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by Lal Gunasekera

Sri Lanka who are making desparate attempts to gain promotion to Group II of the Davis Cup (Asia/Oceania Zone) have organised a series of advanced training sessions in Thailand and Sri Lanka and even certain tournaments in Kuwait and Indonesia before the Davis Cup to be staged in the Philippines from July 17 to 23.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA), Lionel Almeida, told the Sunday Observer that seven players are presently attending an advanced training programme at the Tennis Academy of Asia in Thailand which ends on Friday (March 31).

He said that another advanced training programme will be held at the SLTA under an Indian coach from April 17 to 23 before the trials from April 24 to May 1 after which another programme will be held at the SLTA from May 2 t0 7.

The final team (probably four players) will then be exposed to two/ITF future tournaments in Kuwait and another in Indonesia up to June 4, while another advanced training session is planned for the Sri Lankans in Thailand from July 3 to 14 before they leave for the Philippines on July 15.

Seven players already attending the Tennis Academy of Asia in Thailand are - Rohan de Silva, Rajiv Rajapakse, Harshana Godamanne, Dinusha Wijesuriya, Sanka Athukorale, Michael Siyagune and Rukmal Cooray. They are expected to figure in a tournament in Bangkok before returning to Colombo later this month.

Sri Lanka are presently in Group III of the Davis Cup (Asia/Oceania Zone) with Vietnam, Singapore, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Iran.

Two promising youngesters (Amrith Rupasinghe and Oshada Wijemanne) have pulled out from the Davis Cup pool due to examinations in July, while Franklyn Emmanual who is in the USA, too is not available due to studies. The experienced Renuk Wijemanne too is not available as he is employed abroad.

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