Delhi Witnesses North India’s First Indoor Tennis Facility

Tennis players in Delhi will no longer have to allow the weather to dictate their training schedules, with the introduction of the Ethical Tennis Academy in Dwarka, North India’s first indoor tennis facility. chickenroad.qpon

The academy has two fully covered clay courts, allowing players to train and play throughout the year without having to contend with the capital’s often challenging weather conditions.Alongside this, the facility has a five-stage player development pathway and high-performance training facilities, giving players greater consistency in their training schedules.

Considering Delhi’s extreme summer heat, monsoon rains and periods of poor air quality that have traditionally made uninterrupted outdoor training difficult, this academy ensures that the courts are open and playable 365 days a year, making it one of the few options in the region where tennis can continue without weather-related interruptions.

The development also comes at a time when tennis infrastructure in the country is gradually expanding beyond conventional outdoor courts. The academy offers coaching for all age groups and pay-and-play options for adults or casual players, and it is helmed by former tennis professional Kshitij Kamal, Director of Ethical Tennis Academy.

The Dwarka facility could help address the existing gaps by providing players with access to clay-court training in a controlled environment throughout the year.

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In a remarkable performance, Devdutt Padikkal achieved his first Test century, scoring an impressive 167 in Galle. KL Rahul praised Padikkal's dedication over the years that led to this well-deserved chance. His experience with India A provided him crucial insights into local conditions. This milestone century alleviates the psychological pressure for the promising young batter. India’s total reached 462, thanks to significant contributions from Padikkal, Rahul, and Jurel.

Sri Lanka’s left-arm orthodox spinner Prabath Jayasuriya believes the toss was crucial in the context of the opening Test match against India here as the pitch is deteriorating fast and won’t get easy to bat on.

Jayasuriya (4-109) was the pick of the Sri Lanka bowlers as India piled on 460-9 at stumps on Day Two. However, he believes it will be a challenge for his batting teammates to reach India’s mark.

“In Galle, the toss is always vital as the pitch deteriorates as the game progresses. We lost the toss, and the beauty of Test match cricket is to fight it out and hang in there. Our batters need to put up their hands and come up with a good effort,” Jayasuriya said.

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Vaibhav Tripathi, Galle

Two days of Test cricket have already seen the loss of at least 64 overs and valuable playing time, as the first Test between India and Sri Lanka has been a rain-marred affair so far.
On the first day, the rain gods made a short appearance, which still took an hour and a half out of the day’s action. By the end of the first day, India were on top, thanks to a 100-plus-run partnership between Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul. The former scored his maiden international hundred on his comeback, while the latter made a fifty.

On Day 2, Sri Lanka roared back by taking seven wickets on a fast-moving day, as India managed to get past 450 with one wicket left. Only 43 overs of play were possible due to persistent rain right from the start of Day 2. It continued until 2:20 pm, before play resumed at 2:35 pm. Once again, a lot of overs were lost. Sri Lanka made up for it by picking up wickets at regular intervals.

Spin has come into great effect in the game. Famously known as the King of Galle, Prabath Jayasuriya has taken four wickets so far, while debutant Keshara Nuwantha has also been brilliant with his three-wicket haul. It was the day of the spinners. Good bowling, coupled with questionable shot selection, resulted in seven wickets.

India must have targeted a first-innings total of 550-plus, but the chances of that happening with Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna at the crease look bleak. Day 3 will begin with the question of whether India will continue to bat with only one wicket left or declare before play starts.

Given how many overs have been lost and the forecast for Day 3, Team India will want to give themselves the best chance of taking 20 wickets — bowling Sri Lanka out twice and clinching the match before the rain gods can have their say on the outcome of the game.

The way the pitch played on Day 2 will excite the spinners, as not only is the wicket offering sharp turn, but there are also more footmarks around the bowlers’ landing areas on both sides of the square. For India, when they come out to bowl, the hard new ball will be key. Sri Lanka made the most of the second new ball, and India will have to take a cue from them in order to bowl the hosts out early.

Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna will have the onus of making the new ball talk and getting early wickets. Even if they are unable to take wickets, it will be important not to give away easy runs to the Sri Lankan batters. Once spin comes into play, which is likely to happen very early in the day, the new Kookaburra ball with its more pronounced seam could help the finger spinners weave a trap around the Sri Lankan batters.

Again, the weather will decide how many overs of play take place on Day 3, which could determine which way the match is heading.

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Seven years can feel like an eternity in elite sport. Since her historic World Championship Gold in Basel in 2019, PV Sindhu’s trophy cabinet has expanded, she won her second Olympics medal, solidifying her status as arguably India’s greatest badminton icon. However a lean patch followed her, but the hunger for world dominance remains entirely unsated for India’s No.1.

At the pre-tournament press conference, the double Olympic and five times World Championship medalist spoke about the excitement of playing Worlds at home, recent form, losses that helped her become stronger, the sports science team and her 2009 worlds experience.

You recently won the Japan Open, that must have given you renewed confidence…

Sindhu: Definitely, it gives me a lot of confidence. I’m really looking forward to the World Championships, especially since it’s happening in India. Winning the Japan Open gave me a lot of confidence and a boost.

You have won five World Championship medals. Looking back, which moments shaped your career and made you tougher?

Sindhu: Having five medals at the World Championships is an amazing journey. Each win and each medal gave me a different kind of experience. Bronze in 2013, bronze again in 2014, then silver in 2017 and 2018, and finally gold in 2019.

The transition was wonderful, but there were also a couple of moments that made me stronger. One of them was losing the 2017 World Championships final to Okuhara in Glasgow. It was a very hard-fought match, almost one hour and 50 minutes. I was very hard on myself because I was almost there but couldn’t get the gold. It was a matter of one or two points, and that made me much stronger.

There were other moments too, like in 2018 when I was leading, lost the first game and eventually lost the gold. These moments, especially at the World Championships, made me stronger and helped me come back stronger.

You have five World Championship medals, the most in the world, but it has been seven years since your last medal. How special would it be to win one at home?

Sindhu: Definitely, it’s very special because it’s happening in India. I won the World Championships in 2019, so it has been almost seven years.

The Japan Open has given me a lot of confidence, and I hope I can carry that confidence forward. Everything is going well, and for me, it’s one match at a time.

Hopefully, I can get a lot of support from the Indian crowd. I’m really happy that we are playing the World Championships in India and that we get to play on home ground. I hope I get a medal here too.

How have you changed over the last seven years?

Sindhu: There have been quite a few changes, in terms of my game, how I think and how I strategise. Badminton itself has changed as a sport.

Earlier, women’s singles was more attacking and faster-paced. Now there are more long rallies and you have to stay on court for a longer period. So you need a lot of patience.

As a person, there have also been a lot of changes in terms of experience. I feel much more experienced now in terms of how to deal with situations on court.

Do you still get butterflies in the stomach before a big tournament?

Sindhu: I have a lot of experience. I’ve played many first-round matches where I had butterflies and there was a lot of pressure. I won’t deny that there is pressure, yes there is.

But at the same time, for me, there’s nothing to lose. I just want to give my best because I know I have trained hard and worked hard in my training sessions. I just have to go out there on court and give my best, irrespective of the result.

I think the hunger towards the game hasn’t changed. I know it is still in me and I can still do it. The hunger towards the sport hasn’t changed.

There were concerns about the facilities, monkeys and other issues. How do you see the arrangements this time?

Sindhu: Whatever is the best, people are doing it, and I really appreciate their effort.

I came yesterday and I’m here today, and we’ve had really good sessions. I haven’t been uncomfortable. Everything is comfortable and everything is good.

To be very fair, from the washrooms to the people here, if we need any help, there are people here day in and day out. They are putting all their efforts into making this happen. They have achieved what they wanted and this will be one of the greatest World Championships. What else do we need? Being an Indian, I can proudly say that we are happy and fortunate to play here at home.

What are your preparation methods? Do you have any superstitions or rituals?

Sindhu: Everybody has their unique way of doing it. We all believe and trust in God. But you just have to go out there because you can’t predict the result. You never know what is going to happen tomorrow.

