Sunil Sharma

Chandigarh, Sept 28 (ANI): Chandigarh in Punjab has emerged as a top sporting facility centre and its faculty and infrastructure in lawn tennis is attracting aspiring players from Commonwealth countries.

The Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) boasts of world-class facilities and has earned the approval of top-notch players. It has four grass courts, four clay courts and four synthetic courts as well as a practice wall.

Rajan Kashyap, the President of Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association said, Over the years we have built a reputation and our players have performed very well at the national and international level. We have produced champions of various age groups. Seeing our performance neighboring countries have approached us for programs for their children. So we have accommodated some of them. We have signed an agreement with commonwealth secretariat for their Asian programmes in the Asian region and players from countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Brunei and Pakistan have come.

The CLTA, through its exchange programme with the Commonwealth nations hosts foreign players as well. Recently, it invited eight Pakistani tennis players for a 20-day training camp. The boys were put through the grind where the main focus was on improving their biomechanics or body movements.

The CLTA also has a Tennis Stadium, which can seat 10,000 spectators and host national and international matches including the Davis Cup.

Gary O”brien, Director, Coaching, CLTA, said, We have eight international synthetic courts, all flood lit and 4 clay courts. There is a fabulous ambience and a beautiful valley just behind. Some of the top players are from here. So I think the word spread. We have just started a high performance program about which lots of people are talking that is good.

The exposure that the budding players get at CLTA is unmatchable. About 200 odd students with different skill levels are being trained in Chandigarh at present.

As per their exchange programme, CLTA provides a years training to budding players from the Commonwealth countries and six students from Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh and Brunei are part of the programme.

Mohammad Nasib Malik, a Pakistani player, said, My main focus is physical fitness, which I want to improve. In India I feel that they focus more on fitness rather than the game. In Pakistan we have the game improvement facility but not fitness. That is why India is good.

Before coming to India my game was not so good. But now my game especially my backhand and my fitness has improved, said a player from Brunei.

The CLTA also has boarding and lodging facilities for 30 foreign players. To give a fillip to its training programme, the association is ramping up its facilities to cater to more players from the Commonwealth Nations. (ANI)