KOCHI: While many are hooked to the ongoing Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, tennis lovers in the state have another news to celebrate. Veteran tennis player A Sanjaikumar, a native of Kuravankonam and a player at Trivandrum Tennis Club, has been enlisted as one of the players in the four-member Indian team to be part of the 2021 Seniors Tennis World Team Championship organised by the International Tennis Federation at Croatia from August 29.
Sanjaikumar has been into tennis since childhood and for him, age is just a number. “Keeping up the pace in your 50s is tough. Thanks to my practice sessions twice a day and exercise routine, I can maintain my health and stamina. Apart from the competition, it’s a get together of many talented players from across the world,” says Sanjaikumar who is also a businessman.
Sanjaikumar started his tennis career after becoming the state junior champion in 1979-80. He was in the top 25 of men’s national ranking and was ranked first in the 45-plus doubles’. The veteran has also represented India in the senior world championships in 2014 and 2019. “Spain and France are tough teams to compete against. The fitness of the European players is far above ours,” he says. Sanjaikumar will be joining his team in Delhi soon for a week-long practice session before flying to Croatia.
His word of advice to youngsters is to never stop dreaming. “Keep going and never give up if you fail. Young players must be disciplined and should make sacrifices if they want to achieve big in the game. Exposure to international tournaments is important to increase skill. Being a coach, if I come across any talented young players, I am ready to give them a personal training session and help them achieve their dreams,” he adds.