Sport - Tennis

Apollo Tyres clarifies on Mission 2018

BANGALORE: Stung by the All India Tennis Association’s (AITA) ire over its programme, Apollo Tyres has come out with a clarification on its ‘Mission 2018’ project aimed at producing India’s first Grand Slam singles champion.

The Apollo authorities expressed surprise at AITA’s demand that it submit accounts on how its funds are being spent. “It would have made sense if they (AITA) had asked about our programme, our trainees and coaching methods and all other aspects related to the game, instead of choosing to ask how ‘our own money’ is being spent,” the Apollo Tyres authorities said.

Apollo Tyres spokesman Avik Chattopadhyay, Head, Corporate Marketing, Apollo Tyres Ltd., issued a clarification to dispel doubts about the programme.

The clarification is as follows: The Apollo Tyres Mission 2018 is a programme to identify, nurture and create world-class tennis players in India who will challenge, perform and win on the world stage, with at least one becoming a singles Grand Slam champion by 2018.

Announcing the Mission in 2007, we assessed that a dedicated programme and investment for at least 10 years is required to deliver any result. Hence the Apollo Tyres Mission 2018. We are committed to provide the best resources possible to ensure that the Mission 2018 contributes to national pride by grooming sporting champions and specifically a singles Grand Slam title winner for India by 2018.

This includes a state-of-the-art tennis academy in Bangalore run by the Foundation of Indian Sporting Talent (FIST) that has a team of former-India National players and world-renowned physiotherapists to take charge of the young talent.

We are working on two distinct levels for the Mission. At the grassroots level of schools, academies and the tennis loving population, we are encouraging youngsters to actively take up the sport with the full support of their parents.

On the talent level, we conduct selection camps every year in four cities (called the Mission 2018 Challenge) to identify, nurture, train and groom talent from across the country. Aged between 6 and 14 years of age, they are given national and international exposure and facilities, to enable them to realise their potential and become future champions. The four cities change every year to ensure the Mission spreads far and wide in our task of encouraging participation from all corners.

There are at present 21 very talented youngsters under the programme in the academy, who, over the last six months, have shown remarkable progress at the junior and sub-junior levels.

They have played in tournaments across India (with a few like Kyra Shroff and Saurabh Singh also representing India) and have done the country proud in Egypt, Italy, Germany, Pakistan, Thailand and Philippines.

Now they will proceed to the U.S. to get special training, tailor-made to each child’s strengths and weaknesses.

This year, the Challengers will begin on November 22 and 23 and travel the four cities of Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Hyderabad, on subsequent weekends.

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