Palava hosted Lawn tennis championship, an open athletic tournament at Lakeshore Greens, the categories for the tournament comprised of both U-19 boys and girls and 35+ men and women. Read here.
Palava hosted the Lawn Tennis Championship, an open athletic tournament at the Olympic Sports Centre at Lakeshore Greens. The categories for the tournament ranged from U-10 boys and girls to 35+ men and women. There were over 150 contenders from different parts of Mumbai. The upbeat tempo, the rush of adrenaline from running around the court, and overall the ambience of such a well-organized professional tournament by Palava in association with the sports management company Hotfut was truly enthralling. Once the rally began, eyes of the spectators scanned back and forth as the ball travelled from one side to the next. The opponents were swift, grunting and grueling, sliding and diving to keep the rally alive. Every point, every game, every set meant the world to them. Amazing moments of triumph and defeat, dulls and roars! The winners were awarded trophies and certificates.
Sharing his experience, Palava resident, member of the City Sports Council, and 35+ Men’s Singles Winner, Shrinivas Rao, said “The competition has been a wonderful experience for me. I played volleyball and didn’t pick up tennis until I moved to Palava in 2017. Being the champion after competing against veterans makes me feel incredibly proud. I am grateful that I had the chance to use a top-notch sports facility close to where I live.
My wife Soumya, who had never played sports before, began playing tennis and volleyball after we moved to Palava, and my daughter Shriya, who had just begun practising tennis, also is getting trophies home!
I relocated to Mumbai from Mangalore 5 years back for work reasons. My family was astonished by the lack of space in Mumbai; I was prepared to resign and return home when a friend advised me to think about Palava. That was truly a game -changer for us!”
Sandeep Dhaigude, Men’s Singles and Doubles participant from the Thane Lawn Tennis Academy, Officers Club, Thane East, added, “ Even though the competition was fierce, it was thrilling to play in a setting where everyone had the same goal in mind: to take home the trophy. I had the good fortune to perform well in men’s singles category, and getting a first place in the category was the icing on the cake. The journey to the finals was difficult since I had to fight against seasoned veterans and quick-footed players, who pushed me outside my comfort zone and helped me advance to the Men’s Doubles (Open Category) Semi-Finals. Really thoughtful of the city to also allow non-residents to get an exposure.”
Palava has a sports infrastructure of international standards with professional coaching, and it takes tremendous efforts to give a platform for the dedicated, enthusiastic sportsmen. The city is built to provide an ecosystem for living a healthy, fit life. To ensure that sports fans have the best possible experience and are constantly challenged, the city routinely hosts events of this caliber.
To know more about the sports facilities and tournaments at the Olympic Sports Centre, please write to: sports.info@pcma.in