Dmitrii Baskov, former hitting partner of Simona Halep, helping feed poor in India

A little known tennis player from Moldova has been hailed as an Indian hero after helping feed the poor in the city of Ahmedabad during the current lockdown.

Moldova's Dmitrii Baskov, who has been stuck in the Indian city of Ahmedabad since January has been helping feed the poor people during his time in the city.

Baskov has represented Moldova in the Davis Cup and is a former hitting partner of World No. 2 and Wimbledon champion Simona Halep,  has been working with people at the Ace Tennis Academy and the Shree Sava Foundation in Ahmedabad.

The 25 year old Baskov arrived in India in January to visit a tennis academy in Ahmedabad, the capital of the state of Gujarat.

Speaking to AFP, Baskov says, "My friend mentioned this (idea of feeding the poor) and I said 'yes, sounds great' and the next day we did it and it continued day after day."

"One hundred, 200, 300 packets and then we realised we are doing some great stuff. It is not a daily desire or action, it is now a natural act of helping.

"I am a sportsman and nothing more than that but the desire to help is always with me.

Baskov has also been personally impacted by the current global crisis. His father, a doctor in Moscow, has recently recovered from the virus. His mother is also a doctor in Moscow.

"My dad has plenty of stories of people almost dying and he is right there.

Baskov, who last competed on the professional circuit in December, has also donated blood to help people with thalassemia.

One of the people working alongside him,  Mitul Parikh, hailed the Moldovan player as a Indian hero. "He is an Indian hero and could be a role model for a number of Indians who have not come out of their houses to even help out in one way or the other."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2WEcxN0