India needs more role models, says Henin
new delhi — Tennis might not be the most popular sport in the country, but former World No. 1 Justine Henin wants to change that and create a sense of love for the game when she visits India later this the month.
The winner of seven Grand Slam singles titles will be in the national capital for the fifth edition of the Roland-Garros Junior Wild Card Series from April 29 to May 1.
The tournament aims to provide clay court tennis experience to the young talent in India and the Belgian feels this will be the time when she would want to create an impression with the kids in the country.
Speaking to IANS, Justine said that lack of role models is definitely one of the reasons why the sport isn’t very popular in the country. While there have been legends like Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupati and Sania Mirza, there has been a dearth of constant supply of personalities and that hasn’t helped.
“It is important to have role models to set examples. They will motivate the kids. For example, when the Belgium soccer team does well, kids want to play the game. Personalities at the top help motivate the kids. Sharing the experience of playing at the top-level also inspires the kids.
“I don’t know enough about India to be precise, but with so many people there, we can ask the question how much the people want to play the game. Things are improving with some players doing well on the ATP tour. I will be able to speak about this more when I get there and interact with the people. I also hear that tennis is expensive and that could be a reason, but this kind of events like the junior wild card series will help,” she explained.—