BENGALURU: Dr Manjunath Malige, chief endocrinologist and diabetologist at Aster RV Hospital in Bengaluru, starts his day at 6.15 am. What follows for the next two hours is hardcore tennis after which he puts on his white coat at the hospital. All he needs is a racquet and some like-minded tennis players, which is enough to keep him engaged in an intense tennis battle. Malige is a passionate tennis player who started playing the sport at the age of 32.
While tennis always tops his sports list, he is also an avid player of racquet sports like squash and badminton. He usually likes to take on his opponents in singles and spends at least 10 hours a week playing tennis. It was during his 20-year stay in the United Kingdom that he picked up interest in the sport. “I joined a premiere club in London called the David Lloyd Clubs which is one of the largest fitness clubs in Europe. I was trained under top British tennis coaches and participated in various tournaments in Manchester and Liverpool. Tennis, to me, is not just a sport but an important bit in my life where I can tick off my weekly exercise box requirements,” says Malige, who was previously associated with the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
Unlike normal holidaying and exploring places, Malige heads on extensive ‘tennis holidays’. This holiday means an elaborate schedule of travel to different countries for marathon tennis sessions with his companions. “All my like-minded tennis friends used to tag along for a seven-day tour to different cities like Liverpool and also to countries like Spain, France and Germany. All we used to do was play tennis in the mornings, have some beer, sleep and again play tennis in the evening. And repeat it the next day,” says Malige, who wants to introduce and promote the ‘tennis holiday’ culture in India.
Malige is a big fan of the legendary Swiss tennis player Roger Federer. “There is nobody as magnificent as Federer. He is the most controlled and consistent player I have seen. He carries himself in a civilised way and when he loses a point, he takes it gracefully. Whether it’s the serve, forehand or the slice- it’s all from the classic textbook shots,” adds Malige. He actually has a collection of 16 racquets and plays with a Wilson Prostaff, a racquet brand that Federer too uses, and also practises the sport with a tennis ball machine.
In addition, Malige has also rectified his shot accuracy by referring to Federer’s videos. He also uses an app that records his performance skills and matches them with professional tennis players. His passion for the sport complements his medical work. Malige often converses about tennis with his diabetic patients. “Besides working out in gyms, I tell my patients to pick up their favourite sport and play. Since I play tennis regularly, I share my case study with my patients on how to keep fit,” says the 50-year-old.