Eight-year-old Arman Jindal warned his friends, not to use a particular ball, during their warm-up session at the Club Solaris in Koregaon Park.
Tennis legend Jimmy Connors impressed all during his brief visit to Pune on Wednesday
PUNE: Eight-year-old Arman Jindal warned his friends, not to use a particular ball, during their warm-up session at the Club Solaris in Koregaon Park. The reason was simple - the ball was autographed by none other than Jimmy Connors.
The living legend, who won eight Grand Slam titles during his playing career, was in town to inaugurate his first ever tennis academy. And as he came to the courts, he was received with a warm applause from his fans, who waited eagerly to get a glimpse of their hero.
For Connors, it was a first trip to India. “It has been a nice experience, so far.” But, for the budding players, who were fortunate enough to have got a chance to play with the champion, it was a memorable moment. “For the last 3-4 days, there was nothing else on Namita’s mind, but to play with her idol,” said ex-national player Nandan Bal, whose daughter Namita was one of the players, who played with Connors.
“I was very excited with the whole idea of playing with such a big player. And after doing so, it is like a dream come true,” said the excited Namita, who is also a junior tennis player.
Though, nobody could match shots with Connors, it was Mumbai’s Tanvi Shah, who gave him some fight. And it was “an honour” for Tanvi, when Jimmy called her to play with him for the second time.
“I was delighted to have played twice with him, as it is in itself a compliment for me. After playing with other kids, he asked me to play with him once again,” a delighted Tanvi, who is ranked number one in the country (under-16), said. And because of his busy schedule, Connors could spend only a little time with the kids, but it indeed gave them some memories to cherish throughout their life.
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