Tennis star Saketh Myneni with spouse Lakshmi Anumolu to whom he owes quite a bit for profitable the Asian Games silver medal in males’s doubles.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
At 35, many athletes would possibly properly take into consideration life after sports activities! But, for Davis Cupper Saketh Myneni, the journey searching for excellence on the highest degree goes on.
Not surprisingly, this gifted tennis participant, who achieved a career-best doubles rating of No. 74 this yr, made one other emphatic assertion about his skills profitable the boys’s doubles silver (partnering Ramkumar Ramanathan) within the latest Asian Games.
Hangzhou Asian Games | Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan accept silver in males’s doubles tennis ultimate
“Winning my third medal in the Asiad is a truly fabulous feeling. It only reminds you that you still have a lot more still to give. I owe a lot to my wife for this medal,” Saketh in a chat with The Hindu.
“The Asiad silver is a great morale booster as I chase the dream of representing India in the 2024 Paris Olympics. I am conscious of the challenges ahead, the biggest being to be very consistent in the ATP circuit to keep improving my rankings. It’s never going to be easy for sure,” Saketh mentioned.
“Winning a medal for your country in a continental event reflect a lot about where you stand. I am really glad to have pulled off this silver and thank my teammate Ramkumar for making it truly memorable,” he mentioned.
“It has been really tough for me to manage, especially the finances as I couldn’t find sponsors. I started by investing the money I earned as a coach before turning Pro. We pay from our pockets for travel, accommodation, nutrition, coaching and training,” Saketh added.
“There has been no funding or help from the Governments or from the national sports federation even after the 2014 Asian Games medals. Tennis players in India need a system to support them from a young age to achieve the dream of winning Olympic medals and making singles Grand Slam champions,” he mentioned.
“I also lost a lot of valuable time because of the pandemic. It is demanding to travel 30 to 40 weeks every year. I had to respect my body and stop playing singles. The focus is now more on doubles,” he mentioned.
On the Tennis Premier League, Saketh felt it was an ideal platform for the younger expertise by way of publicity, particularly given the form of promotional occasions they had been planning.
Source: www.thehindu.com
