With support from HSBC, Road to Wimbledon Junior Masters sees 16 boys and 16 girls strive to go forward after competing in qualifying events in January and February. Tim Henman and Goran Ivanisevic are in India for the event and caused quite the excitement for those strolling around Gateway of India.
Both tennis aces took to rickety boats and engaged in a play game before taking their game on shore. Prior to this, the duo played at Rock Garden in Chandigarh. Crowds cheered them as they put on a show with tennis ball tricks, and crowd engagement activity at one point turned to street cricket with Goran bowling a tennis ball to a gully pro who used his tennis racquet to send the ball to the boundary.
As part of 2015 Road to Wimbledon activities, this morning Tim Henman and Goran Ivanisevic were at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA). They were part of coach education sessions followed by a clinic for Masters juniors. Both players took the time to keep a special livery auto rickshaw (tuk tuk) company for a brief while. The Masters are being held at RK Khanna tennis centre in Delhi. Competitors follow a round robin format of four groups of four with top two going heading to a quarter-final knockout draw. Two boys and two girls who are adjudged finalists win a trip to play at HSBC Road to Wimbledon National Finals in August on grass on at All England Club Wimbledon courts. The Masters Finals are scheduled for Saturday.
Wimbledon Foundation (the charity of the All England Club) has launched an initiative with Magic Bus. Former British Davis Cup Captain and Tournament Director of the Road to Wimbledon, Paul Hutchins introduced the initiative for Delhi’s poorest kids at DLTA grounds. The programme acts as platform for overall development of 2,000 children using tennis and other sports.
Anil Khanna, President All India Tennis Association welcomes the initiative. Helen Parker, Wimbledon Foundation and Community Manager is delighted to launch the Wimbledon Foundation-Magic Bus Project, and hopes for demonstrable impact on children’s development.
Pratik Kumar, Magic Bus CEO is delighted to work with the foundation together with All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) to initiate development using tennis and the Magic Bus approach. Wimbledon Foundation and AITA will provide tennis training. Wimbledon Foundation is providing full funding for the pilot project. Dan Bloxham and former India Davis Cup player, Vishal Uppal took charge of a Wimbledon Foundation Magic Bus clinic with 50 juniors from a selected school.
On #WorldHealthDay,Magic Bus & @WimbledonFdn kick-started a project.Thanks,@Dan_J_Bloxhamkick & Vishal for the clinic pic.twitter.com/TKfqDqHM6k
— Magic Bus (@MagicBusIndia) April 7, 2015
