Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveBodhna Sivanandan: Indian-origin eight-year-old is the chess queen of Europe

Bodhna Sivanandan: Indian-origin eight-year-old is the chess queen of Europe

Compiled by: Amrita Priya

(January 30, 2024) It was only during the lockdown of 2020, that the London based chess player Bodhna Sivanandan began learning the game, and in 2023 she made history by clinching the title of England’s first World Youth Champion in 25 years, stunning the world. The chess prodigy who has caught attention of the entire chess fraternity and the worldwide media even had the opportunity to play a game of chess with British PM Rishi Sunak upon his invitation to 10 Downing Street.

Indian Sportsperson | Bodhna Sivanandan | Global Indian

Bodhna Sivanandan with Rishi Sunak

“I always try my best to win. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn’t,” the eight-year-old who holds the title of Woman Candidate Master said in an interview.

Extraordinary feats

2023 had been full of extraordinary victories for the young player. She defeated former British chess champion Peter Lee in an exhibition match, garnering praises from all around. Impressed by her talent, International Master Lawrence Trent tweeted, “The maturity of her play, her sublime touch, it’s truly breath taking…I have no doubt she will be England’s greatest player and most likely one of the greatest the game has ever seen”.

With her phenomenal performance at the Classical, Treble Crown and the latest European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2023 held in Zagreb, Croatia, Bodhna has become one of the most loved international chess stars.

Bodhna Sivanandan

At the European Blitz Chess Championship 2023, she defeated a number of female grandmasters from across the world. In the penultimate round, she even earned victory over international master, Lorin D’Costa, the coach of the England women’s chess team. The European Blitz Chess Championship had witnessed a massive number of registrations with 555 players, including 48 grandmasters and 50 international masters as participants. Bodhna managed to shine above all, winning the the best women’s player award.

Early start

Bodhna was just five when she embarked on her chess journey, quickly mastering the intricacies of the game. A mere 15 months later, in March 2022 she had clinched silver in both Rapid and Blitz European under eight girls’ tournaments, establishing herself as the world No. 1 girl in Blitz for her age group with an impressive margin of 322 FIDE points. Leonard Barden, the English chess master, broadcaster and journalist described the little chess player as ‘exceptional’ then.

Later in the European Schools under eight age group championships held in Rhodes in May 2022, she won all the 24 games winning three gold medals. She was just seven then.

The same year in August, Bodhna participated in the British Chess Championship in Torquay, earning two wins and a draw defeating the then reigning U12 champion.

Indian Sportsperson | Bodhana Sivanandan | Global Indian

Bodhna Sivanandan

Stumbling into chess

Talking about how she discovered chess, Bodhna shared in an interview, “One of my father’s friends was throwing away some stuff because it was Covid. Inside that there was a chess board. I was curious about the pieces and started playing.” She was just five then.

“Accidentally she started chess,” her father Sivanandan Velayutham, remarked in an another interview.

Recognising her interest in the game he started taking her around the English Chess Federation and to other people in England who play and support chess. These individuals proved to be not only friendly but also supportive of Bodhna’s endeavours.

Chess in the UK

The British government is taking lots of initiatives to promote the game. As part of a new package announced last year, the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will be investing GBP 500,000 in the English Chess Federation (ECF) over two years to nurture the next generation of world-class talent.

The funds will be utilised for specialised coaching, training camps, and advanced computer analysis for international competitions, providing crucial support to both established grandmasters and emerging players.

Bodhna Sivanandan at UK Prime Minister’s residence with other delegates

In an interview given before the announcement and the multiple wins of 2023, the grade four student of St John Fisher Primary School of Harrow in London had shared, “My school has a chess club but it’s just for grade six students, so I am not allowed.”

When asked how does she think she would fare if allowed to play with sixth graders, “I think, I would probably win,” she had replied with a smile.

