Bogollagama to start with young'uns to develop tennis

by Lal Gunesekera

TENNIS: My first priority is to launch a development programme for the outstations which has not got due recognition for nearly two decades or so with the number of players dwindling. In the "good old days", tennis, was played by most public servants who possessed their own club houses and courts.

But what has happened now? It is no longer the Game and this is what I want to change.

This candid statement was made by the newly elected President of the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) Janaka Bogollagama, in an interview with the "Sunday Observer".

Bogollagama, a real estate developer by profession, said that tennis is not an elite sport as some thought it to be, and confided that school children must be encouraged and with the "Mini Tennis" programme launched extensively by the SLTA some years back, the SLTA are hopeful that the sport will catch on with the youth of the country once again.

However, the SLTA, has certain problems in spreading the game in the North and East due to the security problems facing the country.

He further said that the competition level has been brought into greater level in the recent past with the country's Davis Cup squad players being relatively young with teenagers coming to the forefront replacing the seniors. This is a good omen for the country's sport.

Bogollagama said that the "advanced squads" formed by the SLTA (particularly the boys) have reached international level with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) of which his predecessor, Suresh Subramaniam, is the Secretary-General, assisting the SLTA with the much needed finances and giving the young players more exposure in the Asian Circuits. He said: "I want to sustain it and develop it further."

However, he was disappointed with the performance of the girls, apart from a handful. He said: "Their standards have to be improved, although we (the SLTA) are satisfied with the number of girls playing the game.

Numbers itself are insufficient and we (the SLTA) must have a more intensive programme. The parents of the young girls are keen and very enthusiastic and in a couple of years I sincerely hope that some young girls in the under-15 age group will reach the top in Asia.

Revealing his plans for the uplift of the sports Bogollagama said that courts in the outstations are inadequate and the SLTA are helping certain cities like Negombo and Kurunegala with financial assistance to construct courts. Some have been devastated with the 2004 Tsunami and the SLTA are helping to reconstruct these courts too.

He also said that some courts in the Up-Country are lying idle and they are trying to reconstruct them too.