SPORTS

Indian Tennis Centre to promote new club culture
M. S. Unnikrishnan

New Delhi, November 13
The National Sports Policy 2001 has given thrust for the promotion of sports through "Club Culture". But much before the Government thought of it, the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) had give concrete shape to the Club Culture by promoting the Indian TennisCentre at its facility in Haus Khas.

"We have borrowed the Tennis Clubs concept prevalent in Spain, Italy, Germany etc to give a new thrust to the sport in the country,” explained DLTA president Anil Khanna, who is also the secretary of the All-India Tennis Association. Anil said the Indian Tennis Centre will lean "more towards tennis, but it will also give people much more than tennis".

Anil Khanna said the facilities created at the DLTA complex is world class. A swimming pool, health club, gymnasium, a sports medicine centre, international class change rooms and accommodation, have changed the look of the DLTA, which was once the hub of just tennis.

Mr Khanna said these world class facilities will attract more and more people to tennis tournaments conducted at the DLTA, which, otherwise, seldom attracts spectators. Rs 50 lakh have been spent on tennis courts, Rs 10 lakh on score board, Rs 20 lakh on gymnasium, Rs 15 lakh on the swimming pool, Rs 10 lakh for landscaping and Rs 14 lakh for lighting. Anil said the thrust will remain on tennis. Twelve of the courts have been flood-lit. There are 13 synthetic courts, three clay courts, two grass courts and three mini courts.

"The Indian Tennis Centre will provide a lot of facilities under one roof", added Anil Khanna. "And it will bring more money to see through our tennis activity", he noted. Indian junior tennis, starved of funds, urgently needs something like the Indian Tennis Centre to generate sufficient funds for the junior tennis programme.

Tatas to give big boost to junior tennis
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, November 13
The entry of Tata Group into tennis sponsorship is a good augury, as it will give a big boost to the game in the country. All-India Tennis Association (AITA) secretary Anil Khanna and Dr Vece Paes, father of Leander Paes, were confident that with the Tata Group coming forward to sponsor the Futures Event and the Tata Open, “the future of tennis is bound to be good, as the focus will be on juniors.” So far, there were not many takers for the junior tournaments. The State associations daring to host junior championships invariably ended up in the red due to lack of sponsorship support. The Tata Group has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the AITA, but the association may continue even further, as according to Anil Khanna, “the Tata Group has a keen desire to see junior tennis promoted”. The roping in of Paes En Sports as coordinators of the prize money Futures Event by the Tata Group, to be held in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore, followed by the Masters in Chennai, from November 19 to December 28, is also a welcome move, as Dr Vece Paes’ company has the necessary expertise to handle an event of this magnitude in a very professional manner. Paes En Sports have been involved with Sports Client Management of Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sunil Kumar Sipaeya, Vinod Sewa, Amonjot Singh, Vishal Uppal and the Indian Davis Cup team from 1977.

They are also consultants to the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association, and own and promote the ATP Tour Challenger International Tennis events in Calcutta, Lucknow, Jaipur and Chandigarh from 1999, and promotes the Senior National Grasscourt Tennis Championships in Calcutta from 1988 and the IBP Merchants Cup Tennis Tournament from 2000. Tata Group’s Corporate Affairs Department vice-president Romit Chatterjee, elaborating on Tatas’ sports ethos, said the Tata Group’s commitment to sport can be gauged from one of the ‘aims and objects’ stated in the Tata Sports Club’s constitution which is “to give or contribute towards awards and distinctions and to support or assist any cause in the furtherance of sport”.

The Tata Sports Club came into existence in 1937 and gave a sense of achievement and camaraderie to those who worked for the group. Mr Chatterjee said the Tata Group has given over 100 sportsmen to India. These include great sportsmen like Leo Pinto and R S Gentle (hockey), Eddie Sequeira (athletics), T M Verghese (football), Cawas Billimoria (judo), Michael Ferreira and Geet Sethi (billiards), Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Kiran More, Saurav Ganguly and Ajit Agarkar (cricket). 

Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey postponed
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, November 13
The 12th All-India Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tournament will be held from December 3 to 9.

The tournament was scheduled to be held from November 27 to December 3, but has been postponed due to the National Games in Punjab.

Prominent teams from all over the country, including defending champions Bharat Petroleum, runners-up Punjab and Sind Bank, Air India, Indian Airlines, BSF and IHF Juniors will be taking part in the tournament.

The national Capital will witness a hockey feast this season, s the Nehru Hockey Tournament is already getting warmed up, and the National Camp for the Indian Senior Hockey team, in preparation of the World Cup, will be held at the National Stadium from November 16. But the camp has robbed some teams of their top players.

Corps of Signals hold Delhi XI to a draw
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, November 13
Delhi XI were held to a 2-2 draw by Corps of Signals in a Group II match of the 38th Nehru Hockey Tournament at the Shivaji Stadium here today.

In a match of fluctuating fortunes, Signals took the lead in the second minute when N Lakra converted a penalty corner.

Lakra’s expertise in penalty corner conversion once again came in handy for the Signalmen as he scored the equaliser too, off a penalty corner, in the 55th minute after Delhi hit back to score two goals in the 14th and 37th minutes, through Raju and Prabhakar, respectively. In other matches, Rock Rovers, Chandigarh drew with Border Security Force, Jalandhar 4-4 in Group VI, while in Group IV, IHF Juniors trounced Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) XI by 4-1. Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) and Bombay XI played a 3-3 draw in Group III in the last match.

The IHF Juniors, all of them under 18 years of age, showed amazing stick-work and skill to outplay the experienced SAIL. The match started on a slow note, but picked up momentum after Vinay Kumar scored the first goal in the 45th minute. Thereafter it was a virtual goal rush, as Sonu, Sarath Babu and Muthu Salvan scored in that order to give IHF Juniors an unassailable 4-0 lead. Surjit Singh scored the face-saving goal for SAIL at the fag end of the match, off a penalty corner. Rock Rovers and BSF matched move for move, and goal for goal to share honours.