Srinagar, Oct 25 (JKNS): As three players from Jammu and Kashmir gear up to represent India at the World Soft Tennis Championship in China, another name from the Union Territory will be part of the national contingent Dr. Ghulam Hassan, whose journey from grassroots organiser to international official mirrors the rise of soft tennis in J&K.
Dr. Hassan has been appointed as Coach/Manager of the Indian team for the forthcoming World Championship in China, a fresh international assignment after serving as an official with the Indian team at the 9th Asian Soft Tennis Championship in South Korea held from September 13 to 23, 2025. The appointment was confirmed by the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India (ASTFI).
His selection assumes significance as J&K will have triple representation on the playing front, Sidhani Singh, Shreemai Bhatt and Madhvender Singh Sambyal, who have been selected in the Indian team for the World Championship following their performance at national-level competitions. Their selection was widely reported in October and they were felicitated during the 21st Junior National Soft Tennis Championship at SKISC, Srinagar.
While the spotlight will be on the athletes, officials like Dr. Hassan form the backbone of international campaigns, managing team coordination, athlete welfare, discipline and logistics to ensure players can focus on performance.
A founding figure of the J&K Amateur Soft Tennis Association, Dr. Hassan has been instrumental in expanding the sport beyond traditional sporting centres. Under his stewardship, the Association has focused on rural outreach, district-level competitions and creating a structured competitive pathway, an effort documented by the J&K Sports Council.
“Taking the game to rural areas and providing a platform to budding sportspersons has been our priority,” Dr. Hassan has maintained, underscoring a grassroots model that is now bearing fruit.
The results are visible. At the Junior National Championship held in Srinagar, Shreemai Bhatt won two bronze medals while Madhvender Singh Sambyal secured a bronze, underlining the impact of sustained exposure and structured training.
For J&K, where young athletes often battle geographical and infrastructural constraints, the simultaneous presence of three players and an official from the UT in the national contingent for a World Championship marks a watershed moment. It signals that J&K is no longer on the periphery but is steadily contributing to India’s international sporting pool.
Sporting experts view the development as a case study in how sustained administrative effort, coupled with institutional support from the J&K Sports Council and ASTFI, can translate into international representation.
As Team India prepares for China, the achievement is two-fold, it celebrates the merit of three young athletes wearing India colours, and acknowledges the quiet, persistent work of those who built the stage for them.
The challenge now, stakeholders say, is to convert this milestone into a lasting ecosystem, more certified coaches, better infrastructure, wider district participation and a larger talent pool capable of competing at national and international levels.
For hundreds of youngsters picking up a soft tennis racquet in courts across the UT, the message is clear: from a local court in Srinagar to the world stage in China, the distance is now bridgeable.
Ghulam Hassan’s evolving role in Indian soft tennis, alongside the emergence of three J&K players on the world stage, offers a timely reminder that sporting progress is built by both those who compete and those who dedicate themselves to creating the conditions in which others can excel. (JKNS)
