Retd German Tennis Player To Groom City’s Young Talents | Bhubaneswar News

Bhubaneswar: A tennis academy was inaugurated in the city on Wednesday for the promotion of the game and the preparation of future tennis stars in Odisha. It was set up on the KIIT campus here in partnership with former German tennis player Alexander Waske and the Altevol Tennis Academy.
The academy was inaugurated by Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera and KIIT and KISS Founder Achyuta Samanta in the presence of Sports Department Secretary R Vineel Krishna, Waske, Altevol Sports Academy Founder Chirag Patel and others .
Waske said there are many talented tennis players in Odisha and other states. “This academy will help budding talents to reach Grand Slam level. It will help boys and girls, especially from Odisha, with a genuine interest in lawn tennis and at a lower cost,” Waske said.
Chief Sports Officer (KIIT-KISS), Gaganendu Dash said the academy will also train boys and girls from outside KIIT and KISS. In the first phase, it will train talents of KIIT and KISS.
In the second phase, it will train students from various schools and universities in Odisha. During the third phase, tennis players will be inducted for high-level training aimed at nurturing talented players so that they can compete at national and international level, he added.
He said there will be 15 international level coaches, physios and trainers. From time to time, Waske will come to Odisha to train the students directly. It will also train players through virtual mode, Dash said.
Waske was one of Germany’s top singles and doubles players and competed at the highest level, including appearing in Grand Slam tournaments.