Within the picturesque, sunny Newport, Rhode Island – just some hours away from the hustle bustle of New York Metropolis – two Indians are ready for his or her flip to enter the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame.
2 hundred and sixty-four folks from 27 nations have been honoured with the title earlier than, and Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj would be the first Indians to hitch the illustrious membership. “At present sitting right here on the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame, I wouldn’t have ever dreamt it,” Paes, the primary Asian male participant to make the record, mentioned. “Enjoying avenue cricket and avenue soccer barefoot again in Calcutta, one would have by no means dreamt that not only one, however two younger Indian boys get to sit down on the rostrum.”
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For Amritraj, who has straddled many roles – that of a participant, diplomat, actor and tv pundit – the ambition has at all times been to be India’s ambassador on the international stage. “Ensuring that India was at all times represented, each single place I performed, whether or not it was a flag, whether or not it was the anthem, whether or not it was for 4 folks sitting there or 4,000 folks sitting [was important],” Amritraj, who’s being inducted as a contributor, mentioned. “It was meant to be India on the world stage and in our sport. And to me, that was at all times a high precedence.”
Three of Amritraj’s 15 singles titles got here on the grounds of the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame in 1976, 1980, and 1984. Paes’ solely singles title was additionally gained in Newport in 1998.
“I heard of the Corridor of Fame the primary time after I researched that Vijay had gained the singles there. I researched that the grass courts have been actually low and therefore, his slice serve, and his low volleys got here into play. I’m not as tall as him, however I figured I might get down low to the grass too as a result of I’m fairly brief for a tennis participant. And one of many distinctive issues that we share isn’t just our Davis Cup ardour, but in addition, we’re champions on the Corridor of Fame,” Paes mentioned in regards to the duo’s reference to Newport.
Speaking about his affiliation with the folks of India, Amritraj mentioned: “I really feel that it’s been a really shut relationship between me and the nation and the folks. The 30 million or so individuals who stay abroad which have made an affect on the world and the place India is right this moment.”