It is tough for young players in Covid-19: Saketh Myneni
Hyderabad: For Saketh Myneni there was good news when he was named as a replacement for the injured Sumit Nagal to be part of the Indian Davis Cup team that will play Finland in Helsinki on September 18 and 19. According to reports, non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal and chairman of the selection committee, Nandan Bal […]
Hyderabad: For Saketh Myneni there was good news when he was named as a replacement for the injured Sumit Nagal to be part of the Indian Davis Cup team that will play Finland in Helsinki on September 18 and 19.
According to reports, non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal and chairman of the selection committee, Nandan Bal felt that Myneni, who last played for India in 2018 in the World Group Play-off tie against Serbia, would be the right choice as replacement for Nagal.
Since Myneni can play both singles and doubles, he was added to the squad. The Hyderabad-based player has played six Davis Cup ties for India in eight nominations. He was also part of the Indian squad that beat Pakistan in Kazakhstan in 2019 but did not get to play any match.
“It is a great morale and confidence booster for me. I was working hard but I could not travel because of the Covid-19 restrictions. I have been training for the last four or five months, trying to improve my fitness and waiting for the opportunities. We are not able to travel and play tournaments because of the pandemic since last year. The last tournament I played was in India, in April this year,’’ said the 33-year-old, whose first Davis Cup was in 2012 against New Zealand in Chandigarh.
Speaking about how the Covid-19 has wreaked havoc with the players, Myneni said it is very tough for any individual player in the present scenario. “With reduced number of tournaments, increased travel/quarantine expenses, travel restrictions and visa issues, it is tough for any player. Most Indian players who are playing tournaments, are on road for at least 2-3 months without returning home, and have also been fortunate to have visas beforehand. Not every player can afford that. The good news is that players have resumed training again in India. But the bad part is that we can’t plan or schedule or travel because of the Covid-19, and also it has become difficult to get entry into the tournament due to cancellation of most of the tournaments.’’
The seasoned player said it is very difficult for young players to stay motivated now. “With no tournaments in Asia, the travel restrictions, and difficulties in obtaining visas, increased cost of travel, and lack of sponsorships will make it difficult for Indian players, especially the juniors. It is not easy to be motivated to just train all the time and not play any tournaments’’
When asked on Sania Mirza’s influence on the tennis in India, Myneni said she is an inspiration to all tennis players in India. “All the past legends of Indian tennis played their part for the growth of game in India. Sania’s achievements speaks volumes and she continues to inspire the current and future generations with her comeback.’’said Myneni, who practices with Sania whenever she is in Hyderabad. Sania and Myneni had won Asian Games mixed doubles gold in Incheon Asian Games in 2014.
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