CHART trainees leave for three-week advanced training programme

A group of six children from rural areas of Haryana left for a three-week special advanced training programme in tennis in Madrid,Spain. The Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda wished luck and success to the group for their tennis sojourn. This team of four boys and two girls will fly to Spain on July 5. All these children were undergoing specialized training in tennis in Chandigarh Academy for Rural Tennis (CHART) under Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA). Hooda said that it was the biggest achievement of their life that they were visiting Spain which boasts of the world’s highest ranked men and women tennis players. He said that exposure to the techniques and training methods in Spain would build up the children to face the challenges in this highly competitive sport.

The players who would take part in the specialized training programme in Spain included Vikrant Dahiya of village Matindu,district Sonipat,Naresh Badgujar of village Andhop,district Palwal,Krishan of village Sanghi district Rohtak,Ravita of village Dhamaka,district Palwal,Princy Panchal of village Mankrola,district Gurgaon and Ranjeet Singh of village Ansholi,district Kangra in Himachal Pradesh. All these players are in the age group of 11 to 18 years. During the three-week stint in Madrid,the team of young players would receive scientific guidance in the finer aspects of the game from some of the top coaches of Spain and also play local tournaments in Madrid in their respective age groups. During their stay in Madrid,they would also witness some of the best players of Spain in action.

An ardent tennis fan and also player himself,Hooda said that though it was an expensive game,efforts were being made to provide all latest sports facilities to the players even in rural areas. Patron in Chief,CLTA Rajan Kashyap urged the Chief Minister to start Haryana Open Tournament and said that it could either be organised at the CLTA courts in Chandigarh or at Panchkula where adequate facilities were available for such an event. On this Hooda said that he would get it examined.Kashyap further said that under Hooda’s plan of developing excellence in sports in rural areas of the State,the Haryana Government has sponsored 14 talented boys and girls for coaching with CLTA. He said that children from Haryana were showing excellent results in various local and national level tournaments.

It may be recalled that in the month of May 2013,the CLTA in the presence of Chief Minister Hooda had signed a protocol with the President,Madrid Tennis Foundation. Under this agreement top coaches from Spain visit Chandigarh for helping CLTA to upgrade its training programme and players from CHART were sent to Spain for specialized training and exposure. The current exchange with Spain forms a part of the partnership.