Nitture hopes win brings in assistance

PANCHKULA: Maharashtra’s Akanksha Nitture rallied from a set down to defeat Karnataka’s Suhitha Maruri 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 and claim the girls’ tennis singles title at the Khelo India Youth Games here on Saturday. The 19-year-old will wait to be rewarded for her perseverance in the blazing sun with a scholarship from the organisers.

The financial assistance will help the Mumbai-based Nitture fund her trips abroad for ITF tournaments—she is 15th in the national senior rankings—that will help improve her WTA rankings.

“I have been low on funds in the last few years. My father is a teacher and cannot afford my travelling, diet and other requirements. My coaches and I have been looking for sponsors but have not succeeded. I won silver in the last Khelo Games in Guwahati in 2020, but due to Covid much time got lost.

“Winning gold here gives me hope of winning a scholarship. I have two back-to-back ITF tournaments lined up in Gurugram,” said Nitture, who trains at Mumbai’s ASA Academy. She hit the headlines last year after winning the singles and doubles at the national under-18 clay court championships in Chennai.

“That double title win was a major fillip for Akanksha. She became big in the U-18 circuit. She has been outstanding in Maharashtra. The only constraint is financial issues. She is not able to travel for ITF tournaments in India as well as abroad… (she) has never travelled abroad for a tournament. Then how will her WTA ranking improve?” asked her coach Shekhar Tompe.

Maha ahead of Haryana

Maharashtra topped the medals table with 37 gold, just ahead of Haryana (36).