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Published on 30, Jan 2024

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Young scholar Isha Puri is working on the earlier detection of dyslexia among kids

(March 11, 2023) Despite many studies on the subject over the last few decades, dyslexia remains the world’s most common neurological learning disability. Affecting approximately one in 10 people worldwide, the disorder involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Through her efforts, young scholar Isha Puri has developed an easier, simpler, and cheaper application for the detection and precise prediction of dyslexia. With a combination of various machine learning algorithms, the application can help in averting this neurological learning disability in kids. "My goal is to build a free web-based application that will use a standard computer webcam to screen a child while reading and then use an accurate eye tracking algorithm to detect if the child has a higher risk of dyslexia," the scholar, who was the finalist at MIT Think 2018, shared with Global Indian. Currently, a student of Applied Math/Computer Science at Harvard University, Isha is working on developing the project further and taking it to the market. "Currently, most screenings are either extremely expensive, costing around $1000-$2000, or require hefty scientific equipment, effectively rendering them inaccessible to a majority of the world. Because my

r Science at Harvard University, Isha is working on developing the project further and taking it to the market. "Currently, most screenings are either extremely expensive, costing around $1000-$2000, or require hefty scientific equipment, effectively rendering them inaccessible to a majority of the world. Because my application will be completely free and will not require any hefty scientific equipment, this solution will be accessible to millions of families around the world without regard to financial status," the scholar shared.

Passionate about AI

Born to Indian immigrants who settled in the USA, Isha grew up in the lush green neighbourhood of Chappaqua in New York. Attending Horace Greeley High School, the scholar was introduced to the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) through her parents as kids, who further encouraged her to explore the field on her own. Having developed a few applications as a young teenager, the youngster started working on software to detect dyslexia after a chance meeting with a few affected kids.

"My research interests have always been at the intersection of computer science and social good. Early detection is crucial to helping a child with dyslexia reach their full potential, and unfortunately, far too many children in today’s world go undiagnosed. My research aims to close this gap by providing a freely accessible application for the early diagnosis of dyslexia," the scholar said.

No stranger to competition, Isha has won several awards for her research, including the Second Grand Prize Award in her category at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the 2018 MIT THINK Scholar award, the 2018 National Security Agency Mathematics Honors award, and the 2018 Regeneron WESEF Neuroscience first-place award.

Spreading her wings

Isha's research, "A Scalable and Freely Accessible Machine Learning Based Application for the Early Detection of Dyslexia," involves developing a way to screen children for the disorder using a standard computer webcam. Using a novel combination of two different machine learning algorithms to detect the corners of the eye and the center of the pupil, the eye tracker has a very high accuracy, with a maximum possible error of only a few pixels. These eye-tracking results are then analyzed to determine the duration and frequency of gaze fixations made while reading, as studies have shown that dyslexics exhibit significantly longer and more frequent fixations. Based on this metric, the application will be able to predict if a child has a higher risk of dyslexia.

Explaining her research, the scholar shared, "My research first builds an accurate eye-tracking algorithm that uses only a standard computer webcam. The application then uses this algorithm to track the eye movements of a subject's pupils while reading. And because medical research has shown that dyslexic children have different eye movement patterns while reading than non-dyslexic children, it can classify a subject for dyslexia."

A Cutler-Bell Prize winner (2019), the youngster is also the founder of CreAIte, which is an organisation aimed to inspire girls in artificial intelligence and computer science by teaching creative, hands-on workshops that emphasize artistic and humanistic applications of tech. We hold workshops across the country, in cities like Santa Clara, New York City, Chicago, and Oakland. "In an an age where the number of women in the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence is much less than the number of men, one of the most important things we can do is nurture a community among girls interested in the field. A community of women who will lift each other, inspire each other, and empower each other to be our best selves," the scholar shared.

Thus far creAIte has impacted over 500 students from traditionally underrepresented groups in tech across the USA. "Over time, I have realised that creAIte was not just a “girls coding” organisation. We weren’t even just an “AI and art” organisation. We were a community of firebirds — rising from our stories, taking control of our destinies, and supporting each other as we do it," the young scholar explained, adding that she wishes to expand CreAIte's operations beyond the USA in the coming years.

