It's funny how hardly any of us notice the ball kids when we plonk ourselves in front of the telly to watch a tennis match. Although I'm not a hard-core tennis maniac, everyone is usually game for an excuse to recline on the sofa, pleasurably wolfing down popcorn while someone else sweats it out on the court, thwacking a ball around. At the Clark Francis Tennis Academy, where I play, my coach VJ asked me last year if I would like to be a ball girl in the Dubai Tennis Open.
Without giving it more than a second's thought, I eagerly signed up. I would serve the likes of Nadal and Hingis, standing on centre court right where all the action was. I was excited, sure, but didn't think it would be much of an effort. Hand a couple of balls to a few superstars, enhance your CV considerably, and at the worst, fetch the players' icky, sweaty towels. (I did fetch someone his towel - Roger Federer! He might even have bestowed a smile or a word of thanks upon me if I hadn't been holding it so gingerly.)
I conceived it to be a fairly simple job, but was taken aback when the month of training began. We were taught to throw a ball in the straightest direction possible, roll it quietly so as not to disturb the players, how we should step out and behave when the player demands a ball, and finally, how to enter and exit the courts. Numerous drills and exercises followed, efficiently conducted by Clark Francis, the founder of the academy, and other coaches in the sultry afternoon heat.
Since all of us were familiar with the nuances of tennis, we took care how we should react between points. It was necessary to pay continuous attention to the scoreboard, and you would never be able to show your face in public again if you threw a ball to a player when it was his opponent's serve. As Clark was quick to remind us, television cameras had once caught a ball kid leisurely picking his nose, broadcasting the scene to the world.
One of the most difficult instructions to follow proved to remain neutral on the court, and it was all I could do to stop myself cheering after a set was won. We were asked to form teams based on where we lived and our respective schools, so we could arrange carpools. I hunted down my schoolmates - then the students of Dubai International Academy. Our team captain, Aahan, was a patient teacher and mentor to all of us, especially to my slightly stubborn friend Megan, and spent long hours trying to make her learn how to show a ball to a player. She was rather more interested in spending quality time at the Dubai Duty Free gift shop, where Lacoste perfume samples were being doled out.
Our efforts did not go unrewarded. We were provided with an Adidas tennis shirt and pants - our uniform. An identity card allowed us to access any court, any match, and the two complimentary season passes made a family extremely happy - for once my parents grudgingly decided that I was a productive member of the family. My coach, VJ, was not pleased when he saw me devouring ice cream after ice cream, utilising my food coupons to the fullest, but went away when I informed him that opportunities do not knock twice at your door.
When the much-anticipated championship began, I jumped at the chance of missing as much school as possible, spending most of my time at the burrito stall in the Aviation Club. In the beginning, we were on court with the qualifiers, players who were not even certain of participating in the events, with one player having even fewer sponsors than we did. We soon slipped into the flow of ball-kidding. Once, when an unexpected spell of rain drove all the ball-kids back home, Aahan, ever the sincere captain, made his grumbling charges wait for a Women's Open match. It began as soon as the court was dry again, and quickly became a cliff hanger, every game ending in a deuce (for non- tennis-enthusiasts: when two players have a score of 40-40), then a never-ending rally, and finally advantage to one player, then another deuce.
Our group was unable to go off court for hours. The match dragged on and on - until the early hours of the morning and the yawning ball kids were finally herded off. Clark rewarded us by appointing our team to ball-kid the women's semi-finals. Fortunately - or unfortunately for us - only team captains could ball kid for the men's and women's finals. My status got me a seat in the packed spectator's area for the epic battles, and afterwards I obtained autographs from the likes of Justine Henin, Amelie Mauresmo, Nadal and Mikail Youzhny.
In the Men's Open, Roger Federer secured an easy victory - I like to think he owed it to me, his ball-kid for a match. In some ways, ball-kids have it better than the players: I prefer unlimited access to London Dairy than a big golden cup any day.
Lavanya Malhotra is a 14-year-old student in Dubai.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
MATCH INFO
Qalandars 112-4 (10 ovs)
Banton 53 no
Northern Warriors 46 all out (9 ovs)
Kumara 3-10, Garton 3-10, Jordan 2-2, Prasanna 2-7
Qalandars win by six wickets
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):
British group
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
D-Block Europe
Bastille
British Female
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
Charli xcx
Mahalia
British male
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
Best new artist
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
Best song
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care
Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International female
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Best album
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Rising star
Celeste
Joy Crookes
beabadoobee
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
