VIJAYAWADA: Nelakuditi Anusha, a 21-year-old soft tennis rising star from Vijayawada, has been making waves with her achievements in eight international tournaments.
Known for her formidable presence on the international stage, Anusha recently brought home three bronze medals from the 17th Poland Cup International Soft Tennis Tournament held in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, from July 5 to 8. She secured medals in Singles, Doubles with Poland’s Bialas M., and Mixed Doubles with fellow Indian Aniket Patel.
Her Poland Cup expedition adds to her international medals tally. She has consistently demonstrated her prowess and dedication to the sport since she began practising soft tennis in 2018.
Anusha’s professional international journey began at the 1st Asian Juniors Soft Tennis Championships in the Philippines from August 26 to 31, 2019. She then competed in the 15th Poland Cup International Soft Tennis Championship in Poland from August 5 to 7, 2022.
After gaining substantial exposure to the sport on the international stage, Anusha started winning medals at the ISTF World Tour International Soft Tennis Championship 2022 in Pattaya, Thailand, from August 21 to 29, where she won three bronze medals in the U-21 Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Women Team Event categories.
In November 2022, she continued her winning streak at the Impact Sports World Tour International Soft Tennis Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, from November 25 to December 3. She secured two bronze medals in the U-21 Doubles and U-21 Singles categories.
The following year, Anusha participated in the Sunchang Open Soft Tennis Tournament held in Sunchang, South Korea, from August 30 to September 5, 2023. She also represented India at the Asian Games 2022 Soft Tennis event in Hangzhou, China, from October 3 to 7, 2023.
Her recent success at the Poland Cup has earned her a place in the Coaching Camp of the Indian Soft Tennis Team, to be held in Salem, Tamil Nadu, from July 15 to August 4, 2024. This camp prepares athletes for the upcoming 17th World Soft Tennis Championship in South Korea, scheduled from September 1 to 10, 2024. Anusha will represent the Indian team at this championship.
Anusha, who completed her Bachelor’s in Arts at SRR & CVR Govt Degree College in Vijayawada, expressed excitement for her selection to the World Soft Tennis Championship.
“I aim to bring a gold medal to India in the World Championship. I wanted to get a medal for our country at the Asian Games, however I lost it at the final stages,” she said. Her parents, Nirmala, a homemaker, and Shankar, a businessman, have been her steadfast supporters throughout her journey in soft tennis.
Speaking to TNIE, AP Soft Tennis Association Secretary Daram Dileep Kumar expressed happiness saying, “We are proud to say that the association has produced five international players in five years. Three of them are from Vijayawada, one each from Guntur and Anantapur.”
Responding to Anusha’s selection for the World Championship, Dileep Kumar said that he is hopeful of her victory and also congratulated the entire Indian team that would participate in the Championship.