Krishan Hooda at CLTA in Sector 10, Chandigarh. Express
As a junior player, then 10-year-old Krishan Hooda of the Chandigarh Academy for Rural Tennis (CHART) at the CLTA Stadium watched an exhibition match featuring Leander Paes in April 2012 at the stadium in Sector 10. On Monday, 15-year-old Hooda was named in the Indian junior Davis Cup team for the Junior Asia Oceania Davis Cup final qualifying round to be played in Kuching, Malaysia, from April 9.
“I remember watching Leander Paes sir play here at CLTA when I had just joined CLTA. He is a Davis Cup legend and every junior player aims to be like him. The Junior Davis Cup has been played since 2002 and every player dreams of playing in the event. It is a good opportunity for me to showcase my talent at the international level. The regional qualifying round will see us playing against teams like Japan, China and Korea and playing in Malaysia will also be a challenge for me. In Doha, I played three matches and the Indian team finished runners-up. The Qatar experience will also help my game a lot,” said Hooda, a student of the XIth standard at DAV Public School, Sector 8.
A native of Sanghi village near Rohtak in Haryana, Hooda shifted to Chandigarh in 2012 and became the U-14 champion at the junior nationals in Aurangabad apart from finishing runners-up in the U-14 category at the Fenesta Open in Delhi last October. Earlier in January, the youngster paired up with Amit Beniwal to reach the finals of the U-16 doubles category of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) juniors event in Indore. Last year, the youngster had to miss his training for more than two weeks when his father Dayananad Hooda underwent bye-pass surgery.
“Training at CLTA has also meant that I stay away from my family. Last year when my father had to undergo bye-pass surgery, a lot of friends told me to stay at the village. But my father wanted me to continue my training. I have not told him yet about the selection but when he gets to know, he will be elated. Reaching the finals of the ITF junior in Indore boosted my confidence and before the junior Davis Cup, I will also play the ITF Juniors in Dehradun, Raipur and Madurai. My coaches have supported me a lot at CLTA and I will talk with them ahead of the junior Davis Cup,” added the youngster.
CLTA head coach 44-year-old Y Romen Singh, too, rates Hooda highly. “Krishan has been one of the top three players in the U-14 category in the past and this call for the Indian junior Davis Cup team is a huge opportunity for him. It will work as motivation for him. His strength has been his consistency and his confidence in his shots,” said the head coach.