From the corridors of her corporate office, Accenture, in the city, to Dallas to be crowned the U.S. Open Grand Slam carrom women’s singles champion in a span of just one year of competing in major events, it has been a memorable journey for Tejasvi Duduka.
This 25-year-old, who has been playing carrom since childhood as her father Vasudeva was the champion in the inter-department meet in BDL, started competing at the State level since last year.
Once she won the Telangana State women’s singles title in Nizamabad recently, she got the call from the organisers, the U.S. Carrom Association, to go to Dallas for the Grand Slam.
And quite naturally, winning the title in her very first appearance makes Tejasvi elated. “I never thought I would be the champion, but thanks to Vemuri sir, I just went out there and enjoyed the game. I am glad to clinch the title and I was also adjudged the best woman player,” she says, in an exclusive chat with The Hindu from the U.S. Vemuri Anil Kumar has finished the men’s singles runner-up for the second year in the U.S. Open.
A different experience
“It’s a different kind of experience for me in terms of the ambience, the quality of competition and the standard of equipment available for the championship,” says the champion, who is yet to play in the senior nationals.
“I must also thank all the officials and the State players for encouraging me to look to carrom as a serious sport after seeing me win both the women’s singles and doubles titles in the Corporate Olympiad. Now, I dream of winning the senior national first and then think of being a world cup champion,” she says.
Bigger goals
With sports coordinator Ajay Kumar ensuring that Tejasvi has no issues in travelling to the U.S. for the championship, this unobtrusive carrom champion has set bigger goals for herself now.
The 42-year-old Anil Kumar, Tejasvi’s coach, was unlucky for the second straight year as he lost to former national champion, Radakrishnan, in the men’s singles final, but had the satisfaction of winning the men’s doubles partnering the same player to down fellow Hyderabadi R.D. Dinesh Babu and Louis Fernandes of Canada.
