India’s number one duo from wheelchair tennis — Balachandar Subramanian and Shekar Veeraswamy— engages in an exclusive chat about their professional journeys, the challenges of their sport, their incredible camaraderie, the nature of sponsorships, and much more.
Balachandar, my first question is for you. Growing up, you played a number of sports, from cricket to football, from tennis to volleyball. So, what made you choose tennis eventually as the one to pursue professionally?
Balachandar Subramanian (BS): I was affected with polio in my left leg… (but) I still played a lot of different sports as a child. When I moved to Chennai, I got an opportunity to try out wheelchair tennis. I am not a wheelchair user in daily life and I found the sport really challenging, as it requires a very high level of coordination between the wheelchair, the tennis racquet and the ball. That is when I decided that this is the sport in which I want to prove myself.
Shekar, you became a ballboy at 10, but had to transition to wheelchair tennis after your accident a few years later. How hard was that transition, both physically and emotionally?
Shekar Veeraswamy (SV): It was a very tough time in my life, I had gone completely blank after my accident, even about the fact that I had survived and lost a leg.... But tennis gave my life a purpose after my accident, just as it had done before. I think I am surviving solely because of tennis. Physically, I have struggled a lot in managing with one leg. I have had to push myself very hard, using prosthetic legs to lead as normal a life as I can. Emotionally, too, I felt really low for a long time but wheelchair tennis gave me the motivation to try and lead a new life.
How did the two of you learn to move the wheelchair so quickly across court?
BS: Initially, I would struggle a lot and there were injuries, too. I did not know how to move a wheelchair (for tennis). But I watched a lot of YouTube videos, of wheelchair users from different sports, not just tennis... did a lot of drills, and finally learnt it. But it does take a lot of toll on the hands, and muscles can easily get pulled.
SV: Yes, muscles get pulled all the time initially, but then you slowly begin to master the process, as I had managed to do after watching a lot of other players do the same thing.
The two of you had been singles rivals for quite some time, so how did you finally end up becoming a team?
BS: When I saw Shekar playing for the first time, he did not know how to use a wheelchair, but his shots were like that of someone who was able-bodied. Gradually, we started talking on the phone and began to learn from each other. After we had played a lot of singles matches, we began to chat about the international field of players and decided it was time to team up.
SV: I think once we became good friends, it became easier for us to become a team, since we both had a good range of skills and a positive mindset. Bala was one of the toughest singles opponents I had faced in India, and once we got to know each other better, teaming up was an inevitability.
How different are you two in terms of your skills and personalities on court?
SV: We both have a lot of confidence in each other’s game. When I am playing with Bala, I know that both of us are good ball-strikers and we will make it difficult for our opponents. That way, we have similar skills. This is why we have never lost a doubles match in India.
BS: Let me address the bit about personalities. We are totally different as people. Shekar is very cool and calm, whereas I emote a lot and tend to show my feelings very clearly in between rallies. But I think that helps us complement each other better.
What are your goals and objectives as a team in the near future?
SV: We are looking at a four-year timeline, leading to the 2024 Paralympics. We also want to represent India in the Grand Slams during that time.
BS: We want to bring medals for our country, that is our biggest goal.That is why we need to play a lot of international tournaments in order to improve our ranking and stand a chance of making it to the biggest stage.
How difficult is it to get sponsors for participating in wheelchair tournaments across the world?
BS: For able-bodied players, national and state associations usually do everything, but for wheelchair players, the same associations do not show a lot of interest. Even individually, it is difficult to get sponsorships for wheelchair players in India. When we approach a sponsor... and everyone is so commercial nowadays... they tell us that if they sponsor us, able-bodied players won’t buy their kits or products. This really demotivates us.
SV: Tennis associations in India have to come forward and support wheelchair players so that they can play professionally, and not just have this as a side-hustle or hobby. All wheelchair players should be able to practise properly, like their able-bodied counterparts, in order to win laurels for the country. I also think that big corporates have a role to play and should come forward to support differently abled athletes.
What are your hobbies and interests outside of tennis?
SV: I love to read books, but I am not a very proficient reader, because my financial background prevented me from a decent schooling. Besides my role as coach for both able-bodied and wheelchair players, I watch a fair few movies on YouTube in my free time.
BS: I work for an IT company, as a development manager. I have two kids and spend a fair bit of time playing with them. I like reading, watching videos of Sadhguru. I am not much into movies or TV shows.
How important are wheelchair tournaments in Grand Slams like the Australian Open for providing visibility to players like yourselves?
BS: It’s very important. When I had started out, wheelchair players would not be a part of the biggest competitions, but currently, all Grand Slams have wheelchair tournaments. If you are aiming for the Paralympics as we are, Grand Slams also matter a lot.
SV: Exactly, without that visibility, people do not understand how hard it is to play wheelchair tennis. I must add that the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has been doing a great job of late in terms of promoting wheelchair tennis on a global scale.
Finally, any message for our readers, who are sure to be inspired by your remarkable stories?
BS: Keep pushing yourself, doors will eventually open and you will achieve your goals.
SV: Never give up on your passion.
Watch the Australian Open on 20th February 2021
Women Singles Finals and Mixed Doubles Finals — 1.30 pm IST – LIVE on SONY TEN 2, SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3 (in Hindi)
BALACHANDAR SUBRAMANIAN AND SHEKAR VEERASWAMY FACT FILE
• Subramanian (41) and Veeraswamy (32) have teamed up to represent India at multiple wheelchair international tournaments, including competitions in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• At the 2018 ITF Future Series showdown in Thailand, the duo put on one of their most memorable runs, going all the way to the final before losing out to the Indonesian pair of Agus Sugiharto and Puji Sumartono.
• Both Subramanian and Veeraswamy have played alongside other doubles partners over the years, managing to break into the ITF year-end top 300 rankings — a feat accomplished first by Subramanian in 2011 and then by Veeraswamy last year.
• Besides facing each other in singles contests in India, Subramanian and Veeraswamy squared off in the semi-final of the 2018 Bangkok Cup, where the latter came out on top.
RAPID FIRE
Tennis role models
BS: Roger Federer, Shingo Kunieda
SV: Pete Sampras
One thing you love about your teammate
BS: He’s a really good-hearted person
SV: That he treats me just like his own brother
One thing you hate about your teammate
BS: Nothing, I like him a lot
SV: Nor do I, he is my best friend
Your favourite Grand Slam to watch and one day play in
BS: Wimbledon
SV: Wimbledon for me as well
One wish for 2021
BS: Practice should be on for most of the year, unlike the pandemic-ravaged 2020
SV: To win as many tournaments as possible
