Rural Development Trust: Tennis as a tool for effective positive change in India

The sport of tennis has historically been reserved for the urban upper classes in India, and is yet to reach the confines of rural regions and spread to those from weaker economic backgrounds. The Rural Development Trust (RDT) is attempting to break down these barriers, by using tennis as a tool for social integration and holistic development among the underprivileged youth of Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.

In 2010, RDT partnered with the Rafa Nadal Foundation (RNF) to start a tennis school in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India, by the name of Nadal Educational & Tennis School (NETS). The main objective of this initiative is to provide quality educational support and tennis training to the underprivileged children of Anantapur, helping to introduce tennis as a new sport to the masses.

The NETS programme integrates education and sports, by providing children with daily English and computer classes, after regular sessions of tennis coaching. While computers as a subject in the local government schools is almost unheard of, the English teaching there is below par. This gap is bridged by NETS, providing the students with sound understanding and practical knowledge on these subjects. Imparting quality education and skills development in tennis has helped in creating a sporting eco-system where education and sport go hand-in-hand.



The education programme at NETS is provided to every enrolled athlete. The classes have been neatly separated, ensuring that the children get ample space to devote their time to both subjects. The programme at NETS has allowed marginalised youth in and around Anantapur to learn and grow, with the most important change seen in them being the transformation of shyness and rigidness into confidence and exuberance. As Raduan El Choubi, head coach at NETS puts it, “This is a great opportunity and an excellent learning curve for all the budding youngsters here and they should make great use of the excellent services being provided through NETS.”

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