Follow Isha Puri on Twitter

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How fintech entrepreneur Aman Bhayana helped students avert a ‘PayCrunch’

(March 15, 2022) Moving across the country for college, fintech entrepreneur Aman Bhayana, who, at 22 is the co-founder, PayCrunch, quite naturally revelled in his newfound freedom. But even unbridled independence, he found, was something of a mixed bag. Like his classmates, he would count every last rupee - a difficult call to make when popularity and status were so dependent on “being seen” at the right restaurants and making travel plans. Requests to parents for personal credit cards were inevitably met with a resounding “no.” And with no credit scores, borrowing money from mainstream channels wasn’t possible either. “Obviously, my father wouldn’t let me have a credit card,” Aman smiles. Working out of Third Wave in Bengaluru as he spoke to Global Indian, Aman looks every bit the entrepreneurial 20-something for which Bengaluru is now known. PayCrunch, his micro-finance startup for students has already raised $500,000 in funding from Y Combinator and plans for expansion are well underway. [caption id="attachment_12536" align="aligncenter" width="587"] Aman Bhayana, co-founder, PayCrunch[/caption] The need to ideate Growing up in Delhi in a family of businessmen, the fintech entrepreneur to-be seemed all set for a conventional career path, choosing to study at the prestigious Vellore Institute of Technology in

ch entrepreneur | Aman Bhayana | PayCrunch | Global Indian" width="587" height="525" /> Aman Bhayana, co-founder, PayCrunch[/caption]

The need to ideate

Growing up in Delhi in a family of businessmen, the fintech entrepreneur to-be seemed all set for a conventional career path, choosing to study at the prestigious Vellore Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu. “I was all set to become a coder,” he smiles. “It didn't take me long to realise that it wasn’t for me. I love to write algorithms and design structures but I don’t really enjoy coding. I did at first but I needed something more.” His parents, Sunil Kumar and Poonam Bhayana, run two schools in Haryana – the Tagore Senior Secondary School and IPS Senior Secondary School – a legacy handed down to them by Aman’s grandfather. “My grandfather has been a great inspiration to me,” the young entrepreneur remarks, adding, “He took a loan to start the first school 70 years ago.” Does he see himself in that line of business too? “Not really. I want a career where I am learning something new all the time,” Aman remarks.

To Aman, finding his own path meant leaning into his strengths as a people person and the entrepreneurial acumen that had come to him quite early in life. “Even in school, I was always eager to participate in events in whatever way I could,” Aman says, adding, “If I couldn’t participate, I would anchor them.” This meant taking part in everything from science Olympiads to dance competitions and being a part of various societies in college as well. “In college, I was part of many societies and clubs, I was usually the guy setting things up at an event,” says the boy who draws energy from being around other people. “You gain a lot of knowledge and understanding by observing others. What do they talk about? What they are hearing, and understanding? Right now, we don't understand each other. We need tools to do so and someone has to make those tools,” says the fintech entrepreneur.

When money matters

His experiences in college got Aman thinking. A part of various clubs in college, he even began a small travel-planning business for students. “If a student wanted to travel but had no money, we would ask them for their budget. That was all. We handled the rest,” he adds. The experience gave him an understanding of the challenges faced by college students and look for solutions.

“Everybody wants more spending money, but for students, the need is dire. They don't have the options an employed person has - no credit, banks, etc,” the fintech entrepreneur explains. “But then I thought, why can’t I do something about it? We’re in 2020, there is so much open-source data available to use for behaviour analysis. Why not use that data and give students something they actually need?”

As he prepared to graduate (2019-2020), he and a friend, Meherdeep Kaur, hit upon an idea. What students lacked was a convenient pay later option that could be used through a third-party app or wallet. “Not everyone can get a credit card but everybody uses UPI - more than 15 million accounts have been created in the past four or five years. We wanted to create a system where a student could buy a plate of pani puri and access a pay later option,” he says, of the idea where they could register with a college id, Aadhaar card and KYC process, as PayCrunch accesses open data on their phones.

How human behaviour gave them the way forward

Much of the work involved a study of human behaviour. As they explored repayment systems, they found that customers could be divided into two segments - the ability to pay and the willingness to do so. “We checked their ability to pay by doing the math on the user account. Yet, for willingness? This is something nobody will admit to you - everybody promises to repay debts. So we study past behaviours through social media, transaction data and utility bills,” explains the fintech entrepreneur. It’s a lot less complex than it sounds, for the user at least - the credit lines are approved in an hour or two, after which the user can go to any store, scan a code through the app and pay later.

