SWITCH HIT: National tennis star Sai shuns racquet, picks up cricket bat

Target set: Sai, who won best batter award recently, targets place in Indian women’s cricket team in two years

By Paritosh Pramanik

INJURIES and ailments ruin many sportsperons’ careers. But for a lucky few it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Same is the story of Sai Rajesh Bhoyar, a national-level tennis champion in her age group who now 

wants to make a career in women’s cricket.

Not even a year old in cricket, Sai has set a target of two years to don India colours. She has started hitting the red cherry to all parts of the field. In a recently held women’s cricket tournament she won best player award for hitting a century, a couple of half centuries and clobbering over 200 runs (231) from five games. In her first competitive cricket tournament — Women’s T20 organised by Gitanjali Sporting Club — Sai scored runs at an average of 57.75 and a whopping strike rate of 150.98 which had 42 boundaries. For her heroics, she was named as the Most Valuable Player and Best Batswoman of the Tournament. Not a mean achievement given that there were several Vidarbha U-19 and U-23 players participating in the tournament.

A video of Sai batting in the nets shows how composed she is while playing the drives, pull shots and backfoot defence.

It was not that she got tired of playing tennis day in and day out. The ‘switch’ was a forced one for her after discovery of an ailment. Despite being unwell, Sai managed to win Khelo India Youth Games 2020 bronze medal, her last in tennis.

The 17-year-old has won almost all the tennis titles in her age categories. She could have still achieved more in the racquet sport in coming years. But life dealt a cruel blow when she suffered vertigo problem in 2019 which forced her to leave the racquet and pick up the cricket bat.

Doctors prescribed medicines but that gave only temporary relief. The COVID-19 lockdown in March, 2020 gave Sai time to recuperate.

After a few months, she thought she had overcome it. But the ailment struck back during the Sports Authority of India camp in Delhi which she had to leave mid-way.

Doctors said that any jerk or sudden body movement would increase the problem, though it won’t be life-threatening. It was then that Bhoyars decided to switch the sport.

Though Sai still plays tennis and is a regular at Nagpur District Hardcourt Tennis Association courts, she has decided to play cricket and that too at the highest level.

“The Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) for which there is no medicine in the world, forced us to think about other sports. Sai loves cricket and always prefers watching it on TV. She is very excited with the switch,” said Rajesh Bhoyar, Sai’s father while talking with ‘The Hitavada’ at their Bharat Nagar residence.

Sai’s brother Satyam is an Under-25 Vidarbha all-rounder and is knocking the senior team’s door with his superlative performance. Sai wants to join Satyam in the white flannels, probably becoming the only brother-sister duo in the country to play First-Class cricket.

A quick learner that she is, Sai has picked the nuances of cricket very fast and is knocking the ball really hard, if her father is to be believed.

“Being a tennis player has helped Sai a lot. She knows at what speed the balls come, though the speed is far less than a tennis shot.

“Sai hits the ball really hard and has injured me thrice,” said Rajesh who coaches her at Jawahar Cricket Academy situated at Katol Road.

“Though she used to play with her brother in our courtyard, she picked the basics in no time,” added Rajesh who himself is a former junior Vidarbha and Nagpur University cricketer.

“I train her daily and I am sure she will make Vidarbha women’s team next season,” he hoped.

Sai herself is excited. “I love cricket and enjoying the training at present. I do not regret leaving tennis. Injuries are part and parcel of a sportsperson. Careers get ruined and there are many sportspersons who could not play any sport after injury. I am lucky that I can continue playing a sport,” she explained.

Bhoyars always dreamt of Sai playing a Grand Slam but lack of financial assistance from any authority and paucity of sponsors is one of the reasons for switching to cricket.

“Neither the federation nor the state body provides financial assistance to tennis players. If Sai wants to play a Grand Slam, which we in the family always dreamt of, she would need to play as many ranking tournaments as she can. But for that we need lakhs of rupees which is near to impossible,” admitted Rajesh.

“Also there are very few ITF and WTA organised tournaments in India,” he rued.

“(But) it is completely different in cricket. The BCCI pays even to the age group players. For a parent, half of their worries are solved after financial assurance. If Sai performs well with the bat and learns the tricks of trade, she should be in the Indian women’s team in two years,” prayed Rajesh.

“In tennis, a player mostly plays as a professional. In the coming days, cricket is bound to be included in the Commonwealth Games and Olympics and there is a great chance for Sai to represent the country at the highest level. She is a very hard worker and I am sure she would make the grade,” Rajesh signed off.

