Mahesh Bhupathi to help in Selection of Ballkids for Australian Open
Tennis - India's Davis Cup captain and former World No. 1 doubles player Mahesh Bhupathi has said that he is happy to be part of the programme to select ball boys for the upcoming Australian Open in January. Currently, 100 boys have been shortlisted and ten of those will be selected to become ball kids at the first Grand Slam of the season, according to The Hans India. More than 1,800 kids had applied to be part of the programme from the four metro cities in India - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.
The shortlisting exercise will take place at the R.K. Khanna Stadium in Delhi on Saturday by two officials from Tennis Australia. There will be several drills and exercises to choose the most talented boys and girls from the group. Bhupathi has mentored the kids himself and the selected ball kids will have a special class with him on Sunday. All expenses will be borne by KIA Motors themselves. Bhupathi commented, "I am thrilled to be part of this exciting initiative. I am looking forward to interacting with these talented 100 kids. I believe they are all just 10-12 years old and are yet fully versed with the nuances of the sport. It's amazing."
This is the first time that KIA Motors has bought the Australian Open Ballkids Programme to India. The first Grand Slam of the season will be held from January 14th to January 27th.
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