Bhubaneswar: Upcoming tennis player of the state, Kabir Hans, who in the recent past has won a number of tournaments, has finally found a way to go forward.
In a bid to promote budding talents from different fields, a city-based organisation, PNV Foundation, has decided to support the player. While felicitating Kabir Fiday at the Press Club of Odisha here, PNV co-founder Satyabrat Sanu Ratho disclosed this information. He along with chairman of the Odisha Film Development Corporation (OFDC) and actor Kuna Tripathy felicitated Kabir.
Recently Kabir had created history of sorts by becoming the first tennis player from Odisha to win a national and an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior U-18 tournament. Last month he won the doubles titles at the Adidas National U-18 tennis tournament and YMCA ITF Juniors tennis tournament, both of which were hosted in Chennai. Then he finished runner-up in the ITF Junior tennis tournament in Hyderabad.
Definitely my target is to play the Senior Grand Slam events. But to do that I have to well in the junior level
Kabir Hans
Kabir has shifted base from the Farahan Ali-run Academy at Patia to Ahmedabad at the beginning of the year and is currently being coached by Todd Clark.
“I have learnt a lot from Farhan sir and indebted to him. But now I am in a developmental stage and so I decided to shift to the Clark camp,” Kabir said. “In Ahmedabad the intensity and the facilities are better, the coaching standards are high. I will also get good exposure,” added Kabir, who idolises Novak Djokovic.
Kabir, who was attracted to tennis after watching elder sister Prakriti play the game informed that Clark lays a lot of emphasis on fitness.
“Sir (Clark) is harping on improving my fitness all the time. He is happy with my hand-eye coordination. But he wants me to develop my volley and overhead shots skills,” the class IX student of KIIT informed.
Tennis being a pretty expensive sport, it is Kabir’s father Chetan who is taking care of all the needs. “The Sports and Youth Affairs department of Odisha Government has promised us some financial assurances, but we are yet to get any amount,” Chetan informed.