Andre Agassi In India: Tennis Legend Calls For Sports Education To Teach Kids Problem-Solving

Agassi was discussing the future of sports and education as a foundation for excellence at the TiE Global Summit 2024 in Bengaluru.

"Even when you have a failure, you have to get up and play again the next day. So, what sports is teaching you is that focusing on winning and losing is really a distraction from what we need to be thinking about. We need to be thinking about how to get better," he said.

Agassi, who has been investing in education for the "disadvantaged" since 2001, shared that he has helped build 130 schools for about 80,000 kids in the United States, a feat he attributes to pushing himself to stay ahead of challenges.

He credited his ability to stay on course—and course-correct when needed—to his gruelling tennis career.

"Sports is all about problem-solving. Tennis taught me how to navigate a very intense environment and maintain my objectivity and problem-solving abilities. It forces me to be present, but also to understand the context of what I’m doing," Agassi said.

Speaking about his rebellious phase, Agassi said it was something he had to go through to reach where he is today. "Vulnerability is essential for growth, and I think vulnerability eventually leads to humility," he added.

The session, called Marathon Mindset, also featured Aakash Chaudhry, Co-Founder and Chief Mentor of Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), who discussed the future of EdTech in India.

Agassi agreed that technology in education will play a significant role in filling the huge gap in personalised learning that every child deserves. He said this belief is part of the reason why he invested in the Indian EdTech firm, Square Panda.

"I think technology can play an essential role, not just in scalability, but also in optimising personalised learning. That’s why I got involved with Square Panda. We are here because of the sheer scale of impact the technology will bring to education," he said.

The tennis legend mentioned that he has been traveling frequently to India—at least two to three times a year over the last few years—to understand the ground realities. He hopes to make an impact in English language learning in India in the near future.

"If a child can just be conversational in English in India, it can bring about generational change. What I hope to do is provide a vehicle for that scale and growth in literacy and English as a second language here," Agassi added.

The TiE Global Summit 2024, touted as the largest entrepreneurial gathering with over 10,000 delegates, is being held in Bengaluru until December 11, and in Mysuru on December 12.

Organised by TiE Bangalore with Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) as a strategic partner, the event is supported by the Department of Electronics, IT & BT, Government of Karnataka, and co-hosted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), MeitY Startup Hub, India AI Mission, and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).