Love Tennis at Levin club’s open day
Talented player finds role as coach
Growing up in India, the only contact Nizar Veerankutty had with tennis was what he saw on television. He had never had the chance to play. So, one of the first things the 32-year-old did after arriving in New Zealand in 2016 was join the local tennis club at Levin.
He started playing social tennis — took to it like a duck to water — and then began playing on club nights. In a short time, the improvement in his game was meteoric.
So much so he is now the reigning Levin men’s singles champion. He also competes in Open tournaments around the country, which has led to a New Zealand seed ranking of 966, while being ranked 56th in the Manawatu¯ region.
But it is in coaching and the training of juniors players at the club that Veerankutty has found a niche, overseeing new coaching programmes this season with a strong emphasis on supporting junior players.
Levin Tennis Club has organised a Love Tennis open day on September 11, where anyone was welcome to come along, with games, prizes, reduced membership subscriptions available and four Prince tennis racquet giveaways — and a chance to win tickets to the ASB Classic. On the day, there will also be an exhibition match between Veerankutty and former Levin junior Jeremy Guy, and two free sessions for anyone that signs up that day.
Verankutty, who works in the healthcare system during the day, said the programmes were about inclusiveness, where anyone was free to come along and give it a try. The Levin club had tennis coaches in the past with great success, so are pleased to have someone like Veerankutty come along and inject energy into the role.
But, like many sports, it had experienced challenges through Covid-19 and had been without a junior coaching programme for the last three years.
The club also holds mid-week social sessions, business house competitions after work, and also A and B grade competitions for the more proficient players.
The club’s current president is Richard Cornell and the secretary is Wendy McComb.
Anyone with questions about tennis or the club could contact either Veerankutty (0223762578), Cornell (0274395010) or McComb (0210386028).