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Sai’s Major Achievements in Tennis

Best all India Rankings U-14: 7th (2018) U-16: 5th (2020) U-18: 10th (2021)

Won over 25 All India Championships in U-14, U-16, U-18 organised by AITA

Won Asian U-14 Girls Doubles Championship twice

Silver medallist in U-14 and U-17 School Nationals and U-17 CBSE Nationals

Silver medallist in Khelo India Youth Games, 2019

Bronze medallist Khelo India Youth Games, 2020

Awarded Future Prospect Scholarship by MSLTA

Received Annual Performance Award of MSLTA twice

Felicitated by Mah Govt for winning medals in KIYG in 2019 and 2020

Selected for U-18 India camp in 2021 by AITA, SAI and Sports Ministry

NDHTA getting ready for ITF women’s event

CITY PLAYERS CAN BE SEEN IN ACTION AS WILDCARD ENTRIES

By Paritosh Pramanik

WORKERS were busy sprinkling murum soil on the courts. Heavy watering and then rolling followed the procedure. This routine is being done for the past one week at the Nagpur District Hardcourt Tennis Association (NDHTA) Courts in Bajiprabhu Nagar. The venue is being getting ready for the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Women’s Championship which is going to be held in city for the first time in two decades from February 28.

All India Tennis Association (AITA) and Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) have allotted the 15,000$ prize money women’s event to the city a couple of months back.

The preparation is in full swing and members of NDHTA are working round the clock to prepare four clay courts for the competition which will see some top women tennis players of the world participate.

“We are very excited and will make it a memorable event,” Vikram Naidu, Joint Secretary, NDHTA, told ‘The Hitavada’ on Saturday morning.

Despite COVID restrictions, the association continued their preparation work and are happy that they are on time and will be ready when the competition starts.

“On Monday we received a few trucks of murum for clay courts. We have started preparing the courts. Only two clay courts need repair work. The remaining two needs just touch-ups,” said Vijay Naidu, Treasurer, NDHTA.

The officials are upbeat as they have the opportunity to field three wildcards for the competition.

“We can field two wildcards in qualifying draw and one in main draw. We are happy that some of the city players will get chance to play and gain some valuable ranking points,” said Vijay Naidu.

The qualifying draw will be of 48 while the main draw will be of 32 players.

The organisers are expecting the courts to be ready in a couple of weeks.

“Members of MSLTA and AITA will be visiting in next 12-14 days to inspect the preparation. We are doing all we can. Our Secretary Dr Sudhir Bhiwapurkar is at Pune for Tata Open. He will join us on Monday,” added Vijay.

The tournament had a prize money of $25,000 but due to COVID, it has been reduced to $15,000.

“It’s not in our hands (the prize money). It’s ITF who decides it. We are making available all the facilities required by the ITF and AITA. It is a long list and we will try to fulfill all of them. We are searching sponsors also. Hope corporates from Nagpur show some benevolence,” said Vikram Naidu.

Sharma’s photo of Hijab-wearing girls playing soccer wins UNESCO award

By Paritosh Pramanik

HE IS not a professional photographer but his association with Slum Soccer’s EduKick programme pushes him to capture some candid moments which can not be explained in thousand words.

Some of his photographs were displayed on world platform and on occasions he also managed to fetch awards.

Taking his photography ‘passion’ further, city’s Ashutosh Sharma, a proprietor of Mindwings Creativity, participated in a photo contest and once again clinched an award from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The international organisation had conducted UNESCO Chair’s TRUST - Sport As It Should Be Photo Competition - recently where Sharma won the first prize in the amateur category. Adding icing to the cake his another photograph was shortlisted in the same category.

It was Slum Soccer CEO Abhijeet Barse who insisted Sharma to participate in the competition.

Sharma’s photograph was also displayed at the UN Expo on Sports and Education in Geneva a few years back.

Sharma, a former student of St John’s High School and Shree Datta Meghe Polytechnic, clicked the photograph of Hijab-wearing girls from Municipal Urdu Girls School in Kamptee playing soccer while learning through Slum Soccer’s Edukick initiative.

“Congratulations on winning one award and being shortlisted for another of your photos,” read the mail from Aisling Clardy (She/Her), MSc, Bsc, UNESCO Chair, Capacity Building & Research.

Sharma, who is the only Indian to win the award, also received certificates from the organisation. 

