Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 10: Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde has been appointed National President of the Tennis Cricket Sport Federation of India (ITCSF), marking a significant step toward the professional growth of tennis cricket in the country.
Dr. Shinde was the chief guest at ITCSF’s first Annual General Meeting and press conference held in Thane. Former Thane Mayor and Shiv Sena Thane District Women’s Wing Organizer Meenakshi Shinde, along with Corporator Mandar Keni, were present as special guests. All dignitaries were felicitated on stage, following which the official ITCSF logo was unveiled.
During the event, Dr. Shinde presented appointment letters to newly appointed state and regional presidents. The appointees included Ravi Kumar Gaba (Haryana), Hemant Baniyal (Delhi NCR), Arpit Chaturvedi (Uttar Pradesh), Pradumn Pratap Gohal (Madhya Pradesh), Deepak Pawar (Maharashtra Zone 1), Rakesh Pawar (Maharashtra Zone 2), Vanrajsinh Gohil (Gujarat), Piyush Shrivastav (Purvanchal, UP), Suresh Rana (Uttarakhand), Chandan Yadav (Bihar), Arindam Dhar (West Bengal), Mr Shaffi R (Tamil Nadu), Rakesh Sharma (Rajasthan), Eshan Bhandari (Chhattisgarh), Usman Shaikh (Goa), and Arif Khan (Dubai).
In his address, Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde (MP) extended a warm welcome to the federation presidents from across the country who gathered in Thane-Mumbai. He noted that, much like the IPL, tennis cricket is witnessing a steady surge in popularity, with an increasing number of people taking up the sport. Emphasizing the need for growth, he said the time has come to introduce a professional structure for tennis cricket, as not every aspiring player can find a place in the IPL. Organizing more tennis cricket tournaments, he added, would create valuable opportunities for emerging talent, help shape their careers, and provide a strong platform to showcase their skills.
He expressed confidence that with collective effort and support, tennis cricket can reach new heights. He also highlighted that during all-party meetings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi encourages MPs to actively promote sports within their constituencies so that young athletes can progress to professional levels. Today, he remarked, almost every child dreams of becoming a cricketer, and the immense potential within cricket continues to attract widespread interest.
Dr. Shinde further stated that a promising new beginning has been made, with everyone committed to elevating tennis cricket to greater prominence. He shared that he held discussions with state federation presidents on ways to strengthen and expand the sport nationwide. Drawing parallels with the successful professionalization of “Pro Govinda” and kabaddi by his government, he affirmed the vision of transforming tennis cricket into a large, well-structured, and professionally managed platform.
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Divya Agarwal
