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More elbow room for tennis
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Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association's grandiose Vision 2000 envisaged creation of a number of public tennis courts in the City. The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike is playing along this tennis-for-the-masses programme.
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An artist's conception of a public tennis court; (Below) C.S. Sunder Raju, Secretary of KSLTA — Photo: K. Gopinathan
WHEN THERE was a change in guard in the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association in 2000, the new executive committee, under the stewardship of Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, set out on a campaign to ensure a vibrant presence for tennis in Karnataka. The new panel quickly had KSLTA moving in that direction by creating awareness for the game by conducting mega events such as the World Doubles Championships (2000 and 2001) and the Legends Tour, besides several ITF Futures and satellite events in the State. It refurbished the KSLTA Stadium with synthetic courts and built tennis stadia in many districts.
This, however, remained one part of the agenda. The other was aimed at creating a mass base for the game. To achieve that, the KSLTA planned building 300 courts in the State, where the public can take up the game on a mass scale. The concept of public courts, which is highly popular in the United States and much of Europe, is a rather new one in the country, and KSLTA certainly deserves credit for pioneering this effort in the country.
The KSLTA succeeded in its endeavour to acquire land and build public courts when the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike recently passed a resolution to hand over 11 grounds in the City to enable KSLTA build public courts. This was achieved, despite some opposition from its detractors. In the City Corporation itself, there was some objection to BMP handing over land to the KSLTA. More than anything else, the opposition to public courts comes from a few misconceptions. Some of the corporators had reservation about handing over land to the KSLTA, which they felt was promoting an "elitist" sport. Secondly, there was fear that the land is being grabbed by the KSLTA. There was also political opposition to whole issue because the Chief Minister is from Congress, and naturally, other parties had some axe to grind.
C.S. Sunder Raju, the Secretary of the KSLTA, has been at the centre of this issue. He makes it clear that the public courts will be a legacy to the citizens of Bangalore and that they are meant for the future generation. "The very notion that tennis is an elitist game and a common man does not have a role in it is wrong. We are indeed trying to bring tennis to the common man by building public courts and get the kids in the community to play the game at a nominal cost. Courts will be situated in such a way that a child need not travel long distances to play,'' Mr. Raju says.
Mr. Raju maintains that the KSLTA has been striving to create public facilities for tennis for the past two years. "Our Vision 2000, envisaged 100 public courts all over Bangalore in 33 localities, but we are getting somewhere now with less than a dozen courts,'' says Mr. Raju.
An earnest quest began this January when the BMP Commissioner, Srinivasamurthy, assigned the District Commissioner to identify the area. Though 22 sites were marked for that purpose, the figure was pruned to 11 by the BMP, which finally passed a resolution to hand over the land to the KSLTA.
"We are doing what the BMP should be doing in the first place. Creating play and recreational facilities. We aim at building international class facilities with synthetic courts and floodlights. We will also provide racquets to kids to start with,'' says Mr. Raju. Floodlights are an important component of the public courts, and according to Mr. Raju, they make the courts accessible even after dusk, when many adults find free time to play tennis.
Mr. Raju insists that a minimum of three courts be built in the lands that are being leased. "By the International Tennis Federation standards, the optimum is six courts and sub-optimum is three. If we are going to get a land just enough to build one court, it is not worth it. The more courts you have, more people can get to play and the waiting time comes down," opines Mr. Raju. He feels that building synthetic courts is more cost-effective than having clay or hard courts. "Synthetic courts mean zero maintenance unlike other courts. If we are looking at reducing the overheads on the project in the long run, it is an ideal choice,'' he says.
Building public courts might be relatively easier task for KSLTA than maintaining it. Either BMP has to do it or the local community. "I would rather see the local residents associations get into the act in a big way. It is their facility and they should work for the upkeep of the courts and keep it secure. KSLTA would assist them in any possible manner,'' says Mr. Raju.
The KSLTA will launch an initiative to educate the local residents where court facilities are being proposed and the KSLTA would like the local residents to take the lead by talking to their local corporators. "We (KSLTA) on our own, talked to quite a few of them, and they now understand what the public courts are all about. They have offered to help us. Basically it is the ignorance of the issue that had caused such confusion,'' says Mr. Raju.
For making tennis a game of the masses, there has to be tremendous infrastructure support, he feels, and cites the example of the Mysore Tennis Club, where there are enough courts in the complex for youngsters to play and practice. "Mysore, especially MTC, has created a base to such an extent that some of the top juniors are from there. The number is growing. Such a thing can happen in Bangalore too, with public courts." He also points to the success of KSLTA in Gulbarga, where it established synthetic courts and conducted an ITF Men's Futures Tournament last August.
"We also ran coaching clinic attended by 300 players. This summer, we had some kids from Gulbarga playing in City tournaments, and that again is a positive sign," he says.
Mr. Raju says that the furore over public courts was uncalled for. "As I said earlier, it was due to doubts and misconceptions. Sometimes, it was very frustrating for me to be battling such issues, rather than concentrating on the standard of the game in the State. But I am very positive now, and people now understand what we are trying to do and they offer to help."
One area that Mr. Raju looks forward to is corporate support. "UB and Kingfisher played such crucial roles in the renovation of our stadium, and similar support from them would be a big help to us in our new venture," he says.
Public courts would also help KSLTA in its drive to encourage mini tennis, where kids as young as six to seven years of age learn the basics of the game. "That is an important phase, even if we get at least 100 kids to take up tennis seriously after they go through early grind every year, it should be worth it," he says.
The KSLTA has come a long way from being ostracised by the parent body, AITA, five years ago. It is now a dynamic organisation, which is in the forefront of the promotion of the game in the State and the country and in no small measure. Dedicated people such as Chief Minister Krishna, Secretary Sunder Raju, Joint-Secretary Ramaswamy, and tennis enthusiast R.T. Narayan have contributed to the resurgence of the organisation.
"I would say we have achieved 30 to 40 per cent of what we set out to do. Still this is an unfinished agenda," says Mr. Raju. He promises to get 40 weeks of tennis in the State next year, and the KSLTA would also strive hard to establish an International class academy. The next few months would see KSLTA hosting three Challengers in Tumkur, Dharwad, and Belgaum, which Mr. Raju claims is a feather in the cap. "Nowhere, barring the United States, are three Challengers done by a State association at a stretch.''
"All our programmes and the public courts and round-the-year tennis events should make Bangalore the ultimate tennis destination," says Mr. Raju, a business magnate, who often devotes more time to the KSLTA than his business. And he isn't complaining either.
KALYAN ASHOK
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