Kottayam: George Thomas found the sweet spot of his life on a tennis court when he was young and at 70, he remains there with a winner’s racket. The septuagenarian based in Kottayam, Kerala, became the No. 1 Indian player on the ITF (International Tennis Federation) seniors tour.
George started playing on the ITF Seniors Tour since 2019 in the 65+ category. He has climbed the ranks to reach No. 1. 1 rank in the 70+ age group nationally and a world rank of 58. With his ranking points in both singles and doubles, he hopes to represent the India at the 2024 ITF World Championship which is likely to be held in Europe.
George is pursuing his life’s passion after a long and successful career as an engineer with multinational hotel chains in various Gulf countries. In Kottayam, where he lives with his family, he trains at the Rama Varma Union Club. He has won many championships in the Middle East as well as in Kerala.
From football to tennis
George hails from Vennikkulam in Pathanamthitta and he played football as a student. He continued his tryst with football even after moving to Bombay (now Mumbai) for his higher studies. He worked there for a while before moving into the hotel business in the Gulf in 1976. He also played football for an Indian club in the Gulf.
His interest shifted to tennis in 1980, inspired after watching Indian tennis legends Vijay Amritraj and Anand Amritraj on the Gulf courts.
“I was inspired by the way they played and took a tennis coaching course. I started playing racket when I was in Bahrain. From there I worked in Oman, Dubai, Ethiopia and Fujairah. Somewhere in between, I lowered my game. After retirement, I chose to stay back in Kottayam to continue my practice,” an energetic George told Onmanorama.
He is also a USNTA (United States National Tennis Academy) and AITA (All India Tennis Association) certified coach and is currently the head tennis and squash coach at ATLETO Sports in Kottayam. He has coached many young players, including his daughter Simi Thomas, a national champion in Bahrain.
Fitness secret
At the Ramavarma Club, George trains every day from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The left-hander said regular practice is the main factor behind his fitness. “I also participate in mini-marathons because running is very important to stay fit. I also do some upper body exercises. My coaching sessions also help me,” he said.
A true sportsman, he believes that a society should build more playgrounds than super-specialized hospitals.
George has won ITF tournaments held in Vijayawada, Jhajjar, Jaipur, Darjeeling, Sholapur, Bhilai, Jalandhar, Pune, Delhi and Indore this year and he is gearing up for the next series of matches in Mumbai in December.
Serbian legend Novak Djokovic is his favorite player. “He’s 36 years old and he’s held the number one spot in the world for over 400 weeks. What else do you want,” George asks, not hiding the enthusiasm of a fanboy.
