Houston Tennis Association

Congratulations!

The Texas Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame proudly welcomes its Class of 2025: David Davis, Kimm Ketelsen, Emily Schaefer, and Ken Sumrow.

From the court to the sidelines, their decades of impact as players, coaches, mentors, and visionaries have helped shape tennis in Texas...and beyond. 🎾

Read more: https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/texas/2025-hall-of-fame-inductees.html =tournaments

Meet Sunil Shalia, one of HTA's outstanding captains. ..My name is Sunil Shalia, and I have proudly served as captain of the USTA 4.0 team Katy Challengers since 2019. Our team is based at the Rosewood courts in Cinco Ranch, Katy. We started just before the COVID-19 pandemic with only eight players, and over time, we have built a strong and growing community of over 50 players.
With this growth, we expanded to run two teams, 4.0 and 4.5 for HTA, and also launched a local league that operates on the same day. Every Thursday, we coordinate matches for 24 players across three leagues. This would not have been possible without the dedication of my fantastic co-captains: Dale Voon, Ganesh Mohanrao, Keith Koronado, Ravi Yellisetti, and others. Their commitment and teamwork have been instrumental in shaping our success.
Our players are passionate and eager to be on the court, so we have focused on creating engaging local and internal league formats. One of our most popular initiatives has been the Round Robin Doubles series, which is now in its fourth season with 36 active participants. To bring our community together and showcase our activities, we also maintain a website: KatyChallengers.com, where we share updates and celebrate our team's fun and achievements.
My own tennis journey began in 1997, playing regularly with three neighbors on a quiet cul-de-sac in Houston. Two were basketball players, and one was the son of a tennis coach who helped us learn the game. We played every Sunday morning for three to four hours over the course of 10 years, and all of us improved as players before eventually moving to different neighborhoods.
Later, I took expatriate assignments in Indonesia and Qatar with ConocoPhillips, working as a petroleum engineer. When I returned to the U.S. in 2013, we settled in Katy, where I continued to build my tennis network and found ways to involve my family in the sport as well.
My daughter took to tennis quickly and played varsity tennis in high school. She still enjoys playing recreationally from time to time. Tennis has truly become a family affair for us. My wife plays a key role in co-hosting team gatherings and tennis parties, which have become a cherished tradition. We have also created many wonderful memories traveling as a family to attend matches and tournaments. For us, tennis has been more than just a game, it is a way to stay active, meet great people, and enjoy meaningful time together.