the Spanish arm of the Rural Development Trust, an Anantapur-based non-profit organization, teaches tennis to underprivileged children. The tennis academy currently has three courts, but there are plans to expand the facility. The Nadal Foundation's support of education for underprivileged children in the developing world is in concert with efforts by fellow tennis stars, Roger Federer and Serena Williams, who have supported schools and educational initiatives in Africa.

During the opening festivities, Nada was accompanied by his mother, Ana Maria Parera, who is the president of his Foundation. Rafa talked to the children and even hit a few tennis balls with some of them - what a thrill it must have been for them! The focus of the new education and sports school is to provide educational, psycho-social, health and nutritional support to over 100 children in some of the poorest communities in India. The school will bring together boys and girls from different castes, ages and places. The goal is use sports as a tool for learning. The program will have three tennis coaches teaching tennis, but it will also teach English, math and information technology to the children. During his very brief trip to India, Nadal also visited some centers for disabled children which are supported by the Vincente Ferrer Foundation.

Posted by TC at 09:20 PM || Comments (1)