Under the Rs 25-lakh scheme, announced during the Davis Cup tie against China in April this year, AITA had adopted 25 promising youngsters at five training metropolitan centres, each coached by a former Davis Cupper.

Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) was identified as one of the five centres. The scheme got under way in Mumbai, with Gaurav Natekar given charge of five youngsters. But with Natekar quitting his post as Director of Coaching on May 4, the AITA scheme has been left without a coach for the past two months. Natekar has since joined International Management Group (IMG) in Chennai.

While the MSLTA is looking for someone to replace Natekar, it does not seem to be in a tearing hurry. Secretary Bharat Oza explained the players were almost continuously in tournaments and spent little time in Mumbai.

``As there are not many goodcoaches around, we are waiting,'' said Oza. MSLTA takes respite from the fact that they have the services of another Davis Cupper in Nandan Bal for four days a month. Bal had been appointed to design and conduct the entire MSLTA coaching schedule, and that includes the AITA select five now.

However, Bal is not in a position to provide the intensive coaching envisaged by the AITA scheme nor is he paid to do so. The AITA scheme had earmarked Rs 1 lakh per student per annum. A grant of Rs 40,000 was given to the families of each of the five trainees while Rs 60,000 per student (Rs 3 lakh per centre) went to the association as the coach's salary. The appointment of the coach was left to the centre.

Seven-time National champion Natekar had taken charge of the MSLTA coaching programme in March-April '98. When this scheme came along, Natekar was given charge of the five trainees -- Pratim Parekh, Rohan Gajjar, Saurabh Kohli, Megha Vakharia and Isha Lakhani. The AITA benefits -- Rs 25,000 per month for coaching-- went to him, routed through MSLTA.

With Natekar gone, Oza said it was left to the AITA to decide what to do with the money while Ramesh Desai, AITA secretary, said the coaching was in the hands of MSLTA and the decision theirs.

There don't seem to be many choices for MSLTA if they are seeking a player with Davis Cup experience to replace Natekar, though Desai clarified it was not mandatory for the coach to be a Davis Cupper but preferable.

Now in charge of coordinating and managing events at IMG, Natekar said from Chennai that he had not ruled out coaching sometime in the future. ``I just wanted to explore a different aspect of sport. Coaching is one, this is another,'' he explained.

``I enjoyed coaching and if you see the trainees, they are doing very well,'' he added.

The parents of the five trainees have been given to understand that another coach will be appointed soon. When Natekar was here, Bal was not involved with the `special five'. Now he is, though in his absence, MSLTA coach ManojVaidya goes through the daily grind.

``Since MSLTA asked me to look after these kids, I am doing it because my relations with MSLTA is good. I will do that till they get a replacement,'' said Bal -- who does not get any of the AITA benefits -- from Pune.

But Bal is not interested in the post as he has not been willing to leave Pune. Which leaves MSLTA with fewer choices.