(Left) Spurti Shivalingaiah of Bangalore .
University of Nebraska’s women’s
tennis team features two Indian players,
Spurti Shivalingaiah of Bangalore and
Vasanti Shinde of Pune.
Spurti, a sophomore, came to Nebraska
in 2014, prompting Vasanti to become
a Husker a year later. “The football games
impressed me when I came here,” Spurti
told the Daily Nebraskan. “The culture of
sports over here is so much bigger than
in India. We don’t emphasize on sports as
much as we do education.”
While the professional tennis
circuit is their ultimate goal, they’re also
preparing themselves for more traditional
careers.
(Right) Vasanti Shinde of Pune.
“I might try my luck in the pro circuit,
and if it doesn’t work out I’m going to
be coming back for my master’s degree,”
Vasanti said.
Spurti, who’s recovering from surgery
she had four months ago, has similar
thoughts. “I want to stay here and go
pro,” she said. “But considering all the
injuries I’ve had, I’m not sure I could do
that, but it’s really something I’d love to
do. But, if not, I’d definitely love to stay
here and get a job in something involving
econ and finance.”