He keeps churning out success stories in Indian men’s tennis with ease. Far away from the madding crowds, the 53-year-old Canjeevaran Venaktrao Nagaraj has been diligently training and grooming tennis talent in his School of Power Tennis Academy (RRC, Secunderabad) with such intensity that he is now the rare record-holder of producing four Davis Cuppers (Susheel Narla, Punna Vishal, J. Vishnuvardhan and Saketh Myneni), Asian Games mixed doubles gold medallist (Saketh), five senior national champions besides many in the age groups.
What exactly was your feeling when your ward Saketh Myneni (partnering Sania Mirza) won the mixed doubles gold in the recent Asiad?
It is a tribute to his hard work and determination. In fact, these are the key elements that I always focus on my trainees in any age group. You have to really work hard, there is no short-cut. Even if you are talented, if you don’t put in the effort, you will be nowhere.
You have been a silent contributor to Indian men’s tennis in the recent past producing four Davis Cuppers and five senior national champions. What is the secret?
Essentially at my academy, the emphasis has always been on sincerity and commitment. Besides group training, there are separate sessions when I work individually trying to focus on his or her strengths and weaknesses. For any of my trainee, it is a continuous process as we keep re-setting the goals to achieve to have that motivation to keep improving.
What actually inspires you to keep going?
I quit my HAL job because of the sheer passion for the sport and took up coaching 23 years ago. There is no better joy for me than seeing my ward winning a national title. That is the biggest motivating factor. It is a different issue that I am not getting the kind of recognition I may be due. But again, I am too small to run around to garner support in the corridors.
All that I got in terms of recognition was the Farkunda Ali Khan Award, given by the AP Lawn Tennis Association, for the best coach.
At this stage of your career, who is that you are looking for?
I respect all those coaches who were duly honoured by the Telangana government and hope to join that ‘lucky club’.
hyderabaddesk@thehindu.co.in www.facebook.com/HydConnect
What exactly was your feeling when your ward Saketh Myneni (partnering Sania Mirza) won the mixed doubles gold in the recent Asiad?
It is a tribute to his hard work and determination. In fact, these are the key elements that I always focus on my trainees in any age group. You have to really work hard, there is no short-cut. Even if you are talented, if you don’t put in the effort, you will be nowhere.
You have been a silent contributor to Indian men’s tennis in the recent past producing four Davis Cuppers and five senior national champions. What is the secret?
Essentially at my academy, the emphasis has always been on sincerity and commitment. Besides group training, there are separate sessions when I work individually trying to focus on his or her strengths and weaknesses. For any of my trainee, it is a continuous process as we keep re-setting the goals to achieve to have that motivation to keep improving.
What actually inspires you to keep going?
I quit my HAL job because of the sheer passion for the sport and took up coaching 23 years ago. There is no better joy for me than seeing my ward winning a national title. That is the biggest motivating factor. It is a different issue that I am not getting the kind of recognition I may be due. But again, I am too small to run around to garner support in the corridors.
All that I got in terms of recognition was the Farkunda Ali Khan Award, given by the AP Lawn Tennis Association, for the best coach.
At this stage of your career, who is that you are looking for?
I respect all those coaches who were duly honoured by the Telangana government and hope to join that ‘lucky club’.
hyderabaddesk@thehindu.co.in www.facebook.com/HydConnect
