A five-year-old girl from Kerala has received words of praise and the promise of a gift from tennis star Rafael Nadal after a video of her practising her skills was noticed by the Kia Motors team.
A video clip of Viviktha Visakh was posted on her Instagram page in May, showing her doing deft volleys, and this came to the attention of the Kia team during their talent hunt.
The official Twitter account of Kia Motors Global posted the video, appreciating her “dedication to practice” during the lockdown.
“How great is this dedication to practice from Viviktha during lockdown? @RafaelNadal loves it and wants to share a special gift with you. We love this dedication!” it tweeted with a message from the Spaniard in the following tweet.
Credit: viviktha_visakh_tennis Instagram
— Kia Motors Global (@Kia_Motors) September 23, 2020
How great is this dedication to practice from Viviktha during lockdown?@RafaelNadal loves it and wants to share a special gift with you
We love this dedication!#Kia #KiaTennis #GetRafaMoving #RandomActsofKindness pic.twitter.com/LffvqzPvtW
Kia had also replied to Viviktha’s video posted on Instagram.
“Hi Viviktha! Your volleying looks great! We’ve sent you a direct message with some exciting news about a very special player who’s seen your tennis skills and wants to send you a video,” it said.
Nadal, in a personalised video, commended Viviktha for her skills at such a young age, adding that he loved how dedicated she is to her tennis. He reiterated Kia’s promise of sending her merchandise and a gift before signing off.
— Kia Motors Global (@Kia_Motors) September 23, 2020
Viviktha’s parents, meanwhile, have said how this will be a great motivation for their daughter.
“This unbelievable appreciation and recognition for talent can only make kids believe in themselves and work hard,” Viviktha’s father V.S. Vishak told IANS.
Viviktha’s Instagram page is handled by Vishak, who recently put up a post expressing their delight at the “wonderful gesture and surprise” from Nadal and Kia Motors.
“Crazily unbelievable to have been picked up for this simple but significant recognition. This definitely is going to be a great boost for Vivi for her Tennis and Sports journey or for whatever she goes on to do in her life. Vivi is now eagerly waiting for the gift. Thank you all for your continuous support and best wishes,” the post read.
As per IANS, Visakh, a former state junior champion, is Viviktha’s trainer and also a certified coach. He explained that he and his wife, who also plays tennis, used to take Viviktha along when they played as she showed interest in the sport.
“This video from Nadal is certainly an inspiration not just for my daughter, it should motivate all interested in tennis,” Visakh said to IANS.
