Opinion Carrying a lamp for Leander

Leander was a child prodigy,and always touted for greatness. However,no one knew just how good he would be. With world-class athleticism,renowned work-ethic,and lightning fast hand-speed,Leander crossed over to the world stage

effortlessly,at a time when no Indian peer of his was within striking distance; that is what makes Leander’s efforts all the more laudable. During his formative years,there were hardly any international tournaments here worth speaking of,and his exposure to world-class competition was limited to the tournaments he would play on the European,Asian,or North American circuits. The story today is different,of course; credit for that should be given to the oft-maligned All-India Tennis Association. The now-defunct domestic circuit has been replaced by an nternational calendar that is chock-full of events in India that give players the opportunity to get world-ranking points. There was even a period when there were two ATP events in Mumbai and Chennai,and a WTA event in Kolkata.

Over these years,thus,the calibre of the Indian tennis player has improved exponentially. Everyone knows Leander,Mahesh and Sania,but today we have unprecedented stories: Somdev Devvarman is fresh off one of the greatest-ever NCAA college careers in America; Yuki Bhambri has become the face of young Indian tennis and,as the world’s number one junior and Australian Open champion,his destiny is in his own hands. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The identity of tennis has metamorphosed: Indians contend at a world-class level today,and in the 20 years that “Lee” has been the face of our tennis,the predominant surface of the tennis court has changed literally (from clay and grass to hard/ rebound-ace),and the personality of the game has changed metaphorically.

India has perennially contended until recently in the Davis Cup,and with Somdev,Yuki,and Lee-Hesh,India can once again be extremely competitive in the future. Let’s not forget the catalyst: a man who has gone through his share of illness

(a neurocysticercosis in 2003) and controversy,but whose career has remained untarnished.

For once,one should focus not on the controversies or side-notes that accompany Indian tennis,and just applaud the man to whom Indian tennis owes its identity. The controversies are subjective,and don’t take away from any of the accomplishments of Indian tennis over the last decade,and least of all,from Leander,a man who has earned his place on the same pedestal as all our cricketing greats — more so,perhaps,because he has accomplished everything without the support of a team,and he has done it consistently,with complete disregard for what he was surrounded by. He often doesn’t get the credit he deserves,but maybe we should look at the French Open 2009 not as the year of Federer,but as a tribute to our own superstar. The development of sports in India,especially tennis,has been shaped largely because of Leander’s success. Let’s try and remember that next time we point an accusatory finger at him or Indian tennis.

The writer is a sports attorney at J. Sagar Associates.

The views here are personal. express@expressindia.com