Tennis mom Nirupama in Indian team for CWG

NEW DELHI - Nirupama Sanjeev, a 33-year-old mother of a four-year-old is a part of the Indian tennis team in the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

Nirupama, who became the first Indian woman to win a round in a Grand Slam in the 1999 Australian Open, is likely to play in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Sania Mirza will be spearheading the Indian women’s challenge with 20-year-old Poojashree Venkatesha as the second singles player. Rushmi Chakravarthi is the fourth member of the team.

Nirupama, a former India No.1, made a comeback in November last year and has since played a few ITF tournaments in India, the US and China. She says the call to join the Commonwealth camp did not come as surprise.

“I knew some of the players would not be able to play as they didn’t hold the Indian passport. They needed an experienced player and I am happy All India Tennis Association (AITA) called me,” Nirupama, who also runs a tennis academy in the US, told IANS.

“I am enjoying my tennis since my comeback last year. I am in a competitive mode and hope to do well in the Commonwealth Games. We do have a good medal prospect though it also depends on what kind of field we have in the Games,” she said.

Commonwealth Games coach Enrico Piperno was also impressed with Nirupama’s performance in the camp.

“She did really well in the camp. She was very much a stand-out player there,”Piperno told IANS.

The team was selected on the recommendations of coaches Nandan Bal, Piperno and Jaidip Mukerjea after the conclusion of the Games training camp in Pune Wednesday.

Tara Iyer and Sanaa Bhambri are the reserve players. Sanaa could not join the camp because she is in the US for her MBA but being one of the best players in the country was named in the reserve. As for Tara, she has not played on the circuit since 2008 because of injuries, which went against her.

Team: Sania Mirza, Poojashree Venkatesha, Rushmi Chakravarthi, Nirupama Sanjeev. Reserve: Tara Iyer, Sanaa Bhambri.