Jignesh Raval is likely one of the greatest tennis coaches within the nation. The final two nationwide ladies’s champions Zeel Desai and Vaidehi Chaudhari have come from his secure in Ahmedabad. In reality, he has skilled them from the age of 10 and 11 respectively.
A soft-spoken coach, with a troublesome streak in relation to moulding gamers, Jignesh has had a wealthy expertise grooming plenty of gamers with missionary zeal.
As we work together with him at his residence and the various tennis centres in Ahmedabad, together with the state-of-the-art facility Altevol Academy, run with German collaboration alongside facet Alexander Waske, Jignesh reveals his passage to excellence.
What strikes most is the truth that he has given up on a rewarding profession within the UK, USA and Canada, the place he had an opportunity to dwell the remainder of his life, educating tennis. He selected to be again residence after fruitful stints in all these international locations, utilizing the expertise to place a system in place in India.
A national-level participant, who represented the Gujarat University, Jignesh had began as a tennis coach on the Ahmedabad City Foundation earlier than transferring to the tennis-rich nations for invaluable expertise — at Camp Robin Hood, Van der Meer Centre, and dealing for David Lloyd on the Country Club close to Wimbledon, aside from Bobby Mahal in Canada.
First Indian coach
“I was the first Indian coach at Camp Robin Hood. There have been nearly 50 Indian coaches there so far,” mentioned Jignesh, with comprehensible delight.
What helped him achieve immense expertise inside a couple of years of worldwide stint was his devotion to the job.
“I worked way too hard in those days. Was working for 12 hours day, and it was quite normal to go the full year without a single day off”, he mentioned.
Yet, when he arrange a system in Ahmedabad, he ensured that the coaches weren’t over-worked.
“The first big step in Ahmedabad was private land and private resources for tennis. We started in 2011 with three tennis courts. Then, it increased to seven in the second phase. The Ahmedabad Racquets Academy (ARA) was originally planned to have 22 tennis courts. Then, the plan changed as a football field took away space,” recalled Jignesh.
“We had a standard teaching method (STM). And as per the PTR (Professional Tennis Registry) system, we had all the coaches looking the same, with a dress code, and we also had weekly plan for training,” he mentioned.
Code of ethics
That aside, there was code of ethics for the coaches about how they work together with the gamers.
“Most importantly, we ensured that every court will have only four to six kids training at a time. Each coach was also entrusted with only 15 students. The coaches had a 100% hike in their salary, and had to coach only for eight hours. We had parents’ education, about what to do and what not to”Jignesh Raval
Despite the beneficial move, life was not at all times sort. Jignesh went via a troublesome time, off the court docket, and needed to half methods together with his pet challenge.
He had trusted buddies, Dhiman Vyas, Shani Patel and his spouse Kunjal Patel, with all of the sources, to again him with a recent enterprise, and a model new facility with six courts that sprang up in three months.
“Out of the 32 players in ARA, 29 came with me to the Ahmedabad International Sports Academy (AISA) in 2015,” mentioned Jignesh, giving a touch concerning the belief he had gained within the tennis circle.
In 2018, Alexander Waske, a former top-100 participant operating a profitable tennis system in Germany, visited Ahmedabad, and initiated a deal for a wholesome collaboration.
“We had to go to Germany for a three-month training stint. There were 16 of us. The German Ambassador, a tennis fanatic, visited us to confirm that we were all genuine tennis fraternity. We got the visa in 10 days, and had a very fruitful learning experience in Germany. The tennis continued back home and all the players and parents waited for us to return”, mentioned Jignesh.
Word unfold and the Academy attracted gamers from throughout the nation.
“We had about 20 kids from North India alone, from Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana,” he mentioned.
With all his expertise, Jignesh feels strongly that the Indian ladies gamers can change into top-100 quite a bit faster than the boys.
THE GIST
The final two nationwide National ladies’s champions Zeel and Vaidehi have come from Jignesh’s secure in Ahmedabad
When he arrange a system within the western metropolis, he ensured that the coaches weren’t over-worked
With all his expertise, Jignesh feels strongly that the Indian ladies gamers can change into top-100 quite a bit faster than the boys
“Both Zeel and Vaidehi, first became national under-18 champs before winning the national women’s titles. They are different. Zeel is very sound in tactics and technique. We call her Zeligator as she operates on court like an alligator. Off court, she may be easy going, but has great clarity on court. Vaidehi is smart physically and works very hard. She is obedient and loyal. Most energetic,” he mentioned.
Two gamers who have been very near him and his household, as they stayed with him at residence, Paras Dahiya and Aman Dahiya did very effectively earlier than they selected to maneuver on.
“Paras was like my son. Aman, I had announced in 2019 that he would play the junior Grand Slam by 2022. He did !”, Jignesh was a bit emotional, because the attachment with the 2 was fairly sturdy, as that they had endured the pandemic collectively at his residence.
What gave most satisfaction to Jignesh was the stint he had with the tall and gifted Mann Shah.
“When I saw Mann play, I told his parents that there would be only training for nine months. Mann was top-20 or 30 at that time in national ranking. He came down to 65. But we stuck to our plan. In those days, I used to call the players at 4 a.m. It was the best time to train and we did it till 6.30 a.m. We could hear the sound of the ball, and the players developed a high degree of concentration. We did it for six weeks, as preparation. Parents were mad at me,” he remembered.
Desired outcomes
The desired outcomes have been achieved. Mann, the final direct entry within the Fenesta National championship, received the under-16 title. Zeel was ladies’s runner-up, Vaidehi received the under-18 title.
“Mann was on fire in that championship in 2017,” he mentioned with delight.
From the wilderness, Mann went on to change into one of many prime juniors on this planet, enjoying the Grand Slams, and beating the World Nos. 1, 2, 3 juniors alongside the way in which.
Jigensh pulls out his cell phone and reveals the main points of Mann beating Holger Rune 7-5, 7-5 within the semifinals, on technique to the title in Abu Dhabi in an ITF junior match.
Of course, everyone knows that the 20-year-old Dane, Holger Rune is No.4 on this planet now. Mann is making an attempt to return to tennis after his collegiate stint within the US.
Jignesh has super respect for lots of coaches across the nation, together with the Aussie Todd Clark who had labored a terrific cope with Zeal, amongst others. He admires the work ethic of the nation’s No. 1 participant Ankita Raina.
“If our young players have the work ethic and attitude of Ankita, we can definitely have a top-50 player in the world,” he assures.
He could be very clear that with self-discipline, integrity and work ethic, gamers and oldsters must have a long-term plan for wholesome progress.
With his mom Yashodhara Raval being a recipient of the very best trainer award from the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi in 2008, Jignesh feels that educating comes naturally to him. He is assured that with greatest practices, Indian tennis can flourish.