21-year-old Dalwinder of Jassowal is national champ

Chandigarh, October 8
When Dalwinder Singh said yes to playing tennis, he had no clue what the sport was all about. At age 9, along with a few other kids from his class, he had given his consent, thinking he would be playing badminton.
“I was in Class V when Harvinder sir came to our school and asked who all wanted to play tennis. A couple of my classmates and I raised our hands. We thought he was asking us to play badminton,” laughed Dalwinder, recalling the 12-year-old incident hours after becoming the national champion on Saturday.
Dalwinder beat top seed Suraj Prabodh 6-3 6-4 in the final, becoming only the second player from Punjab after Sunil Kumar Sipeya to win the National Championship.
Rich harvest
When he took up the sport, not knowing anything about tennis was the least of his problems. Having been born in a poor family in Jassowal, a small village near Ludhiana, Dalwinder’s chances of playing and succeeding in a sport like tennis were practically zero. Luckily for him, Harvinder Singh, an NRI, established the Harvest Tennis Academy in the village. When Harvinder went around looking for local talent, Dalwinder took up the sport, even though he had badminton in his mind. And soon enough, Dalwinder was hitting tennis balls, and his father was employed as a bus conductor by the academy.
No wonder Dalwinder attributes his success to the academy. “What Harvest Tennis Academy has done for me, even parents can’t do for their children,” said Dalwinder. “Ever since I got enrolled there, they sponsored each and every need of mine. I never faced the hardships that anyone coming from my background would face.”
Pride and joy
His parents, extremely pleased with the achievement of their son, sounded equally grateful to the academy. “We had nothing to support our son. Wherever he is today, it’s because of the academy,” said Karamjit Singh, his father. “We are extremely happy for our son, but nothing would have been possible without the academy,” said Dalwinder’s mother, Manpreet Kaur.
For the academy, too, it’s a proud moment. “It’s a matter of great pride for us that a kid from our village has reached the top,” said Gaurav Bharadwaj, tennis manager at the academy. “We’ve taken care of all his needs right from the beginning, ranging from diet, equipment, medical, travel, et al. But without his hard work and dedication, all this would have meant nothing.”
For Dalwinder, it’s just the start. “I am of course very happy to win the national title, it’s even more special because I am just the second player from Punjab to win it,” said Dalwinder. “But it’s just the beginning of the journey. I want to achieve much more.”
His coaches believe the 21-year-old has the game and temperament to achieve bigger goals. “He’s aggressive in his approach, and has a big serve. If he keeps working hard and stays focussed, we are going to hear a lot about him in the future,” said Gitesh Awasthi, one of the coaches at the academy.