The awards function will be held online in the month of March.

UNESCO Chair’s Trust will also be showcasing the winning and shortlisted photos at the Munster Technological University’s Month of Enterprise on March 23.

“Edukick is an initiative by Slum Soccer which focuses on the promotion of primary education for the children from the underprivileged section of the society who don’t get a chance to attend school. 

“Edukick provides a fun, informative, a football–themed programme that encourages children to ask questions, learn by doing and feel happy while doing so,” Sharma informed about Slum Soccer’s initiative.

“I am delighted to win this international award once again. I dedicate this to my father whom I lost a few years back and to family and friends who stood by me all through,”  Sharma, who had finished second in UNESCO’s ‘Power of Sports Values’ category in 2015, concluded.

Paddler Jennifer working on improving her top spin, power

By Paritosh Pramanik

THE unwanted interruption due to COVID-19 might be frustrating for all. But for city’s talented table tennis player Jennifer Varghese, it is time to iron out her flaws and strengthen the weak areas.
Jennifer, 13, who had settled for bronze medal in the Under-17 category at Indore Nationals last month, is preparing for the junior and youth nationals which is going to be held at Alleppey in Kerala later this month, provided COVID does not play spoilsport, again.
Jennifer is practising at Smashes Academy in Chennai under former national paddler R Rajesh and is working on improving her top spin apart from overall game.
“There will be a few international tournaments in coming months and I am thinking of participating in those. But, nothing is final as yet. We had national championships in January but that got postponed due to COVID. There is one (tournament) lined up in February (21 to 28) at Kerala but all depends on COVID situation,” Jennifer said while interacting with The Hitavada over phone from Chennai.
If all goes well, Jennifer will be participating in the Under-17 and U-19 age categories.
“All tourneys are over and this would be the last meet of the season. The season has been delayed due to pandemic. I hope I get selected in the Indian team with my recent performance,” said Jennifer.
Despite no tournaments due to coronavirus, Jennifer is not feeling frustrated but is taking this break in stride and is preparing herself for future meets.
“The present situation is not frustrating one as it helps one in preparing well for the tournaments. The championships are not held but we can train more. It’s not that frustrating as the seedings will be the same. Top four seeded players are allowed to participate in the international events. I am ranked second in the Under-15 age category and with no competitions, my ranking will be the same. So in the given scenario, I am happy,” said Jennifer.
“I think it (the break) is good for players also as we get time to practice and improve our performance,” added the paddler who won bronze in U-17 age category at Indore nationals.
Jennifer wants to improve her overall game but is giving more stress on bettering her top spin shots.
“I am working hard on developing my spin shots. I will be playing in higher (age) category, so I need to improve my overall game. We can’t go far ahead in any competition if we don’t have spin in our game. Speed is not everything. We need speed as well as spin in our armoury. Both go together, hand in hand and I am working on these areas,” Jennifer elaborated.
The city paddler said she wants to rectify her mistakes done during the last competition.
“I would like to rectify my mistakes which I committed in Indore nationals. I didn’t pull my opponent to the corner in that match (semis). I need to work on my serves and top spins and iron out my minor mistakes. Yes, I want to improve my overall game but these are the areas I am working hard on,” she admitted.
Jennifer wants to improve her overall skills to produce consistent performance.
“I also need to work on my consistency more. I am also working on my fitness. At present I am doing training for around 4-5 hours daily,” the Standard VIII Centre Point School, Katol Road student
concluded.

 

Ready for ‘kick-off’ Slum Soccer, KVS to huddle together for mega release of ‘Jhund’

 

Amitabh Bachchan starrer movie on Prof Vijay Barse to be released on Mar 4

By Paritosh Pramanik

Players, officials, staff at Slum Soccer and Krida Vikas Sanstha (KVS) are all excited. The ‘actors’ are eagerly waiting to see how they look on the big screen when the movie ‘Jhund’ hits the big screen in a month’s time.

Mega star Amitabh Bachchan starrer movie ‘Jhund’ based on Nagpur’s Prof Vijay Barse, will be released on March 4.

“Iss toli se muqaabla karne ke liye raho taiyaar! Humari team aa rahi hai #Jhund releasing on 4th Mar 2022 in cinemas near you,” Amitabh Bachchan wrote along with a photo on social media on Wednesday morning.

In the film, directed by Nagraj Manjule, Bachchan has played role of a professor who motivated the street children to form a football team.

