Post by Yatindra Singh

An Allahabad Boy Who Never Forgot His Roots The Allahabad of our childhood was a city like no other in India. Every place was easily accessible by bicycle, and whatever the field—sports, academics, culture, or public life—you could find excellence in it. The city's old boys, especially those from the University, are now spread across the globe. Sandeep Lal, affectionately known as Keetoo, was our neighbour. Initially, we played tennis and then table tennis together. Keetoo came from a distinguished sporting family. His grandfather, Dewaan Jagat Mohan Lal, was the first Indian to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. His uncle, Devinder Mohan Lal, was national badminton champion. At the 1947 All England Championships, he and fellow Indian Prakash Nath reached the quarter-finals. Believing that a hard-fought match between them would leave the winner exhausted and reduce India's chances of winning the title, they decided to settle their match with the toss of a coin. Devinder lost the toss, and Prakash Nath went on to become the first Indian to reach the All England final. It was a remarkable act of sportsmanship and putting the country's interest above personal glory. Keetoo's father was a highly ranked table tennis player in Uttar Pradesh. Keetoo himself was Allahabad's number one junior table tennis player and was ranked second in Uttar Pradesh. The family owned the well-known chemist shop, Lal & Co., in Chowk. In the early 1970s, the family moved to Canada and entered the label-printing business, where they struck gold. Yet they never forgot their roots. Even some of their business ventures carry names that remind one of Allahabad. His younger brother, Raideep Lal, moved to Panama to develop a golf course. After Raideep's untimely death, Keetoo decided to take over and complete the project. The article linked below, published in Forbes, tells that story. Through another of his companies, Triveni Property Holdings, Keetoo has committed support for a national junior tennis championship in Allahabad for the next ten years in honour of his grandfather's memory. The initiative brings back memories of the Central India Lawn Tennis Championships, which once attracted leading tennis players from around the world. He also plans to institute a national-level badminton tournament in memory of his uncle, provided adequate local support is available for its organisation. Success took Keetoo from Allahabad to Canada, but it never took Allahabad out of Keetoo. https://lnkd.in/gTNNGPvw