Qualified tennis coaches can make a difference, says Nagarajan

Karam Prakash

Chandigarh, April 3

For years experts and former tennis players have been hoping that an Indian singles player would win a Grand Slam but that has not happened till now.

National Institute of Sports (NIS) Bengaluru chief tennis coach Stallin Nagarajan feels that if Indian tennis players want to do well on the international stage they have to focus on fitness and mental toughness. 

In Patiala to attend an international sports conference, Nagarajan said, “Actually, Indians are lazy and lack of physical fitness for longer time seems to be the reason for players seeking easier options. And, therefore, in a bid to prolong their carrier, they turn to doubles,” said Nagarajan. Sometimes injuries force athletes to switch to doubles.

“Tennis as a sport has, continuously, been changing a lot. Fitness is becoming more and more important. At the highest level, factors which make difference are —fitness and mental toughness,” said Nagarajan.

Nagarajan, who has worked with Sania Mirza and Leander Paes in the early stages of their career, said, India has talent in abundance and the country will surely produce singles Grand Slam winner in future. 

He cited lack of quality coaching as one of the reasons for not producing a singles Grand Slam winner. “When we get heart problem, we go to a heart specialist. But in sports, we don’t go to an expert, instead, we go to a marker, groundsmen, players, and practice partner but we never go to a qualified tennis coach. That is the problem. Without a qualified coach you can become a player but you will never become a great player. In India, anyone can become a tennis coach by doing a two-day course or a weeklong course. And you are eligible for coaching. How is it possible that anyone can become a coach within a week. These coaches, when they go in the field, may destroy talent because they are not qualified for coaching at all,” he said.

“The Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) academic wing organises a 10-month coaching diploma, followed by a two-month compulsory internship. It is a very exhaustive course and covers all aspects of coaching,” he added. 

Nagarajan is also of the view that it is not advisable to conduct tournaments below the age of 14. He said, “In such a tender age if a kid loses in the competition, there are chances he might lose self-confidence forever.” 

The coach emphasized that quality coaching plays an important role in sports and people, especially kids’ parents, should understand the value of the qualified coaches.