Interviews

Tell us about your academy?

Pace Tennis was started just a few years ago. An academy that intrinsically focuses on tennis and specialised fitness, Pace Tennis strives to be a tennis-training center that would enable players to not just play competitive tennis but also become really physically fit and even pick up life-skills as they learn to play this hugely demanding individual sport.

With a scientist for a father, how did you choose a career in sports?

Well, there was a lot of restriction in the beginning. My father being a highly literate man was not impressed with me choosing to train and teach tennis. However, over time he accepted my decision when he saw that I had created a name for myself amongst the best fitness trainers in the country.

How do you think the scene has changed now?

In India people do not consider a career in sports as a viable option. But times are changing now, and people are opening up to tapping opportunities in sports and pursuing a sporting career. But there still is a long way to go since here sports are only secondary. Although education is necessary, I feel that people should stop considering a career in sports as just one of the options available for those who perform poorly in their academics. There are thousands of professionally trained instructors today who bring in the science of training into their instruction. And though physical education can be pursued academically too, you wouldn't find many takers in India. However with the sporting craze in the country growing at a frenetic pace, it wouldn't be long before more parents open up to their children choosing to take up practical or theoretical sports instruction.

How did you start your career?

I was actually playing a match in Bhubaneswar when one of the organisers called me to provide first aid for a player in the next court. That was a start; though way back then I had received some training in fitness and sports healing I had never considered it as something that I would pursue professionally. But I did and then moved on to becoming the official trainer for the Davis Cup team, which I had never even remotely envisaged I would become on that day when I was called to relieve a muscle spasm.

How has it been travelling with Leander Paes?

A fantastic learning experience is what I would say. A very patriotic person, Leander inspires the same patriotism from his team members, which can be very moving and motivating. In the last two decades that I've travelled with him I've seen him revolutionising the sport and bringing India on the world map like never before. Leander understood the importance of fitness more than any other player in the Indian circuit and that is how he has been able to sustain a really successful career that spans decades.

Do you think being professionally trained is essential to build a successful career in sports?

Of course. Today people are more wary of injuries and would want to make sure they are safe, so if you pick a career in sports, be it as a player or as a trainer it is necessary to know the type of injuries and the ways to prevent them. Moreover, a career in sports could include anything, from being an umpire to actually playing a sport to training, and none of these options offer room for unqualified professionals. And though most of us learn through practice, sustaining a career in any profession would call for continued learning and the more specialised it is, the better will be the path to growth and the access to opportunities.

Where did you get trained and how did it help you?

I did a whole bunch of courses in the United States. From massage therapy to tennis I picked up useful tips from Michigan, Orlando, New York and many other places when I travelled with Leander and otherwise. As for how it has helped me, well, only when you travel and train abroad and put to practice what you learn do you really understand the implications and the right methods of doing things. For instance it is necessary to draft a different programme for each sport, since the needs and expectations from each are different. But how many of our trainers keep that in mind when they train. Yes, I do agree that things are different now, because people are travelling much more than before and the influx of the Internet has opened up a whole new world that today everything is accessible from anywhere in the world at any point in time, which is good beginning but it also makes it necessary for people to gain a more specialised expertise to survive in a highly competitive world. Like I'd mentioned before, constant learning is the key. Be it through practise or specialised training or experience, never ever stump the learning process and that will surely take care of the rest.

What would you tell someone striving to build a career in sports?

Things are not like how it used to be; great sporting legends like Leander have turned the spotlight on the other sports, which is a good sign. In a predominantly cricket focused country this is surely a great sign of changing times, and people should capitalise on that. Like every other profession, sports demands dedication and constant hard work, and people who want to build a carer in sports should be willing to remain focused and patient, much more than it is needed in any other profession. Success does come if you strive harder but it takes a little long in the coming, so you have to have the will to wait and never give up. That's what sports teaches you too, never give, keep moving on and ahead and what is rightfully yours will surely come your way. And yes, specialised training will help you get there sooner.