Vijay Amritraj gets Rotary NRI award

01 / 6

Union minister Shashi Tharoor presented Rotary Distinguished NRI Award to former tennis player Vijay Amritraj on Wednesday. (BCCL)

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02 / 6

The event organized by Rotary Club of Chennai saw Vijay Amritraj contrasting the present era game to the an age when the role of technology in the sport was minuscule and players were not accompanied by a dozen trainers, dietitians and fitness-experts. (BCCL)

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03 / 6

"On several occasions I had four dosas before a match and the diet sustained me for four hours on the court. Those were the days when ergonomics of tennis racquet were not designed by an expert from NASA." (BCCL)

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04 / 6

Speaking about his early days he said, "I started playing tennis as the doctor had advised me to take up an outdoor sport to increase my lung capacity. My decision to make a career out of tennis shocked many who were convinced that one couldn't make a living out of playing tennis." (BCCL)

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Interestingly, he also said that more than 80% of the matches were won by errors of the opponent rather than a player's brilliance. (BCCL)

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06 / 6

Shashi Tharoor recalled his days as a student when he was an avid fan of Amritraj and maintained a scrap-book on his matches. He also said that he was the first choice of United Nations as an Asian being nominated as the UN messenger of peace. Applauding the social service done by Vijay Amritraj foundation, he said, "The foundation had transformed many a lives and speaks volumes about his commitment towards India." (BCCL)

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