Indian tennis icon Leander Paes is saddened by the relegation of the nation’s Davis Cup workforce and feels it’s going to take “the better half of a decade” to lift the bar.
The Indian Davis Cup workforce was relegated to World Group 2 for the primary time after shedding 2-3 to Denmark earlier this month.
The participant, with a document 45 doubles wins in Davis Cup, mentioned, “I think it’s going to be a few years until we have some serious talent on a Davis Cup team.”
The decline of Indian tennis was evident through the Australian Open final month when, for the primary time since 2017, no participant from the nation might make the reduce to compete within the qualification spherical of a Grand Slam.
He mentioned, ‘I’m very unhappy that we don’t have a single participant within the top-300 within the singles rating. I do not assume this has ever occurred.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran is at the moment the very best ranked Indian in singles with 306 on the ATP checklist.
“I have a lot of respect for all our Indian players who are traveling on circuits in a sport like tennis where the cost of training and operating (to build a career) is so expensive.” “In tennis, the place 99 per cent of the sport is performed outdoors the nation, it’s not straightforward being alone on the circuit. Zeeshan (Ali) and I’ve slept within the locker room as a result of we did not have cash for lodges.
“That being said, I think it is going to take the better part of a decade for a Davis Cup team to get to the quality that we had in Ramesh Krishnan, Zeeshan Ali, Vijay Amritraj and all of us…Cm To reach the final in Davis Cup is tough now,” he mentioned.
Leander was addressing the media seated beside his father Dr. Wes Paes, who was a bronze medalist on the 1971 Hockey World Cup in Barcelona and the 1972 Munich Olympics.
biopic within the pipeline
Leander, who campaigned for the Trinamool Congress forward of the Goa meeting elections final yr, refused to reply any political questions and mentioned he’s at the moment busy portraying the legacy of the father-son duo on the large display. He is busy engaged on a biopic for. He revealed that it needs to be prepared in 18 months.
“I’m engaged on my story proper now. I’ll give somewhat data as we speak that the Leander storyboard remains to be being labored on. I am unable to say a lot about it.
“This would be the story of how baba (father) gained his Olympic medal in 1972 and a few of you might be sufficiently old to know what occurred there.
“You all will perceive why as a younger boy rising up my father’s historical past, my ardour was to emulate him. So it could truly be between 1972 to 1996.
“It goes to be an inspirational story that to be an athlete you do not have to be the tallest, most proficient, skilful (individual)… You do not even must have nice infrastructure.
“I’m working on a storyboard at the moment and hopefully in 18 months you’ll be able to see it and the posters will be out.” Asked whether or not he wish to be part of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) by getting concerned in sports activities administration, he gave an oblique reply.
“I used to be born in a house the place each my mother and father performed for the Tiranga (Tricolor), I grew up in a house the place I ironed my father’s sports activities jersey with the quantity 10 on it Was. My mom’s jersey quantity was 5,” mentioned Leander, who was born right into a sporting household with a hockey Olympian father and Jennifer, an Indian basketball captain.
“When I take a look at India as a complete, an important factor for me is to work for the neighborhood and create alternatives for the youth. The subsequent decade will likely be very fascinating as a result of we’re the youngest nation on the earth.
“When you speak about sports activities as a method of giving alternatives to youth, that’s the place my ardour lies. My ardour is to provide alternatives to the youth in order that they will stay their goals.
Djokovic, Goat
Leander additionally hailed Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open win final month, which noticed him equal Rafael Nadal’s tally of twenty-two profession Grand Slams.
The win comes only a yr after the Serbian was deported from the identical venue for not having been vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19.
“Djokovic did not get an opportunity to play in Australia as a result of COVID points, nevertheless it was nice to see him win the Australian Open on his return final month.
“For me his tenacity, his tenacity, his persistence is one thing I love rather a lot. Yes, the best way he conducts ardour, the arrogance he has, the daring assertion he makes, has earned him a little bit of notoriety.
He mentioned, ‘Some individuals could not like his persona however I’ve quite a lot of respect for his persona. That he comes from a rustic that’s actually powerful and hard and to be a champion from there speaks rather a lot.
“He has received 4 extra years, which is 16 Grand Slams. Is he going to win one or two extra? 100%. He might have gained no less than 5 extra. I feel in my humble opinion, Djokovic will go down within the historical past books as the best participant of all time,” Leander signed off.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
