Komarraju Venkata Shyam Sunder is one of those big achievers in Indian sport from a relatively less glamorous sport, tenni-koit, who can take pride in his achievements despite the lack of recognition over the years.
And, true to his indomitable spirit, the 60-year-old Shyam Sunder, who was a six-time national champion in men’s singles in 90s in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh (AP), served another gentle reminder that age is only a number, especially for those who played the sport with passion and pride.
This Hyderabadi added another feather in his cap by earning a Post Graduate in Yoga from Annamalai University recently.
With a PG in Physical Education, it is obvious that this gentleman is keen to expand his domain of excellence by diversifying into yoga too and achieved with the same zeal and determination which made him a household name in tenni-koit.
National chief coach
He was also the national chief coach of the Indian team for the international tournaments in Germany (2004) and Belarus (2018).
Conducting yoga classes for close to a decade now, Shyam Sunder is one of those highly respected sports personalities from the city, who not surprisingly continues to prefer a low profile despite his big achievements, including donning the role of a coach quite successfully.
For the record, Shyam Sunder was good even in athletics and gymnastics and even dabbled in cricket playing the HCA Lower Division Leagues in an era when pride took precedence to everything else.
Post retirement as physical education teacher in Government School (Lalapet) here in 2019, Shyam Sunder continues to be a role model and is still in touch with the sport and the sporting fraternity.
