todi with the Hockey India League (HIL) trophy throughout a press convention, in Kolkata on Wednesday.
| Photograph Credit score: ANI
The legendary Leander Paes on Wednesday lamented the decline of Indian tennis, describing it as a part of the “circle of life” whereas emphasising the necessity for persistence.
The Indian staff endured a 0-4 defeat in opposition to Sweden in its Davis Cup World Group I tie lately, which relegated them to the play-off stage for the upcoming yr.
“Like something in life, whenever you go up, you must come down, and you then come again up once more. I’m an enormous believer within the circle of life,” the previous world No 1 in doubles mentioned.
“I feel all of us have to have a bit of little bit of persistence so far as tennis goes. We have now all loved such an upswing during the last 40 years, proving that we may be primary in each girls’s doubles and males’s doubles.” At present, Sumit Nagal is the one Indian participant within the prime 100 of the ATP males’s singles rankings, positioned at 83, whereas Ramkumar Ramanathan follows at 332.
At 44 years, Rohan Bopanna stays the flag-bearer of males’s doubles in India, at present ranked sixth, with one other veteran, Yuki Bhambri, at forty third.
The WTA rankings reveal a grim state of affairs for Indian girls’s tennis, with no gamers within the prime 200; Sahaja Yamalapalli is the highest-ranked Indian at 293.
The 51-year-old additional highlighted the numerous progress of tennis in India over the previous 4 a long time, noting its rise to grow to be the second hottest sport after cricket.
“Over the 4 a long time that I performed, tennis grew in recognition a lot that it grew to become the quantity two sport within the nation after cricket,” the winner of 18 Grand Slam titles mentioned.
“On the worldwide stage, tennis was profitable extra Grand Slams and worldwide occasions. Between Sania, Mahesh, Bopanna and me, we now have collectively gained near 40 Grand Slam titles, together with Olympic medals and a number of other Asian Video games medals. Tennis noticed an ideal interval over about 40 years.
“A bit of little bit of persistence is required; the circle of life is taking part in out. We’ll expertise a hunch, however we are going to rise once more.”
“The circle of life is clear in every part — enterprise or in any other case. The best key to success is persistence. I’ve little question that tennis will rise once more to the highest in India,” he added.
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