The grand old man of Indian tennis, R.V. Koregaonkar, passed away at the age of 75 on May 3 in Pune, following a stroke.
An accomplished athlete in his community, RVK was an employee of Bharat Petroleum from 1954 to 1995. His passion for tennis inspired him to learn the game and pursue a coaching career that extended 40 years.
His qualifications, citations and experiences took him to the far corners of the world including USA, Bahrain and UAE and to major tournaments like the US Open, Wimbledon and the Asian Games. RVK taught tennis to players of all skill levels and ages.
As one of the leading coaches at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA), where he worked for over 25 years, Kory, as he was affectionately called, devoted himself to tennis with zeal and enthusiasm everyday of his life.
His niche was player development where Kory could be found endlessly and tirelessly working with young children at tennis clubs that were not just restricted to the Bombay Gymkhana and Willingdon Club.
Kory introduced and motivated players with his quiet and patient mannerisms and unique style of coaching.
Through tennis, he touched the lives of countless men and women, some of whom became state, national and international players.
"He was absolutely selfless," recalled India coach Nandan Bal. "He was a great sense of inspiration to the younger generation of coaches like us. We used to see him teach tennis all the time without ever bothering about the financial gains. If ever there was an individual in tennis who earned and deserved respect, it was R.V. Koregaonkar."
"He was a great coach," said Rama Rao, who worked with Kory. "He was with MSLTA in the late 70s through the mid-eighties. He worked with all the national champions including Asif Ismail and Mark Ferreira and was even presented the lifetime achievement award by MSLTA."
His efforts earned him the Lifetime Achievement Award by the MSLTA in 2002.
Kory's belief in tennis was strong enough to convince his sons Shailesh and Mohesh to pursue tennis as a profession and business.
Shailesh runs tennis academies at several venues worldwide, while Mohesh is based in the United States where he currently runs his own tennis academy and has coached the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, and is currently part of Andy Roddick's team.
RVK is survived by his wife Lalan, who is based in Pune.
