Natekar to coach

"Gaurav will be the director of the the state coaching scheme," informed Bharat Oza, secretary of MSLTA, while talking to The Indian Express, from his residence in Mumbai today. This means Natekar will be the in charge of the advance training at the state body run coaching programme.

Three months back, MSLTA, who are going in for professional tennis coaching, had signed on Nandal Bal as their chief coach-cum-consular for a year, wherein the Batra Tennis Centre’s (Pune) coach will visit MSLTA four days a month to chart out basic and improvised coaching schemes. And now, Natekar, being at Mumbai, will be the caretaker of that scheme.

"We are happy to now have a Davis Cupper in our coaches list," said Oza, adding that "what could have been better than to get Gaurav,who is well aware of Bal’s way of coaching, having been his student for a long time.

"But does this mean that the Pune boy is bidding farewell to playing tennis? "No," said the former national champion. "I will continue playing and that shall remain my priority," he added from his residence in Mumbai.

As per the contract, Natekar will be available at the MSLTA six-days a week. This shall include thrice a week for the morning and evening sessions and the remaining three days for one session. "His job is just not coaching, but playing along with the youngsters, which will give an exposure to the players to play with an experienced Gaurav," said Oza.

In this one year, he will have 12 weeks off, in which he will be free to play any of the tournaments inside or outside the country.