A ball game for tiny-tots

It is that time of the year when parents would do anything to get their kids out of the comfort of their homes in the hope of inculcating in them an extra skill or two. With numerous summer camps, ranging from arts and craft to volunteering to sports, parents are spoilt for choice this summer. 

With the advent of technology, sport is seen as a career option for many. While most parents insist their children to focus more on academics, there are quite a few who are keen that their children make a career in sports. 

Mylapore Sports Trust, in collaboration with the famous table tennis players and brothers A. Srinivasa Rao, A. Muralidhara Rao along with Meenakshi Ganesh, a former player are conducting a table tennis coaching camp. Twenty-two-year-old international player Vidya N also is assisting them, at times. The USP of the camp is that even 2-year-old children can enroll in the camp. The brothers say that it is a first-of-a-kind in the city; a sports camp for children aged under three. 

“It is just like the idea of preschool. Decades ago, we never knew what pre-school was. Now, it has become mandatory. The idea of having a camp for tiny tots is in the hope of emulating China in grooming world class players. China begin their talent search before the age of three and produce world champions by 17 or 18 years. It is the approach that we want to inculcate, to start with,” said Muralidhara Rao. 

The coaches assert that the camp is not to force children into playing table tennis alone. 

“We start with a physical fitness activity. The main idea of the camp is to create concepts in the minds of these children. Once they decide to take any sport as a career, their foundation will be strong as their physical fitness, mental adaptability and reflexes are well-built,” added Srinivasa Rao. 

A robot that can throw balls at preset speed and direction assists these coaches. 

“The children learn the art of ball sensing and innovative ways of tapping the ball. A young child, at 2.5 years, who can barely reach the table, has developed a unique way to hold the bat for the ball to hit. They are groomed for basic strokes and can convert their physical fitness into intricate table movements later on, added Meenakshi.