Akhtar Ali

Akhtar Ali (Urdu: اختر علی) (5 July 1939 – 7 February 2021), was an Indian tennis player. He was a member of the Indian Davis Cup team continuously from 1958 to 1964 and captain of Indian Davis Cup in 2008.^[1]

Later he turned to coaching and coached the players like Ramesh Krishnan, Vijay Amritraj, Anand Amritraj and Leander Paes. He was father of Zeeshan Ali, a former Indian national tennis champion, Nilofer Ali and Zareen Desai.

Post career

Akhtar Ali started a junior development programme at the South Club. The trainees were divided into three categories — under-14, under-16 and under-18. Free coaching was provided to the state’s best players. ^[2]

Akhtar Ali died on 7 February 2021, aged 81.^[3]

Awards

Winner of the Arjuna Awardees in Lawn Tennis in 2000. ^[4]

Allsport Management, a city-based sports management company along with Ontrack Systems Ltd., an ISO 9001:2000 global IT & ITES company, presented GOLDEN AKHTAR, a programme to felicitate Akhtar Ali on his 50th year of yeoman service to Indian Tennis on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at ITC Sonar Bangla Sheraton Hotel & Tower in Kolkata.^[5]

References

1. "Amrita, Abhishek bag double crowns, Akhtar Ali battles on". 18 October 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2008.
2. "Akhtar camp". The Telegraph (India). 31 July 2003. Retrieved 5 November 2008.
3. Indian tennis great Akhtar Ali passes away
4. "The Milli Gazette". The Milli Gazette. 31 August 2001. Retrieved 5 November 2008.
5. "ontrack sponsors felicitation of akhtar ali". OnTrack Systems Limited. 21 September 2005. Retrieved 5 November 2008.

External links

• Akhtar Ali at the Davis Cup
• - The Bengal Tennis Association is the governing body of West Bengal's Lawn Tennis activities. West Bengal has always been a super power among India's tennis playing states. Winner of several National Tennis Championships, Bengal has produced many wonderful players like Akhtar Ali, Joydeep Mukherjee, Zeeshan Ali, Leander Paes etc.