One of the biggest sporting associations in Mumbai was announced on May 19 at the Press Club. The Sports Gurukul, Mumbai’s first of its kind sports and fitness development organization, has partnered with Australasian Academy of Tennis Coaches to launch STAR Tennis Academy in the city. The Academy will be flagged off with training camps being organized for budding tennis players from May 20 to June 8 at The Sports Gurukul Academies at Wadala and Santacruz.  The coaching camps are open to one and all, irrespective of age, and are grouped into 3 levels – Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced.

The Sports Gurukul has entered into this alliance with the Australasian Association of Tennis Coaches in order to tap into the growing popularity of tennis in India. With the 2020 Olympic Games as their prime focus, this alliance could not have come at a more opportune time. Registrations have been opened for the various categories and seats are fast filling in.

On the alliance, Lynton Joseph, CEO and founder – Australasian Academy of Tennis Coaches Pvt. Ltd, commented, “Tennis is a sport that is fast gaining in popularity in India. We are proud to be associated with The Sports Gurukul to promote this much loved sport in the country. At AATC our primary mission is to provide knowledge about the game of tennis to every individual without any discrimination.  Through this alliance, AATC is proud to announce its continued commitment to develop tennis in India from the grassroots level.”

Paresh Kothari, co-founder & director, The Sports Gurukul, commented, “India is a country where a vast majority of the population has grown up watching, and emulating, the likes of Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes, and in recent times, Sania Mirza.  The sport of tennis is fast growing in popularity amongst a vast section of our society and it is important that the enthusiasm is tapped at the right time. While it may not be possible for most people to travel to various parts of the world in order to learn newer techniques of training and playing the game, we thought why not bring the best to India itself?  That idea is what led to the association with AATC and today we are confident of together churning out players of international caliber by 2020. This we plan to do through a series of AATC- TSG Star Tennis Academies across the country in the coming years through direct and franchise models”

Jay Shah, co-founder & director, The Sports Gurukul, commented, “We want to give the city the feel and experience of the kind of training that we intend to bring to Mumbai and the rest of the country through a small Summer Tennis camp. The Summer Tennis Camp will be instructed by professional and experienced tennis coaches including the likes of Paul Klevermaan and Chris O’Mara. Paul and Chris together are holders of the Senior Worlds Doubles Title (2010) and have over 25 years of coaching experience amongst them. Needless to say, they have also won a number of International Tennis Tournaments across the World and regularly featured in the ITF Top Rankings”.

Interested participants can register themselves on www.thesportsgurukul.com. The fee for registrations is Rs. 3,000 for Beginners (6 students per batch), Rs 4,000 for Intermediates (4 students per batch) and Rs 5,000 for Advanced (4 students per batch) coaching. There will be 5 sessions of 1 hour each. Those who prefer one on one coaching can avail of the same for a fee of Rs 3,500 per hour. 

Australasian Academy of Tennis Coaches is one of the premier tennis academies in the world. It aims to provide coach education and professional tennis knowledge to all levels without discrimination. High up on its agenda is to offer sponsorships to under privileged areas in remote locations throughout Australasia.

The Sports Gurukul® (TSG) is Mumbai’s first of its kind professional sports & fitness development and training organization. An integral aspect of TSG’s vision is to have individuals recognize sports and fitness as an important part of physical and moral education by creating extensive awareness about the same.