Sports

Match Point - Bhambri

The room is decorated with trophies and medals. Almost like a museum. In the middle of all that, a couch and a girl with a smiling face. Ankita Bhambri, 20. tennis player. New Delhi, India. Tanned. Broad shouldered and it is possible to see her muscles waiting to explode through her jeans. The third best female tennis player in the country, and part of the exclusive league of top 300 players in the world. Firstly, obviously – why tennis ? ‘‘I have been playing since I was 6. I don’t quite remember. My parents put me in it. At 6, I used to play for about 15 minutes a day. By the time I was 7 I could play for an hour at a stretch. At 8 I started playing matches. By 10, I had beaten all the girls in my age group in Delhi and since then there has been no looking back.’’

Tennis player. Must be awfully hard. ‘‘I play from 6 am to 8 am. Then earlier I used to go to college from 10 to 2 30. Then tennis again between 4 – 6 and then gym at night for a couple of hours. After a few months I stopped going to college because the balancing act was getting a bit too much. So I had more time on my hands to rest. But our regime Is extremely mechanical and I am so tired at the end of the day that I just collapse.’’ Oh my god.. so what you do when you’re not playing ? ‘‘I like to read novels mostly the romantic sort. I like swimming and I love watching television, but my parents don’t let me because they think when I have time I should be studying or sleeping . I don’t find to do these things very often, completing a book or watching a movie in bed are rare luxuries.’’

Ankita’s father is a doctor and her mother is a home-maker. Her younger sister Sanaa, 18, is also a tennis player and in ranked 5th in the country. Her brother, only 14 years of age and beats people twice his age and height. The entire family is working towards excelling in the game. Is having your younger sister in the same game, competing for the same goal difficult to handle, is there a lot of off court competition ? ‘‘no, there is no competition on court between my sister and me. I am happy for her when she does well and it works the other way round as well. Our parents have played a big role in making sure that the situation at home is not effected by what happened on the court. Sometime she wins and sometimes I win. At home however, there are a lot of arguments and fights (completely unrelated to tennis) because we are two completely different individuals. She’s more out going and I am a bit of an introvert. She rather go out shopping or partying and I rather watch television at home.’’

What are the other problems to you face, as a tennis player ? ‘‘Firstly, injuries which are a part and parcel of the game. I train for weeks for a tournament and getting injured right before it breaks my heart. If you have to sit out for even a week, it takes a lot of time to get back your feet. Apart from that,the problem of sponsorships. All my travel is funded by my parents. There is little support from the government even though every time I go out of the country to play, I represent India. I have a raquet sponsor and Adidas sponsors my clothes, but that’s it. I have no one to take care of my travel expenditure. Its sad but true. There is little encourangement for players in this country. I have proven my worth again and again but no one seems to notice. And when I am on tour I get awfully lonely. Sometimes when I travel within india I take my parents along. This is why it helps having your sister in the same field, cos msotly Sanaa and I travel together and always have each other for company and support. coming from delhi, which is a very unsafe city I am always worried even when I travel. I feel the need to rush to my hotel as soon as it gets dark, not wander around alone. It’s a bit stupid but that’s how we have been conditioned.’’

Big plans for the future ? Ankita shrugs. Thinks. ‘‘the thing is the next two years are extremely important for me. They could make me or break me. I want to be in the top 100 players in the world by then and am focussing on only that. But later in life I want to be associated with the game. Maybe as a coach because I can be a better coach than most people or even as a commentator.’’


Do you have a lot of independence ? ‘‘ We are a very close knit family. I depend on my parents for everything, mostly money. They also handle all the other things for me. they take all the big decisions for me. being the parents of two girls they are extremely protective. They also don’t want us get distracted by stupid things. The first time I saw a movie in a cinema hall was when I was 18. I have never been to a club or pub in Delhi even though I am almost 20 now. But they are more lenient with my brother, they favour him at some level. If my sister or I have a fight with him then we are the ones who are faulted even when he is in the wrng. They also keep saying, ‘oh he’s our only son’. I know sometimes they are joking but there are times when it gets a little annoying.’’


Its almost like a prison, do you resent it? Ankita breaks into a sad smile, ‘‘I love the game and I want to do give it my 100%. But there are times when I want to go out with my friends or go to the movies. But I don’t even ask, because its an unsaid rule in our house. When Sanaa and I are on tour then we go out sometimes for a movie or something but not that much. Also, I am past my regretting phase. I have just come to terms with the fact that I am different.’’ Then a huge confident grin replaces the sad smile, ‘‘I get to travel so much and see so many different kinds of places meet so many people. How many 20 year olds can boast of seeing over 25 countries ? I also think that I am way more mature than most people my age. Stupid concerns like boys or what to wear are not priority for me. also I am so tired at the end of the day that I just cant be bothered to think about anything.’’

What about boys ? If you had a boyfriend would you tell your parents. Wide- eyed Ankita yells out a definite NO. why not ? ‘‘I have never had a boyfriend but if I did then there is no way I would tell my parents. Its just another problem and I try to avoid conflict whenever possible. For them boys are nothing but a distraction and bad for our future. They would just make it out to be a bigger deal than it is and its just not worth it.’’ So do they expect an arranged marriage. Arranged marriages are a wide spread phenomenom in india, the girl and boy don’t have say in who they marry and the wed-lock is ‘arranged’ by their parents and family. Even though things are better now in urban india, large number of such marriages take place all over the country. Ankita thinks and then, ‘‘I don’t know. But the other day my dad was joking around and asking me to find someone for myself since good guys are difficult to find these days and he is too old to make an effort.’’

Do you experience a generation gap ? Ankita animatedly begins to nod in agreement. She says, ‘‘ Yes !!! If on television there is a couple kissing or something I would be ok with it but my parents would not approve of it. Even in delhi now you see couples walking around hand in hand and my mother doesn’t really like that. The topic of sex is still taboo. I disagree with such a narrow mindset but nothing will change it, at least for my parents. i don’t even try to reason with them anymore.’’

What do you think needs to be done for an improvement in the life of women in india, ‘‘I feel that’s it the women who need to made more aware. They are the ones who should be empowered to raise a noise when they see something wrong happen. They should quit being mere spectators and unite to get equal status in this society. Till this happens nothing that is done for women will be enough.’’ Ankita pauses to take a breath, and at that very moment her mother walks in to call her for dinner. Its not very late. Ankita apologetically,‘‘I have to wake up early in the morining, have to go for training. Maybe we can continue this later.. I am really sorry.’’

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