BANGALORE: Squadron Leader Rani Smita Jain may not have taken home the winners trophy at the India Jute-AITA National Grass-court Tennis Championship that concluded in Kolkata, on February 11. Her comeback effort at the highest level of the ‘national-level tournament’ is a feat few champions can only hope to match.The gritty lady ‘air warrior’ from Bangalore bounced back on the national tennis circuit in only nine months since achieving motherhood. Rani Smita represents the IAF in all tennis championships. Since no ‘second’ woman player from the armed forces qualifies to play at the national level, a women’s tennis team of the Services is yet to be formed. She is currently training under an IAF coach, JWO Gopi, in Bangalore where she is primarily posted as an Air Traffic Controller at an IAF airbase.Rani, individually, was the only player amongst the three services’ players to reach the pre-quarter finals stage of the just-concluded national tournament. For the record on February 8, she lost to the now ten-time national champion, Rushmi Chakravarthi of Tamil Nadu, who took home the coveted winner’s trophy at the tournament.“Staying away from the game was more difficult than enduring the pregnancy period itself,” says the feisty Rani who got back to preparing for competitions within just four months of her delivery. Rani was initiated into tennis at the age of six by her father and went on to become India No 1 in under-14 and under-16 categories. Rani who is an ITA-ranked player was ranked in top 20 in the national circuit in 2009, achieving a personal best ranking of 18, the highest ever achieved by any armed forces player.Her points with the three wins at the just-concluded national tourney will help her regain rankings that stood suspended owing to her 18-month lay-off since her pregnancy. Incidentally, it was during her early playing days at the Adidas Junior Zonal Tennis Championships that she won an unprecedented eight consecutive titles. It was during this time when Rani defeated Sania Mirza on two occasions in 1998, also losing once. Rani never got to play Sania again in the senior circuit, whose rise by then had gone meteoric. Rani, meanwhile, chose to join the IAF in 2005, where her sporting excellence also got noticed.As a flight cadet, Rani ’s debut the same year in the sporting arena of the highly competitive championship events was as sensational as it could ever get. Pitted against only Gentlemen Cadets, she made most of the opportunity beating her male counterparts at the championship.“It was a great honour,” recalls Rani who achieved the feat in the presence of her parents.“Incidentally, it was at the national championship in Kolkata that I reached the quarter-final stage in my first-ever competition while representing the IAF,” says Rani, stating that the ‘City of Joy’ as being one of her favourite grounds, ahead of her pre-quarter finals match against the top-seeded Rushmi.Giving credit to the IAF for the tremendous support, Rani Smita Jain, by virtue of her sporting talent and as an IAF officer, often doubles up as an ace motivator, guiding many young players who are keen to join the armed forces.“Many young players, both boys and girls who are also keen to join the armed forces as officers come to me for inspiration and guidance,” modestly down-playing her veritable role-model image that she is often to many young players.“One of my dreams in Air Force is to nurture and bring some talented youth to lawn tennis within the Air Force. Or else, I will feel my entire tennis career has been wasted,” says the spirited IAF sportsperson who feels that impetus given to the development of sporting facilities in all the IAF establishments in recent years has helped IAF sportspersons do well in various sports competitions.
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