Gary Kirsten coaching your kid?

[hyperbole]

HYDERABAD: Eight years after he steered India to its second World Cup win, South African cricket legend Gary Kirsten has signed up for a new role – playing ‘principal’ to a batch of young students.

Come 2020, the former South African player will be seen at the nets of the school Schola Maria’s sprawling 35-acre campus, coming up roughly 160 km from Hyderabad city, at an investment of ?140 crore over five years.

Touted to be the first multi-sports residential school in India, it has other A-listers on is rolls as well. World badminton champion Carolina Marin’s coach Fernando Rivars, winner of three Grand Slam doubles titles Emilio Sanchez (one-time tennis star Arantxa Sanchez Vicario’s brother), world’s highest revenue generating football club Real Madrid and swimming champ and managing director of the Dubai-based Hamilton Aquatics, Chris Tidey.

“Though our primary objective is to train children aspiring to become professional athletes, we understand that academics too is very important. Hence, we adopted this concept,” said Mahender Reddy, chief executive officer, St Mary’s Educational Society that’s developing this Cambridge board-affiliated (IGCSE) school.

The 37-year-old society has three institutes under its belt – St Mary’s College at Yousufguda, Sancta Maria International School at Serilingampally and St Mary’s Junior College at Jubilee Hills and Basheerbagh. It also has a B-school, South State Business School, coming up at Chevella.

‘Technical directors, staff will be available all year round’

Each of these ace sportsmen (principals of their respective streams) will spend at least 10 days on campus every term. Their technical directors and staff will be available throughout the year,” Reddy said. With this campus, the school hopes to join the leagues of IMG Academy, Florida (world’s largest multi-sport training and educational institute) and Singapore Sports School, which runs on the vision: Every student-athlete a champion

The facility will offer, among other things, a football ground of FIFA standard,16 indoor badminton courts, 10 tennis courts, an Olympic-standard swimming pool, a mini cricket field with five outdoor and three indoor nets and an over 3,000 sft gymnasium. There’s also a shooting range, horse-riding facility, indoor and outdoor basketball courts.
 

In its maiden year, the school will have about 100 seats – from classes three to seven – across five sporting verticals, with 10% seats earmarked for scholarship students. The annual fees are expected to be between ?7 lakh to ?9 lakh.While admissions will begin by 2019-end, the management has already received over 400 enquires from parents across cities

“With both parents working, such schools offering an integrated platform where children can excel in sports while pursuing their academics as well, are certain to see a steep rise in demand. New-age schools like this, which cater to the social, physical and educational needs of students, are emerging as the new trend now,” said Vishal Goel, partner, Cerestra Advisors, a focussed firm investing in educational infrastructure.

[former]

ee Gary gadu SA valla ki ivvachhohu. First time SA team batting performance worst ga vundi