Latest news with #VijayAmritraj
Hindustan Times
02-08-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Prayagraj plans largest animal birth control, anti-rabies drive
Sangam city is set to launch its largest-ever animal birth control (ABC) and anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) drive to tackle the growing menace of stray dogs in urban areas. Newly constructed Animal Birth Control Centre in Rasulabad area of Prayagraj . (HT PHOTO) From high-end colonies to densely populated localities, the stray dog issue has become a daily concern for residents. Municipal authorities admit a steady rise in dog bite cases and road accidents involving stray animals, heightening public concern—especially children and senior citizens. According to some estimates, more than 700 dog bite cases occur daily within the city limits of Prayagraj alone. New infrastructure to support ABC-ARV efforts In a proactive move, the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) has set up an Animal Birth Control Centre in Rasulabad. A second facility in the same area has recently been completed and is scheduled to begin sterilization and vaccination operations starting August, said officials. Constructed by the Construction and Design Services (C&DS) wing of Jal Nigam at a cost of ₹1.85 crore, the new center includes modern amenities such as an operation theatre, pet salon, kennels, community kitchen, park, pet shop, office, preparation room, dormitory, and pantry. 'The center is capable of sterilising up to 32 animals per day,' said Rohit Kumar Rana, project manager, C&DS. Targeting 75% of stray dog population As part of its broader strategy, PMC is initiating a citywide ABC-ARV campaign, aiming to cover 75% of the estimated 1.13 lakh stray dogs in the next six years. The municipal corporation has already started the tendering process through a Request for Proposal (RFP) to bring onboard a qualified agency or NGO to implement the project. 'This initiative is critical to ensure the safety and well-being of city residents,' said Dr Vijay Amritraj, veterinary and animal welfare officer, PMC. 'We plan to sterilise and vaccinate the stray dog population in a phased and systematic manner.' Annual goals and standards To meet the programme's objectives, around 18,000 surgeries will need to be performed annually within PMC limits, including providing adequate post-operative care. All procedures will follow standards prescribed by the Animal Welfare Board of India. As of now, 4,540 dogs have been sterilised and vaccinated in Prayagraj, according to municipal data. Role of implementing agency The selected agency or NGO will be required to deploy: At least two qualified veterinary doctors (each with experience in 500+ ABC-ARV surgeries), four paravets, four dog catchers and drivers for designated dog vans. While PMC will provide the dog vans, the operating agency will bear all operational, maintenance, fuel, repair, and wage costs. All dog bite cases must be reported to the nearest government hospital. The implementing agency must also maintain a mortality rate below 0.5%, with evaluations conducted after every 500 surgeries, said officials.
NDTV
18-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"Proud Chennai Open Is Back In TNTA's Centenary Year," Says Tennis Legend Vijay Amritraj
Indian tennis legend and Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) President Vijay Amritraj has announced the return of the Chennai Open International Women's Tennis Championship after a three-year hiatus. In an exclusive interview to NDTV's Tamil Nadu Brief weekend edition, Amritraj called it a proud moment as the tournament coincides with the centenary year of TNTA. With a budget of Rs 12 crore and a prize purse of Rs 2.4 crore, the upcoming WTA 250 event is expected to host around 60 players from the world's top 100 rankings. "The support from the Tamil Nadu government has been huge," Amritraj said, while acknowledging challenges in attracting top players due to overlapping tournaments. A tie-up with global sports agency Octagon, which holds a three-year licence for the event, is expected to help. Reflecting on Indian tennis, the 1987 Davis Cup finalist admitted that India has lost its dominance in singles, urging a renewed focus on nurturing young talent. "You don't start tennis wanting to be the best doubles player; you start dreaming of being the next Federer or Nadal," he noted, underlining the importance of early commitment and passion. Amritraj also highlighted the inspirational power of home tournaments. "Just like the ATP 250 inspired many boys, the Chennai Open will encourage young girls across India to take up tennis," he said. Several state-wide tournaments are being planned as part of TNTA's 100-year celebrations. Speaking personally, Amritraj credited his parents for his success, saying, "98% of what I achieved was their effort, especially my mother's. My tennis was entirely theirs." He encouraged young parents to introduce their children to sport and support their passion. "Tennis gave me things I never dreamt of and shaped my life in ways business never could." He also praised rising Indian player Maya Rajeshwaran Revathy, who made her debut at Wimbledon at 16, saying she has a bright future if she continues to fuel her passion and stays the course.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Chennai Open WTA tournament from Oct 27
The Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) announced on Thursday that the SDAT tennis stadium in Nungambakkam will host the second edition of the Chennai Open, a WTA 250 event, from October 27 to November 2, marking TNTA's 100th anniversary. The first edition was held in 2022. The total prize money is 275094 USD. The singles qualifying and main draws will feature 24 and 32 players respectively, and the doubles main draw 16. Top-100 players are expected to participate, said TNTA president Vijay Amritraj, speaking after the event. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated ₹12 crore for the conduct of the tournament. Amritraj said that the money will be distributed across various needs - payment of the license fee to the license-holder Octagon (a global sports management and marketing agency), stadium refurbishment, rain preparedness (rains are forecast for October), and hospitality for the players and spectators. The tournament takes place just before the WTA Finals (Nov. 1 to 8) and also clashes with the Jiangxi Open in China and the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, which are to be held on the same dates. Asked if a top-10 player can be expected to participate, he said: 'There are WTA rules that are guided by the size of the tournament. So in a 250 (tournament), you could have one player from the top-10, (and that) depends on the appearance money. 'I think Octagon is a good avenue for us as well, because they also represent a lot of players. So, hopefully, I'm expecting some help from them as well.' On the chances of Indian players getting main draw wild cards, he said: 'I think Maaya (Rajeshwaran Revathi) might be the only one who has a real good chance of getting a wild card.' On whether Chennai will continue to host the tournament every year, he said: 'The current arrangement in the contract with Octagon is three years, with the caveat that the government is happy to support it for the next two years. But WTA has only granted us operation for one year, mainly because of the rain issue.'
New Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Climate
- New Indian Express
WTA Chennai Open may not be an one-off event
CHENNAI: When October comes around, Vijay Amritraj, president of the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA), will look towards to the heavens to see if the rain Gods will be kind. At some level, the quantum of rainfall in and around the second edition of the WTA Chennai Open may decide whether the event returns to the city in 2026. As it stands, the 250 event for 2025 will be held at the SDAT Stadium at Nungambakkam from the week beginning October 27. They do have the option of conducting the event for two more years, at least that's according to TNTA's contract with Octagon, the company who owns the license for the event. Octagon's only condition is for the TN government to support the event for at least two years (there's not expected to be many problems with this). However, the permission granted by WTA for this particular event is currently for 2025 only. "One of the main reasons for that is the rain," said Amritraj on the sidelines of the official announcement of the tournament. For the record, the Northeast monsoon is scheduled to begin around that time. "We have already been in communication with the MET (Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai) department and they have let us know that they are expecting nine days of rain in October," Amritraj added.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
From Centre Court to sidelines: 'There is very little associations can do,' Vijay Amritraj laments the decline of Indian tennis at Wimbledon
Vijay Amritraj (Image credit: Instagram) NEW DELHI: India's headline-makers at Wimbledon have been cricketers Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Chahar and Ravi Shastri and not the tennis players. Instead of the action on the tennis court, India's attention has thus been on those occupying the seats at the prestigious Grand Slam. Sumit Nagal lost in the first round of singles qualifying; Yuki Bhambri went the furthest in doubles with a third round foray. Rohan Bopanna bowed out in the first round while N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli only did one better. In mixed doubles, Bhambri suffered a second round exit as well. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! That has largely been the sorry tale of Indian tennis at major tournaments. Ever since Nagal's momentous win against Alexander Bublik at the 2024 Australian Open, Indian tennis has had little to celebrate. That, too, was an anomaly. It has now been 10 years since India had something to celebrate at Wimbledon. And there were multiple reasons then. Sania Mirza and Leander Paes won women's and mixed doubles, respectively, with Martina Hingis. Nagal triumphed in the boys doubles with Vietnam's Ly Hoang Nam. In the ensuing 10 years, only three Indians have reached the main draw of Wimbledon singles - Bhambri in 2018, Prajnesh Gunneswaran in 2019 and Nagal in 2024. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Our one of a kind Patented Cold Water Extraction Process Superior Ginseng Undo All three suffered first round losses. "We used to always be the best country in Asia by a long shot, especially in Davis Cup. And today, we are not," said two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist Vijay Amritraj on Media Day on JioStar. "Number two is, we do not have any players in top 100. Number three is, till you get a bunch of players in the top 100 and 50s like Italy has done, you're not going to be able to compete in the World Group of Davis Cup or be a challenger to any of the tournaments. As a matter of fact, we haven't had anyone actually performing well at the Championships or at the US Open for quite some time. "It's always about the singles. We've always asked the question about (Carlos) Alcaraz, (Jannik) Sinner, (Daniil) Medvedev, (Andrey) Rublev, (Novak) Djokovic, (Aryna) Sablenka. Everything is about the singles. There's never any question about anything else. "You start the game to play and win a Grand Slam eventually, if you're good enough, and you work hard enough, and you're talented enough to be able to exploit your talents and exploit your potential to be able to get there with a work ethic that transcends everything else. And that is the only success in tennis," he added. Amritraj, now a commentator, stressed on the importance of building their way through the juniors citing examples of Andy Murray, Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner. "I posted a picture on Instagram a few days ago, where last Friday was the 40th anniversary of my beating Yannick Noah on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, when he had won the French Championships, a year before we played. "And that was the last time there was an Indian playing singles at Wimbledon on the Centre Court. So I think we have to revamp all of that to see how we can get to having a whole bunch of guys: 5, 6, 8, 10 players eventually get into the top 100," added Amritraj who reached a career-high 18th in the world. In April, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had spoken of the grind in some of the East European countries with some of the top players including Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova and earlier 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova. In the same vein, why don't the Indian players come through? The 71-year-old conceded there is little the national association - All India Tennis Association (AITA) - can do in such cases. "There is very little associations can do, to be honest. I mean, if you look at a variety of countries, it is a very individualistic access in sport to be able to work like there's no tomorrow, wherever you're doing that work. "And there are two very important aspects here. If you work 110% constantly and protect your body, then there is a 100% chance that you will make it. If you do not work 110%, then there's absolutely zero chance of making it. "And when I say making it, I'm talking about trying to make it to the top 100 or the top 50. I'm not talking about potentially eventually winning it either. I'm talking about actually being one of the best in the world to be able to have a very strong competitive edge in tournaments. "Maybe not even winning a Grand Slam, but certainly competing at the highest level. That's the most important thing. Today, we are constantly trying to get to the qualifying. That is the biggest concern. And this was not the case 30-40 years ago. That's my whole point," he finished. Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