Whatever it takes to win, everyone has their unique ways whether it’s a racquet, a T-shirt, a dress, the way you dress up, your ponytail or your shoes. For me, I just trust in God, go out on court and give my best.

You have had a consistent year, with several deep runs before winning the Japan Open. Was this a breakthrough year for you?

Sindhu: I’ve had a really good team around me. We had to build that team and it took some time to get everyone together in terms of sports science, physiotherapy and training. We all came together, sat down and noted what was required and what was needed. We discussed it with the coach and worked on those things. All of it played a major role.

People only see us when we play a match, but there is a lot that happens behind the scenes. We have to change things smartly because sometimes your body might not cooperate when you are playing.

You have to make sure you get enough rest and make those decisions smartly so that you can be at your peak at the right time. I think we’ve been doing that correctly, and that has made the difference.

You recently spoke about changes with your sports science team. How do you feel physically and mentally?

Sindhu: It was very important to have a sports science team around me, in terms of strength and conditioning and physiotherapy. The coach is always there as well.

Wayne Lombard heads the strength and conditioning, Heera Mundluru is my physiotherapist and Shreyasi Sanjay looks after the S&C. It’s very important to build around that because sometimes your body is not at 100%, but you still push. Injuries don’t tell you before they come — they just happen.

So, before that, what precautions do you take and how smartly do you change things? We have all these gadgets now to record your strain, how tired you are and whether you can push yourself or not. These are the metrics we use to make sure we take precautions. Maybe the next day you can do a different kind of training. These are the small things that you change.

It has helped me. Physically and mentally, it has been quite good. I can see the changes in my game and movement, so I’m happy that it’s going in the right direction.

What are your memories of the 2009 World Championships in India?

Sindhu: I was a very small girl. I used to come and watch matches from morning until evening. We would just play around and watch matches.

At that time, it was just like, ‘Okay, you get to see a lot of top players.’ You didn’t know how serious it was back then. But now, when I look back, I got to experience the best. I’m playing the World Championships in India again after 17 years, so it’s really good to see the journey from then until now.

The whole journey has been memorable. It’s always good to play in India, and this time I’m hoping that I can get a medal on home ground.

We always speak about An Se-young, but you have also played Wang Zhi Yi several times, including at the World Championships. How do you see this rivalry?

Sindhu: We have played a lot of times. I won against her at the last World Championships, and the last time we played, I was leading but lost from there.

She is doing well and is among the top players in the world. You just need to give your best. Everybody wants to give their best at the World Championships or any tournament. We might know each other’s games, but at the same time we have to make changes according to the court and shuttle conditions and make sure it is comfortable for us to play against each other.

Every athlete has a different style of play. Whether it’s Wang Zhi Yi, Yamaguchi or An Se-young, I’m not saying it will be easy. It will be hard, there will be tough matches and I need to be prepared.

Women’s singles has changed, with veterans returning and a new generation coming through. How do you assess the changes, especially with the new-scoring format?

Sindhu: There is a younger generation coming up in badminton, especially in women’s singles.

Regarding the scoring system, yes, it is going to be different and very challenging. With 21 points, if you are 7-0 down, you still have time to come back. With 15 points, if seven points are gone, almost half the match is done.

You need to be on your feet from point one. You can’t take it easy and think you will come back later. With the 15-point system, you need to be alert from the beginning.

There is some good young talent coming up. Being experienced, I feel the game is changing and evolving all the time.

Earlier, it was more of a faster game. Now it has become more competitive, with slower and longer rallies. With 15 points, it might become different, with shorter, quicker and faster rallies. You have to adapt.

I’m happy to see changes in the sport. Anything is good for Indian sport. You have to get used to it because that’s how sport is. The game changes, the scoring changes and the shuttles keep changing. You have to change too, you don’t have a choice.

Over a period of time, how has been your working relationship with coach Irwansyah?

Sindhu: It has been good. He has been with me for the last one and a half years. We have made some changes to my game. Initially, when you get a new coach, it takes some time to understand what the coach needs. But now it is working out well.

As I mentioned, it is important for the coach and sports science team to come together, understand the requirements and work accordingly. That’s what we are doing. We need to make sure that we also make those changes accordingly.

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