August 7, 2019
The seventh edition of Marina Open AITA ranking wheelchair tennis
tournament will begin today at the SDAT Stadium at Chennai. Conducted by NGO
Astha, there are 42 male and female players from different parts of India who
will compete in the tournament that will conclude on 10 August.
The SDAT Tennis Stadium at Nungambakkam in Chennai is all
set to host the seventh edition of the Marina Open AITA ranking
wheelchair tennis tournament. The event that will begin today will
go on till 10 August where trained wheelchair tennis players
will come together to showcase their skills and talents at this renowned
platform. Organised by NGO Astha that promotes wheelchair
tennis in India, the Marina Open AITA event is supported by Tamil
Nadu Tennis Association as well.
This is the third edition in Chennai and all the 42 players have
been undergoing rigorous practice sessions since the past few days. There are
eight women and thirty four men participating in the Marina Open. One of the
players have come all the way from United Kingdom to experience wheelchair
tennis in India. Apart from that, there are players from Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka as well.
Sunil Jain, Founder of NGO Astha says that this Marina Open
AITA tournament is going to be a great platform for wheelchair tennis
players, and can open doors to many opportunities.
As an NGO, we are trying to develop wheelchair tennis in India. There must
be an increased awareness about the sport and that is very important for
the sport to flourish in our country. In 2016, when we started off, there
were only twenty two players. Now, we have sixty two players from across
India who are playing wheelchair tennis. Astha has also been conducting
workshops on wheelchair tennis and other such awareness
programmes-Sunil Jain, Founder, Astha.
Jain says that in spite of limited resources, all the players are putting up
their best efforts to play the game. “All the players have been practicing
rigorously. This event is a platform for wheelchair tennis players to meet,
know each other and also learn new things”, adds Jain.
Suresh Kumar, a player from Chennai is participating in the
tournament for the third time.
“For every player, such tournaments are what drives us to have goals and
ambitions. It makes us better players as well. I always practice wheelchair
tennis for two hours on weekends. As part of prepping up for the tournament,
I have been extending my sessions since the past three months. I’am looking
forward to the tournament and I’am sure it is going to be a great
experience”, says Kumar.
Winners of the tournament are going to take home a prize money of Rs 2.
32 lakhs, not to mention the many other accolades and opportunities
that will come along with it. All these wheelchair tennis players are gearing
up to put up their best performances and simultaneously, take the sport from
India to international platforms.
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