“It’s not just about money either,” Aman remarks. “In college, there is one thing more important than the money - status. We want to build a whole credit system and offer perks and benefits in the future.” Right now, Aman and his 12-member team are working to partner with stores, restaurants and pubs, and companies like Amazon, Myntra and Starbucks.

People-watching unearthed revelations

Observing people is what Aman enjoys most, thus working out of cafes helps him meet people daily. The fintech entrepreneur explores indie music, loves a good suspense thriller, "Have you heard of a writer named Sidney Sheldon" and looking mystified when met with laughter, he adds, “I have started geeking out into entrepreneurial books as well now.”

Follow Aman on LinkedIn

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Young environmentalist Sanju Soman is working on building model villages

(May 15, 2022) Back in 2012, a 19-year-old student based in Thiruvananthapuram started an NGO named SARSAS (Save A Rupee Spread a Smile), which aimed at encouraging charity and social work in youngsters. Almost a decade later, environmentalist Sanju was selected as one of the young climate leaders from India by the United Nations as part of their campaign ‘We the Change’, for his exceptional work, in 2021. [caption id="attachment_16665" align="aligncenter" width="701"] Sanju Soman[/caption] Currently, Sanju is tirelessly working on several environmental issues through his NGO Sustera Foundation, which drives collective action through capacity building training, campaigns and policy dialogues to equip communities to adapt better to climate disasters and climate change. "Change should happen now and at a very fast rate," advocates Sanju, during an interview with Global Indian, adding, "During my college days, when I was working towards initiating SARSAS, I realised that there are a lot of youngsters who are ready to do social work but they are unable to do so, due to the lack of a proper platform." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker) Some of the major programmes that Sanju initiated in the last ten years

wards initiating SARSAS, I realised that there are a lot of youngsters who are ready to do social work but they are unable to do so, due to the lack of a proper platform."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

Some of the major programmes that Sanju initiated in the last ten years are rainwater harvesting project in Malayinkeezhu, a drought-prone region in Kerala and Trivandrum, an annual charity run to raise funds for financially needy patients suffering from critical diseases. The environmentalist also undertook a 10-day cycling expedition, covering the Western Ghats from Mumbai to Bengaluru in early 2015.

A green panther

A native of Adoor in Kerala, Sanju grew up in Saudi Arabia, where his father worked as a laboratory technician. Although he was attending an excellent school, Sanju would eagerly wait for vacation time, when he would get to come to India. "Saudi back in the day had many restrictions. I was the only child, and didn't have many friends. So, I felt lonely some times. However, back in India, I had several friends. My grandparents lived in a beautiful home, and I remember as a child I would visit paddy field with my grandfather, and loved exploring the village," shares the environmentalist.

[caption id="attachment_16666" align="aligncenter" width="438"] A childhood image of Sanju[/caption]

His love for Kerala made him shift his base soon after finishing his class X in Saudi. "My last two years of schooling were awesome. I made so many friends, and was even involved the co-curricular activities at school," says Sanju, who describes himself as an above average student. After finishing school, while other students were confused whether to pursue engineering or medicine, Sanju chose to study human psychology from SN College in Thiruvananthapuram.

[caption id="attachment_16667" align="aligncenter" width="728"] Sanju during a workshop[/caption]

However, it was during his graduation years that Sanju started getting involved in various voluntary organisations. "I started SARSAS in 2013, which turned out to be one of the largest youth-led NGOs in Trivandrum. The idea was to create a space for young people where they can share their thoughts and discuss about varied social issues, without any hesitations or fear of being judged," shares the nature activist. Through their efforts, SARSAS raised around Rs 70 lakh over five years to support cancer patients, who were from vulnerable communities. The team also launched several social projects, which involved about 300 to 500 volunteers.

