Assam teenager selected as ball kid for 2027 Australian Open
Samuel Doley, a trainee at the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy, will travel to Melbourne for the Grand Slam.
Thirteen-year-old Samuel Doley from Majauli, Assam, has been chosen as one of four Indian ball kids for the 2027 Australian Open in Melbourne, according to Sportstar.
Doley is a trainee at the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy (RBTA) in Bengaluru and is part of the academy's Bhoomi programme.
The Bhoomi programme, managed by the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Development Foundation (RBTDF), offers tennis coaching and education to children from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Former Australian Open men's doubles champion Rohan Bopanna said the selection aligns with the programme's goal of providing opportunities regardless of a child's background.
Bopanna stated that his definition of success involves changing lives through tennis rather than just producing champions.
The initiative has brought 37 children from Assam and Jammu to Bengaluru through grassroots trials, providing them with free residential accommodation, schooling, and professional coaching.