“Finally the news we’ve all been eagerly waiting for! #Jhund movie based on life of Slum Soccer Founder Vijay Barse is set to release on 4th March,” Slum Soccer tweeted.

After retiring as Head of Sports Department from Hislop College, Prof Vijay Barse started NGO Krida Vikas Sanstha and Slum Soccer through which he is trying to change the lives of slum dwellers. The movie has been shot at St John’s High School in Mohan Nagar in 2018. Clearing all hurdles, the movie is finally hitting the screens after more than three years.

Abhijeet, CEO of Slum Soccer and son of Prof Barse, said the entire staff, players and all are very excited after the latest announcement.

“Last month was tough as the COVID restrictions were back again. We were forced to put off our programmes. But the news of the movie being released on March 4 has revitalised all of us. In a way the announcement has helped us regain our strength at Slum Soccer,” Abhijeet told ‘The Hitavada.’

“The staff, volunteers and all those associated with Slum Soccer are excited with the news. A lot of our staff has acted in the movie. They are too excited to see themselves on the big screen. I hope this movie helps us forget the pandemic filled past year and all of us, the children, players, participants re-imagine and look forward to a brighter future,” concluded Abhijeet.

On watching the movie, Abhijeet said, “I have talked with Nagraj. We will be putting a plan together.”

I went with the flow, never thought of getting rewarded globally: Sreejesh

 

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Feb 2

ONE of the best goalkeepers in the world ‘The Wall’ of Indian hockey Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh had never thought that he would collect so many awards and would be recognised for his performance under the bar.

After been picked as the FIH player of the year 2021, shot-stopper Sreejesh won another global award a few days back in The World Games Athlete of the Year award.

Playing for India for the past two decades Sreejesh never imagined that he would be hailed by one and all. He just wanted to play with passion and determination. 

“When I started playing hockey, I never thought of wearing this blue (India) jersey. I just went with the flow. All these awards come after your performance on the field. I was just focusing on my training and worked hard. All these things got added to that performance in these two decades of my career,” said Sreejesh to a query by ‘The Hitavada’.

Sreejesh, became the first male and second Indian hockey player (after Rani Rampal) to win the global award.

The Khel Ratna award winner Sreejesh said The World Games Athlete of the Year award is the best thing that has happened to the game of hockey. Though he has been named as the world’s best, it is the game that has won the admiration of the world.

“It (the award) means a lot for global hockey. For me as a player, getting this award is good. FIH nominated my name for the prestigious award is a fantastic thing for me first of all. Secondly, we were fighting for the award with other games. Definitely, the voting system helped me a lot but hockey getting a global recognition is a very proud moment for the entire hockey fraternity,” said the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal winning goalkeeper.

“It is fantastic that FIH nominated an Indian for the award. It is a proud feeling that the entire world is voting for us and recognising us,” he added.

Sreejesh, 33, is at the other side of his age but feels that he still has that motivation to continue for another few years. He might have won the Olympics bronze, but he still yearns for a World Cup gold.

“The Tokyo Olympic medal (bronze) was a dream but I still want to better the colour of the medal. This (2022) year is very important for us. We will be going to South Africa for the FIH Pro League and then we have the Asian Games. Our focus now is on the next Olympic cycle which starts this year. First we have the Pro League which will help in creating a strong base for us. The Asian Games will help us get a direct berth in the Paris Olympics, so there is as an added motivation. In the last World Cup, we couldn’t qualify for the semi-finals. So winning a medal in the World Cup will complete my goal. I will try to give my best,” said Sreejesh.

Sreejesh has set short-term targets and will be focusing on doing well at the World Cup to be held at Bhubaneswar in India in 2023.

“For a goalkeeper, age is not a big barrier. It’s about how passionate you are. My next short-term goal is the World Cup to be held in India,” he said.

Sreejesh, who will be returning to the Indian squad after more than six months, felt that the break helped him regroup and rejuvenate well.

“It was a much-needed break. It helped me develop a bond with my family. We went for a holiday and the kids enjoyed a lot. I spend some quality time with them. The holiday was a rejuvenating experience for me,” Sreejesh said.

The star Indian custodian is also open to donning a coach’s hat once he hangs his boots. “I am enjoying my hockey at the moment. But yes, I am interested in coaching. I would definitely give it a thought once I call it quits. I will have to talk with my family and see how it (the coaching job) unfolds,” concluded The Wall of Indian hockey.