Creating a "model wetland village"

During his post-graduation in Climate Change and Sustainability Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Studies (TISS), the environmentalist joined the Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG) as a Research Intern in 2015, where he worked for two months. After he came back from Ladakh, Sanju joined the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and led the Habitat learning project in 2016. There he trained teachers and students of government schools near the Vembanad Lake in Kerala for a period of two years.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

"Vembanad lake is the second largest Ramsar wetland site in India and also one of the most diverse and flood-prone regions in Kerala. Realising the importance of the lake, we engaged with the villagers in teaching the students and teachers about climate change and the importance of habitat conservation with a focus on wetlands, especially the one that they live by," Sanju explains. This work made him one of the 58 Global school ambassadors from across the world, chosen by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) to scale up SDG education in schools.

[caption id="attachment_16669" align="aligncenter" width="751"] Women of Muhamma village working at the social innovation lab[/caption]

It was around this time that Sanju started working on the concept of making a wetland village sustainable and self-sufficient. "Muhamma is a small village which is also part of the Vembanad-Kol Ramsar wetland site. While I was attending a panchayat meeting there, I learnt about the struggles of the fishing community people residing there, especially the women. They were talking about how the increasing plastic pollution was affecting their livelihoods. So, we developed a three-year plan to make the panchayat energy efficient, plastic-free, and also to improve the livelihood of people,” the environmentalist says.

[caption id="attachment_16668" align="aligncenter" width="698"] Sanju, along with several other environmentalists. during an event[/caption]

The programme was affected due to the COVID situation in the country, and the tasks are still a work-in-progress. "There have been drastic changes like reduced plastic consumption, increase in tree cover in the area and recovery of canals,” he says. To empower the ladies in the area, Sanju also set up a social innovation lab, through which Sustera trained over 150 women from the fishing communities on cloth upcycling. He was also part of an initiative to make Muhamma the first synthetic sanitary napkin-free village.

The road ahead

Along with his friends, Sanju started a social enterprise named BHAVA in 2018 to support those women making upcycled goods to sell their products in the market. They succeeded in providing a minimum wage of Rs 5,000 per month to around 40 women through this as an additional income. The environmentalist also launched one of the largest upcycling efforts in Kerala and converted around 30,000 kg of cloth waste into usable products.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

Simultaneously, Sanju founded Sustera Foundation, an NGO, to train youngsters in climate action, capacity building of local self-government institutions, and supporting climate entrepreneurs. The NGO has mentored over 70 entrepreneur teams over the past few years.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

Currently residing in London with his wife Sonu, Sanju works with World Institute of Sustainable Energy. His research centers on understanding and facilitating multi-level climate governance in Kerala. “I met Sonu while we were working at the ATREE and our ideologies matched. We didn’t want an extravagant wedding. Instead, we used the money kept for the wedding to help people in need during the pandemic. We also used some money to develop a Miyawaki forest in a small piece of land,” says the environmentalist, who is also managing Sustera with its new initiatives in Kerala like creating an ecosystem for green enterprises and eco-restoration.

Follow Sanju Soman on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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Transcendental prodigy: 70 world records, three honorary doctorates and 200 awards – K Prisha is the youngest yoga guru of the visually impaired

(July 20, 2022) Thirteen-year-old K Prisha is often addressed as "Dr Prisha" in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, and rightly so. The prodigy has been honoured with not just one but three honorary doctorates for her spectacular achievements in yoga and social service — from the University of Jerusalem Medical College & Hospitals, Vellore (2019), Indian Empire University, Chennai (2021), and World Tamil University of USA (2021). [caption id="attachment_19534" align="aligncenter" width="599"] K Prisha, yoga prodigy[/caption] In 2018 and again in 2019, Prisha brought home the gold in the international yoga championships held in Mayalsia and Thailand. She’s also the youngest yoga teacher for the blind and has been certified by the NCPCR, government of India and holds up to 70 world records for a plethora of skills – yoga, swimming, blind-folded cycling, skating, ambidextrous writing, solving the Rubik’s Cube, Aqua Yoga and more. Global University, Missouri, USA, recognised Prisha as the youngest person to hold the maximum number of world records. This little bundle of talent has even written a book, Yoga Indrae Seivom Inbum Peruvom, in Tamil, highlighting the benefits of the 5,000-year-old ancient Indian therapy to prevent and cure three common diseases – diabetes, asthma, and blood pressure. [caption id="attachment_19535" align="aligncenter" width="831"] Prisha's room-full of awards[/caption] Such

recognised Prisha as the youngest person to hold the maximum number of world records. This little bundle of talent has even written a book, Yoga Indrae Seivom Inbum Peruvom, in Tamil, highlighting the benefits of the 5,000-year-old ancient Indian therapy to prevent and cure three common diseases – diabetes, asthma, and blood pressure.

