The ceremony was held at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) stadium, according to several media reports.
Tennis legend Bjorn Borg left India in a huff after Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai showed up at an event in Bengaluru on Wednesday nearly two hours late. The ceremony was held at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) stadium, according to several media reports. According to a source who declined to be identified, the chief minister arrived late because of “some of his other commitments.” The event was also scheduled to honour Indian tennis player Vijay Amritraj in addition to Borg. The Deccan Herald cited the source as saying that Amritraj felt it would be “inappropriate” for him to be honoured alone, so the ceremony was called off.
The source was also quoted in the report as saying that both of them will be honoured at the CM’s office tomorrow or the day after. Bommai sat for 20 minutes to watch a tennis match between Borg’s son Leo Borg and Taiwanese player Hsu Yu-hsiou after he arrived.
He was termed the ‘IceBorg’ for his ice-cool ability to handle pressure. His arrival on the Tennis stage made the sport immensely popular. The winning streak that he had accumulated in his displays in the French and Wimbledon tournaments made him legendary. Perhaps, after the music band ABBA, the next best thing to have come out of Sweden in the early 70s was Bjorn Borg. Born on June 6, 1956, in Stockholm, Borg was literally a gift to the Tennis world. When he had won a Ping Pong tournament, he was gifted a Tennis racquet by his father. That was the start of something sensational.
At a very young age, he was already making giant strides in the sport. At the age of 16, he was already part of the Davis Cup squad for Sweden where he had tremendous success. He was one of the few players to have adopted a different playing style in order to win one prestigious tournament. Borg, with his trademark headband and good looks, was the rockstar of the Tennis world. His contests with the likes of John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, and Ilie Nastase.
Borg was predominantly a baseline player, preferring long rallies and also playing on the patience of the opponent. But, in the middle, he had to change his style. His serve, which was his weakest asset in the game, had to undergo a lot of changes. The aspect of serve and volley was also added after months of rigorous training. The main reason for his change was to win Wimbledon. When he improved his service and the main factor of serve and volley was included, Borg became one of the best players on the circuit.
At the age of 16, Borg’s first success in a major Tennis tournament came in 1972 when he won the Italian Open. But, in 1974, at the age of 18, Borg became one of the youngest winners of a Grand Slam when he won the French Open. That started a legendary streak where he established a level of dominance at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.