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Against all odds, Malik the new junior champ
GOHANA (HARYANA): Making a mockery of high-class infrastructure and facilities, Ajay Malik has emerged as the new national tennis champion, literally from dirt,
GOHANA (HARYANA): Making a mockery of high-class infrastructure and facilities, Ajay Malik has emerged as the new national tennis champion, literally from dirt, by practising on mud courts, developed by his father on agricultural land.
At the just-concluded Fenesta Open national championship at the DLTA Complex, 13-year-old Ajay relied on his supreme strength and ordinary diet to win the Under-14 boys singles title.
His father, Ajmer Malik, a retired Subdedar from Indian Army, did not even have enough money to offer him bananas and energy drinks during the match.The class IX student went the full distance only on water.
Ajay started playing at the age of 10 and in three years he has managed to win the biggest title in his age category. He is coached by cousin Sombir Malik, who himself learnt the game watching television but quit after encountering tennis elbow issues practicing with bald balls.
Everything at the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Sansthan, the academy run by Ajmer, is innovative. The net for the mud courts is supported by electricity poles, which were felled due to rain and strong winds. The lines on the courts are not drawn by lime powder but by nylon ropes so that they last long and money is saved. Tyres of different weights ranging from 5-100kg are are used while running to build leg-strength. Upper body strength is built climbing thick ropes, dangling between two cement pillars. In fact, Ajmer spent nearly Rs 3 lakh of the Rs 13 lakh retirement fund to build the courts.
How different Ajay finds the mud courts from the hard courts where he competes in tournaments? “It’s just the colour of the court, everything else is same,” the young Roger Federer said.
DLTA coach Arun Kumar, who has been instrumental in Ajay becoming a player says the training base needs to shift soon. It was he who gave tips to Ajay’s coach Sombir and also presented them with 50 balls to start the training three years back. He’s also helped in getting Ajay a racquet sponsorship.
With only two pairs of shoes (one for daily practice and the other for matches), the only luxury Ajay has is drinking pure almond juice everyday after practice.
