PANJIM: In an exclusive association with Gera’s ChildCentricTM Homes, Mahesh Bupathi flagged-off Goa’s first Mahesh Bhupathi Tennis Academy with a Masterclass for the children of Goa’s first ChildCentricTM Homes, Gera’s River of Joy, on Sunday. 

Speaking to the media, Mahesh said, “Tennis was very popular in the country and after cricket and football could be the third most popular sport. However, access to the sport was a bit difficult with courts being located in clubs which could take up to twenty years to give you membership. Initiatives like this are making the sport a lot more accessible which adds to the growth of the sport in the country”.    

The masterclass was followed by coaching for the children of Gera’s River of Joy by the academy’s star coaches offering them an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of their ChildCentricTM Homes even before they moved in.

Sharing his thoughts at the event, Bhupathi expressed, “Sport should be an indispensable part of every child’s upbringing and it should be encouraged at all levels. It enables the child to channelize energy and prepare him/her physically, mentally and emotionally for different challenges as they grow up.”

“We are happy to associate with Gera Developments and have the Mahesh Bhupathi Tennis Academy as a Gera's ChildCentricTM Homes exclusive. It is great to see sport being encouraged and made accessible with a novel solution like Gera’s ChildCentricTM Homes. With the academy right within the project premises, I feel confident that there will be more children wanting to explore tennis as an option.”

Having a facility in Goa, he said was exciting and it was a new market with a captive audience. If he could get one of these kids to the national level, he said it would be a win. He said his aim was to place a racket in as many kids as possible. He said playing sport was always very helpful because it helped the child learn to handle different situations.