[caption id="attachment_19535" align="aligncenter" width="831"] Prisha's room-full of awards[/caption]

Such is her command of yoga therapy that people in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry flock to her for treatment and workshops. "Yoga improves immunity, stamina, and focus." I have been doing it since I was one-year-old, "Prisha tells Global Indian. It has helped her "get superpowers," she says, claiming she can "bend a spoon if I want by looking at it (telekinesis)." She’s so attuned to her senses and surroundings that she can ride a bicycle or cook blindfolded.

I can body scan for healing diseases and also make future predictions with the deep focus that I have attained from yoga and meditation - K Prisha

Teacher and healer who is sought by many

The youngster, who has an impressive collection of over 200 medals, awards, and certificates that she bagged in state-wide, national, and international competitions and events, teaches yoga every day to the visually-challenged. She has also been teaching the elderly in old age homes, and NCC cadets, apart from conducting numerous workshops for people from different walks of life. With her guidance, visually challenged students have found a drastic improvement in their eyesight. Schoolkids have also enhanced their focus, and the elderly and those who suffered from COVID-19 are able to lead healthier lives. One of her visually impaired students even went on to break a world record in yoga.

[caption id="attachment_19541" align="aligncenter" width="654"] Prisha with her visually impaired students[/caption]

It all started at home...

Yoga flows in the family. Since Prisha's mother, G Devi Priya, a lawyer by qualification and a yoga teacher by passion, was deeply seeped in it, the prodigy started showing interest in it when she was just one year old. She could do some asanas even before she could walk. The legacy starts with her grandmother, who is a professor of Yoga in Pondicherry. So far, Devi Priya has been her first and only guru, under whose guidance the teen has made extraordinary achievements.

Despite being a gold-medalist in law and MSc in naturopathy and yoga, Devi Priya has been completely focused on managing her multi-talented daughter’s schedules, travelling with her for workshops and competitions.

Her father, Karthik Rajendran, is a businessman and sports enthusiast who has inspired Prisha to excel in sports and martial arts like tennis and karate. At the age of seven, she participated in state and national level crossbow shooting and won gold medal in both. The multi-talented teen has a blue belt in karate and has won several competitions in it as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfkTKEO3Gz0

However, the love for yoga surpasses all. "I want to become a doctor of naturopathy and spread awareness of yoga throughout the world," says the teenager, who has been invited as a judge at the National Youth Festival conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and as chief guest to an event at Nehru Yuva Kendra, a Government of India entity. The youngster’s list of achievements never seems to end. She has been invited to several television programmes covering her extraordinary talent, and has been leaving people awestruck with her ability to instantly choreograph any dance number while possessing a great ear for music.

Yoga for a good life

The standard eight student of Meena Shankar Vidyalaya School, Tirunelveli, looks at her passion to teach yoga as a vehicle of the common good, so that even the vulnerable, like the differently-abled, can benefit and lead a wholesome life. Her dream is impressive — to adopt a village and teach yoga to everyone there.

[caption id="attachment_19546" align="aligncenter" width="847"] Prisha participating in a yoga competition, a few years ago[/caption]

In August 2022, the golden girl of yoga will be heading to Malaysia for a 16-day workshop organised by the Malaysian Association for the Blind. In the same month, she will be travelling to Dubai to receive the Global Child Prodigy award, which will be conferred to 99 other youngsters from across the globe.

