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• Serving up stars of the future

Serving up stars of the future

14 May 2008

Commonwealth initiative grooms future tennis champions and helps forge friendships among young people in Asia

In the next four or five years, Aiman Abdullah thinks he could be the next big thing in tennis.

His deft and energetic runs around the court, chasing down every ball before slicing them back over the net with crisp strokes, show flashes of his budding talent.

But the 15-year-old former under-14 Brunei tennis champion knows there is still much work to be done before he can realistically dream of playing on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon and Roland Garros.

Aiman is one of seven youngsters from Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Maldives and Sri Lanka currently undergoing an intensive 5-year tennis programme at an exclusive tennis academy in the Indian city of Chandigarh.

Known as ‘Bonding Beyond Boundaries Through Sport’, the programme was initiated in 2007 by the Commonwealth Youth Programme’s (CYP) Asia Centre after a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association on 10 April 2007.

Raj Mishra, Director of CYP’s Asia Centre, says the beneficiaries are selected by their respective governments in collaboration with their tennis associations.

In September 2007, Aiman and six others from Bangladesh, Maldives, and Sri Lanka were selected and brought to Chandigarh to begin their journey to tennis stardom.

The Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association provides them with free specialised residential coaching valued at more than 15,000 rupees [£189] per year, while their lodging and travel are catered for by the CYP Asia Centre.

The long walk to tennis stardom

Each of the seven teenagers – ranging from 13 to 16 years old - believes they can go on to play on the world tennis stage with more hard work, and perhaps a bit of luck too.

“It is a great opportunity to become a great international player,” says 14-year-old Ziyan Abdul Rasheed, from Maldives, who has so far competed in two high profile amateur tennis tournaments in India since starting the training.

“There wasn’t much training in Maldives, and I nearly gave up hope. But the facilities here are of a high standard and the coaching is very good. I am confident I can now make it,” Ziyan explains.

For 13-year-old Mumita Jannat Mou from Bangladesh, pursuing her dream has not been easy. The trainees are required to work hard at the St Stephens School, one of Chandigarh’s most exclusive schools, which is offering them free education for the duration of their training.

This collaboration with St Stephens is a significant component of the project’s aim of giving due importance to the education and welfare of the beneficiaries.

A typical day for the trainees begins at 6 a.m. with fitness training, followed by studying from 8.30 a.m. to about 2 p.m. before going for another round of training in the late afternoon until about 6 p.m.

Although their schedule is evidently tiring, the trainees realise the opportunity they have been handed.

“Tennis is my dream, but I would never have got an opportunity like this in my country,” comments Madhushani Rajendra, 13, from Sri Lanka.

But whether the youngsters go on to win the coveted grand slams and emulate the successes of their tennis idols, one thing is for certain: at the end of the five years, they are certain to walk away with a deeper understanding of each other’s culture.

“The aim is to give them an opportunity where they can learn and share in each other’s culture while at the same time pursuing their dreams,” said Mr Mishra.