Stars enthrall starry eyed rookies

Chennai, Dec 31 (UNI) Aspiring tennis talents, boys and girls from different schools learnt the ropes, as it were, from some of the sports' current and yesteryear stars as part of Boost ''Play the Pros'' programme on the eve of the ATP tour Chennai Open 2007 here today.

Vijay Amritraj, his son Prakash Amritraj, Michael Kohlmann, Fabrice Santaro, Kevin Kim, Teimuraz Gabashvilli, Danai Udomchoke, and Julien Benneteau, currently playing at the Chennai Open 2007, volleyed and shared a few moments on make shift courts with the kids as their parents watched.

Along, with precious memories to boast amongst their peers, the starry-eyed kids returned home with a bag full of precious tips, sound advice, words of encouragement and priceless autographs, after the two-hour programme, indeed an event as far they were concerned.

A moving sight to watch was when Vijay Amritraj, fond of kids, got a kiss planted on either cheek from two three-year-old boys even as media photographers clicked away merrily.

''This will be the photo on the mantelpiece back home'', the compere proclaimed amidst cheers.

Says T S Dayanand, General Manager, Boost, ''Play the Pros' event has become synonymous with Chennai Open and has become a trendsetter of sorts for other sporting events in the country.

The enthusiasm and participation witnessed amongst kids every year is a testimony to the immense popularity that the tournament has garnered amongst the younger generation, he added.

UNI