“Taking control of the court, playing it with great passion, hearing the crowd cheer and shout her name and wanting to represent our country in tennis is what Vimya Sri dreams about,” says Kavitha, the mother of eight-year-old tennis player from Porur.
This young champ who aspires to become the best tennis player in the country has recently won title in the Junior Tennis League conducted by Sport India in the U-12 category. In an interview with News Today, Vimya’s mother and her coach talk about her passion for the sport, current tourneys and future plans.
“It’s just been two years since she started playing tennis, but she has already earned big name in the field,” says the proud mother, adding, “She puts in four hours of practice daily and has never missed a class in these two years. Such is her passion towards the game.”
HER ROLE MODEL
“I have seen many children who immerse themselves in online games or other television programmes. But whether you give Vimya a tab or make her watch television, all she would do is watch a sports match. She devotes most of her free time watching Serena’s matches. Serena is her biggest role model. She keeps track of her matches and knows her points like the back of her hand. What is surprising is that, at this age, she even predicts Serena’s moves during a match,” says Kavitha.
Speaking about her passion, Vimya says, “My brother has been my biggest inspiration, and my coach is the best, I would say. He takes care of me and concentrates on each and every game I play. Even I become tired due to handling studies and games, but his encouragement makes me go forward with enthusiasm. All my victories are because of him. My dream is to represent our nation one day. I learn a lot by watching matches of legendary players like Sania and Serena. However, the latter is my all-time favourite.”
COACH’S FAVOURITE
Talking about her dedication to the game, her coach Johnson Jora says, “Vimya is an obedient student and her focus is always on the game. For her age, she handles matches more maturedly, and if she keeps up the same spirit, there are chances that she would appear in international tourneys soon. This is also evident through her recent victory in the U-12 while she belongs to U-10 category.”
BUSY BEE
Vimya’s dates are tight scheduled with a number of tournaments coming up. She will take part in the competitions that will be held in Puducherry and Mumbai. It is also notable that Vimya has appeared in many national-level tennis matches and has put up a commendable show in all of them.
Vimya can be reached at 98941 62050.