CALCUTTA (India): The centenary celebration of the Calcutta South Club (CSC), which was set up in 1920, here on Saturday was conspicuous by the absence of several top names including the families of the club’s founders — Ganesh Chandra Dey, Anadi Mukherjee and Akshay Dey.
“We had invited everyone, but I can’t do anything if they didn’t receive the invitations,” said India’s former tennis great Jaidip Mukerjea, the current president of the iconic club.
Several luminaries of Indian tennis including Naresh Kumar, Ramanathan Krishnan, son Ramesh, Mahesh Bhupathi, Akhtar Ali, son Zeeshan were present at the ceremony that marked the 100 years of South Club, but Anwar Ali (Leander Paes’ first coach and Akhtar’s brother) wasn’t invited.
Former football star and India international Shyam Thapa was among the non-tennis stars who was present on the occasion.
However, former India coach Syed Nayeemuddin, a club member and a regular, didn’t even get an invitation to attend the function.
“I’ve been a club member for 35 years. May I know why I didn’t get the invitation from the club,” asked India’s first football Dronacharya coach.
But those who were present relived the triumphs and moments of glory that they experienced on the hallowed grass courts at the club.
Kumar, oldest among the club luminaries, remembered his playing days in the pre-Independence era.
“I remember coming here riding on the back of a horse carriage for free trials in the early 1940s,” said the 91-year-old, who made the 1955 Wimbledon quarterfinals.
“It was known as the Wimbledon of the East. It’s a great privilege to see all of them here. It has witnessed the best of Indian tennis,” he said of the club that produced more than a dozen Davis Cup players including Paes.
Ramanathan, two-time Wimbledon semifinalist, also went down the memory lane and picked their famous Davis Cup Inter-Zonal final win against Brazil as his best moment.
“It was the most memorable match. I’ve many pleasant memories here beginning 1950 when I had come here as an 18-year-old. Naresh was number one then and I was inspired by him,” said the 82-year-old.
