A packed audience at Vivanta by Taj Surya closely listened to Nirupama Vaidyanathan as she spoke of the role of parents in sports. Eager parents, teachers, students and coaches, engaged in conversation with the tennis star about the sport, sponsorship, and more. A parent of a five-year-old asked her : “ Do I choose a sport for the kids or do they?” To which Nirupama replied, “Try three or four different activities. Give them a racquet and let them get acquainted with it. Till they are 10, it could be just for fun. Make a decision when they are 10. Choose a sport for which they have the talent and aptitude.”
Another parent wanted to explore home schooling for her 10-year-old child so that he had more time for sports. Nirupama suggested, “Find a school that encourages sports. Regular schooling is important till they are 15. It gets them disciplined. I shifted from St. Josephs to Perks so that I got more time to focus on Tennis. I was already No.1 in India, but still I didn’t opt for home schooling.”
She warned parents about sending their children abroad for short stints of sports training.
“They need a minimum six months to make a difference to their sport. Choose wisely,” she advised another parent who wanted to send her child, abroad for coaching in Karate.
Motivation and hard work are the driving factors to excel in any sport, she said.
S. Malarvizhi, convenor of Indian Women Network, Coimbatore Zone, encourages sports at her Sri Krishna Group of educational institutions.
“My son played cricket during his schooling in The Nilgiris. He wanted to pursue it, but I insisted on academics. I feel guilty about it now. There has to be change in attitude among parents to encourage sports. Though my son plays football now, I am always worried about injuries. We should move on and encourage them. At the end of the day, it’s the child’s choice. Any sport activity transforms the child into a better person”
Malarvizhi also referred to the Basketball Academy at her campus. “Parents should have the drive and passion,” she said and quoted the example of an inspiring couple in the audience. The couple have sold their property, and ensure that their children, two daughters, are trained in rifle shooting. They hope they will win a medal for India at the Olympics. Another coach expressed his wish to train his daughter in athletics and make her win for India.
To parents whose children are multi-talented and excelled in a variety of sports, Nirupama told them to encourage them. “As long as you don’t force it, there is no problem. But, there will be a point when you have to make a right decision and choose the right sport for them.”
How to make a start? “Nothing beats Geography. Select a sport that is available in your hometown. Athletics is a good base. I had to run million miles in the Stadium here in order to be physically fit in addition to focusing on my game. Starting out in athletics is a good way to begin. It makes you fitter and helps you choose the right game. As far as tennis is concerned, it ranges from highly intensive for 45 seconds, and then slowing down for 15 seconds. To achieve this while playing you need to be fit. During our training sessions, we sprint and walk. Any sport has to be approached with the right technique to avoid sports injuries.” The event was organised by Indian Women Network, Coimbatore chapter of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Making a point
Nirupama recalls her glory days in tennis and says that the right mindset can work wonders for sports in our country
“When I was in class X, my father told me to play Tennis first and deal with my exams later,” reminisces Nirupama Vaidyanathan. She is the first Indian woman tennis player to have won a singles match in a Grand Slam in the 1998 Australian Open. She was ranked No.1 in the country for over a decade. Nirupama won the bronze medal in the mixed doubles with Bhupathi at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998, made a comeback at the Commonwealth Games 2010 and played alongside Sania Mirza, Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes. She now runs the Niru’s Tennis Academy in California.
Nirupama credits it all to her parents — from playing at a clay court in Ladies Club in Coimbatore to becoming a pioneer in the field, touring over 30 countries as a professional player. “It’s only because of their support and encouragement that I could go so far and achieve these distinctions. Parents are always concerned about academics. This attitude must change,” she says.
When she began playing tennis, in the early 1990s, the sport wasn’t a popular one as far as women were concerned. Her father, K.S. Vaidyanathan who played for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Cricket tournament, coached her right at the start of her career. But she says she is happy to say things are changing. “Right now in India, sports are blooming. Sports bodies could do a lot more and take it to an all-new height. We need leaders and mentors with a vision to make it happen,” she says.
Nirupama quotes the example of China. She remembers an incident from the summer of 2002, when she had just moved to California. “I got a call to practise with a Chinese team that was in town. There were about seven to eight girls travelling with two coaches. After three hours of intense hitting, we took a break and the coach told me “We are preparing for the Olympics’. I assumed it was for Athens Olympics in 2004. The coach quietly said he was practising for the Olympics in Beijing 2008. I was speechless,” says Nirupama, pauses and asks: “Do you know when I heard about my participation in the Olympics. One week before the event. And I didn’t even know who my partner was. In China, the players, coaches, parents, and sports federations work towards a common goal. We need to emulate this model to win more gold medals at the Olympics.”
Her goal is to set up a training academy in India. “I want to start one in Coimbatore. It’s a work in progress,” she smiles.
