School Life As A National Champion 

Starting his tennis career at the mere age of 6 and progressing to nationals at 13, Aadavan Pushparaj from Colombo International School discusses his journey of becoming a national tennis champion for Sri Lanka and how he was simultaneously able to balance his academics - having recently completed his AS Level examinations and his ability to carry his life on as a regular 17 year old teenager. 

Aadavan Pushparaj on the left, with his teammate Pravin Steele on the right 

What are training hours like for tennis? 

I played in the mornings from 5:30AM to 6:45AM and had fitness in school a few times twice a week in the morning. However I had classes in the afternoon so I couldn't train then. 

How do you manage to have fun while being in training and studying? 

My coach was really chilled out and funny and there were a lot of nice people I was surrounded by. I didn't have fun while studying though. 

Did you ever reconsider tennis because of school? 

Sometimes it did cross my mind but I managed to push through. I had to stop from time to time because of my exams though. 

How many countries have you been to on tour? 

I have been to Qatar, Malaysia and Vietnam on tour. 

What's the most difficult part of training? 

Firstly, it's getting up in the morning to go for training. Fitness is always really intense and tiring and to follow that up with school can be very difficult at times. 

Has tennis changed your character as a person and how so if it has? 

It has made me more disciplined and organized. It has also enabled me to manage my time more efficiently and it has made me really good looking, girls really dig the tan! Haha! 

What is it like to represent Sri Lanka? 

It was a really exciting and a humbling experience and I have made so many memories and met a lot of interesting people. 

Who were your biggest supporters and how did they help you? 

My friend Thilan kept me inspired and the CIS tennis team that I’ve trained with have helped and supported me all the way. They’re such amazing and funny people to be around too and I think they helped me improve my own sense of humour!