BENGALURU Wednesday 29 October 2008
DC
38
TRIVIA:
sport
Mario Zagallo of Brazil won the football World Cup both as a player and as coach. Geoff Marsh has achieved the same feat in cricket, winning in 1987 as a player and in 1999 as coach.
New kids on the block
Iska siblings ON THE RIGHT PATH
T
enacity, fortitude and talent are some the key essentials that constitute a sportsperson and Teertha Iska surely has them all. The 12-year-old is one of a kind, always seen sporting a demure, nonchalant smile both on and off the court. Many may perceive it to be a sign of timidity, but those who have played her know the message crisp and clear — she means business. Back from a creditable doubles victory at the Asian U-14 championships in Bahrain, a hungry Teertha is craving for more. “The (Asian) championships are the most important tourney among all the Asian legs and I was fully prepared for it. There was tough competition with participants from over 20 countries and I finished third in singles and won the doubles. It was a boost both for my moral and my rankings,” said Teertha, the current Asia No. 2. She also won two titles at the Asian ranking tourneys in Colombo in October besides triumphing in Malaysia, Phillipines and Bangladesh, earlier this year. Tennis runs in their blood. On her way to emulating Teertha is younger sister Akshara. Ranked no. 2 in the National U-12 category, the 10-year-old Akshara has also proved her worth by notching up impressive wins on the national
Teertha is the current Asia No. 2
Sharapova came for a brief training before going for the Australian Open. At first I could hardly believe it was her but we mustered up courage and went and spoke to her. She was very humble and nice and gave tips on how to improve my serves and returns
The Iska sisters, Teertha (left) and Akshara. Top right: The sisters with Maria Sharapova during their training at the Nick Bollettieri Traning Academy in Florida. circuit. Teertha’s and Akshara’s success story is also a tale of struggle and desperation, which could have driven others to the edge or would have forced them to bid adieu to their dreams. But it has not been the case for this gutsy Hyderabadi duo, who overcame financial constraints to eventually win a lifetime scholarship from Indu Group, a real-estate and
infrastructure company, and began living their dream. Teertha’s tryst with tennis began when she was five and it soon became a passion. “Tennis became a part of me. I just couldn’t think of anything else. It was not like other things that one tends to lose interest after a while. Tennis was different,” says Teertha. Their dedication did the trick for
them as both Teertha and Akshara were awarded a training stint at the well-known Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, known for having trained stars such as Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Maria Sharapova, Martina Hingis and the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena to name a few. “It was a dream come true for us. Never had we imagined that we could train with state-of-the-art facilities and on the courts where our idols have played,” Teertha said. From January to August 2008, the sisters trained relentlessly at the Academy and had one of the most cherished times of their lives
They may not have found stardom yet, but given their dedication and overwhelming passion for tennis, the Iska sisters, if they stay true to form, could well enact a desi Williams drama in our country, writes Maxin Mathew meeting Sharapova. “She (Sharapova) came for a brief training before going for the Australian Open and happened to be training at our courts. At first I could hardly believe it was her but we mustered up courage and went and spoke to her. She was very humble and nice and gave tips on how to improve my serves and returns,” Teertha said. The sisters have also met Nicole Vaidsova and Jelena Jankovic, whose coach Paul Forsith is currently training them. Owing to her Asian championships triumph, Teertha is the lone Indian in the Asian squad for the Afro-Asian Games to be held in December. “I have a national meet in November, but my focus is on the Games. A win there can boost my ranking to No. 1,” a confident Teertha says. Teertha’s success story has been a cracker, no doubt about it. And with Akshara too joining the fray, India might, in the years to come, get their desi sister act like the Williams duo.