Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based Academia Sports Village made their third anniversary memorable on Monday by laying the foundation for four modern tennis clay courts to match international standards at the Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club at Aziz Nagar in Moinabad.
Dr Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, along with Academia Sports Village CEO Mohammad Shamsuddin and COO Durdana Arshi unveiled the stone that announced the upcoming facility.
“Apart from our own coaches to handle the sessions to the trainees on a regular basis, we will be conducting a tennis clinic from October 25 to 27 with Croatia’s Duje Tomasovic, who has coached his countryman and former World No. 3 Marin Cilic,” Shamsuddin said, adding “we will also provide free horse riding classes for Under 19 trainees.”
“Hopefully we will be successful in grooming a future world champion,” he said.
“It’s nice to keep coming back to the same place and see it growing. Two years ago, I had come here to inaugurate the gym. Now, it’s exciting to be here for the development of tennis courts. We need to see more of this kind of opportunity in the city,” Dr Fleming said.
“Sports is a good unifier. You get to meet new people and make friends. It breaks down barriers,” he added.
A keen follower of sport, Dr Fleming said: “I have been a football referee for seven years — between 14 and 21 — before work got in the way. I am interested in any kind of sport. Next Monday, I might watch my first kabaddi match in Ahmedabad.”
COO Durdana spoke of the dream to set up more such facilities. “The cities are getting crammed and we need a place where kids can play. This should be a one-stop shop for fitness and various sports. We would like to have branches all over Hyderabad,” she said.
At HPRC, Sports Village aims to develop a multipurpose sports centre. The idea is to provide international flavour, thereby helping young players understand the techniques prevalent on the global platform (via their association with leading clubs and academies in Europe) and save them the costs of going abroad for the purpose.