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The young ace: Pushti Laddha is one of India’s most promising young tennis stars

(February 9, 2024) As a six year old, when Pushti Laddha held a tennis racquet for the first time, she fell in love with the sport instantly. Her parents, both huge tennis fans, only encouraged her to pursue it. Hardly three years later, Pushti was out on the tennis court playing her first tournament, surprising the audience with her aces. Ever since, she has proved her mettle in several tournaments and is now one of the most promising tennis stars of the country. “Every win is special and every loss is the best teacher,” smiles tennis player Pushti Laddha, speaking to Global Indian. From playing Nationals to being selected for the Road to Wimbledon in 2020 and playing in the ITF (International Tennis Federation) World Tennis tour (Junior Circuit), Pushti has come a long way. The latest feather in her cap was leading the Telangana State Tennis contingent as the U-19 Team Captain at the inaugural ceremony of the 67th National Games held at Jodhpur recently. [caption id="attachment_35701" align="aligncenter" width="331"] Pushti Laddha[/caption] Leading the team “Jodhpur was a great experience. There were moments in the tournament where we had to fight through and moments where we had fairly easy wins,”

tent/uploads/2024/02/PHOTO-2024-01-13-22-42-21.jpg" alt="" width="331" height="441" /> Pushti Laddha[/caption]

Leading the team

“Jodhpur was a great experience. There were moments in the tournament where we had to fight through and moments where we had fairly easy wins,” says the teenager, who holds a career high ranking of 525 in the ITF, junior girls category. Her All-India ranking stands at 38 in the girls U-18 category.

Looking back, it was all worth it and leading the team into the finals was a great feeling, she says soon after her return from Jodhpur. “Though we fell short in the end, there are a lot of experiences to take away from the tournament and it definitely feels amazing to bag the silver for the state while also clutching gold in the individual event,” says Pushti, a class 12 student of Obul Reddy public school, Hyderabad.

On top of her game

Having played professional tennis for past 10 years, Pushti has remained on top of her game throughout. She ranked first in the Telangana state Tennis Association (under-10 and Under-12 category) and has an AITA (All India Tennis Association) playing experience of over 6 years. Based in Hyderabad, she toured all over the country to play various AITA series and has so far played 50 AITA tournaments.

Among the many tournaments she played, the one that stands out for Pushti was the nationals that was held in New Delhi in 2021. “This tournament was especially challenging because I went in with almost no practice for three weeks and lacked confidence. I was not in proper shape to play, so I did not expect much,” recalls the tennis player.

In her first match, the score was 2-5 and she was three match points down against a really tough opponent, but she clutched the game by winning the next 11 games in a row. “Winning that match and reaching the next round gave me a significant boost in confidence. In fact, I won the next 3 rounds after that, beating incredible opponents,” smiles the youngster.

That tournament gave her an experience she will never forget. “It taught me the importance of never giving up and why it’s important to always believe in oneself even in the toughest moments,” informs Pushti, who got the opportunity to meet the President of India for outstanding achievements in sports and academics on Children’s day in 2019.

Growing up in Hyderabad

Born in Hyderabad in December 2006, Pushti Laddha is the daughter of senior IPS officer Mahesh Chandra Laddha and Sunita Laddha. She studied at the Meridian School in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.

When it comes to her academics, Pushti is an equally bright student who has always scored high. “I secured 97.6 per cent in Class X, which was among the top five,” shares a beaming Pushti, who even topped her class for last eight years. She was also appointed as deputy sports secretary in Meridian school.

She was awarded the best all-rounder, Math-a-Magician and general proficiency certificates consecutively for the last four years by her school. She also won gold medalist in the Euphoria Sports Fest inter-school tennis championship in 2018 and went on to receive the young Achievers award for excellence in sports and academics by Metamorphosis.

“I have plans to pursue higher studies and my family, being completely supportive, has been helping me with decisions,” says the budding tennis star, who was also awarded the Star pupil award in Grade X in a batch of 150 students.

Discipline everyday

Pushti Laddha makes it a point to practice for 4-5 hours everyday which includes tennis and gym sessions. “Tennis sessions are generally in the morning for 2-2.5 hours after which I attend school, followed by fitness sessions. I have coaches with whom I work out a schedule for each day and also for the week,” informs the teenager, who trains with her coach Praveen Bhargava at the Ace tennis academy in Hyderabad.

Throughout her tennis journey, Pushti faced multiple challenges and overcame it. “Challenges arise in every part of the journey, be it injuries or balancing sports with academics. I have realised that discipline is the only way to overcome them all,” says Pushti.