Professional touch will improve Sri Lanka's tennis - Kumara

Pavilion view by Leslie Fernando

Tennis: One hundred percent professionalism is essential for tennis players to come up to required international standard. Earlier we played as amateurs. Most foreign players are professionals. Take for one instance our neighbours _ India.

The authorities in India offer four to five lakhs of rupees to a winner in a tournament. So it is upto the Sri Lanka Tennis Association to introduce professionalism soon said P. S. Kumara, a former Thomian and national tennis player who with a blend of determination and talent came to the top in tennis in 1956 as a schoolboy. He is also the Chairman National Selection Committee.

A fine cricketer and a versatile hockey player Kumara, said the standard in tennis has gone down in recent years. The chief reason for this is the lack of interest by the players for the game. The educational institutions used to be the fountain-head of talent in my time. But it is no longer so. Cricket fascinates the youngsters at school level more, these days. There is more glamour in cricket, more publicity and more money in cricket. So today's youth is going all-out for cricket not tennis.

Today there are only a few tournaments being held. Gone are the days when there were well over 12 tournaments conducted by the former tennis officials with more outstation players from Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Negombo, Uva, Bandarawela, KV participating, But now tennis is confined mainly for Colombo players.

The SLTA should conduct more tournaments, get involved in the school sections and play more matches with India instead of sending one or two players for training to foreign countries, added 'Kum'.

'Kum' said that to reach the top in tennis or in any other sport, a clean life is most important. One cannot smoke, drink and dissipate one's energy and expect to become a world-class player. Concentration is also important one has to be dedicated, totally devoted to tennis.

There was no money in tennis during our time, but the players stuck to the game and the desire to excel helped us to improve. I was never physically robust but I made up for this by speed, anticipation and skill.

Sri Lanka had great players like Rupert Ferdinands, Bernard Pinto, G. N. Perera to name a few, 'Kum' said that he started playing competitive tennis at the age of 16 while at S.Thomas' College, Mt.Lavinia.

Won the national singles and doubles titles and had the distinction of beating number one players of Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Rumenia and Hong Kong from 1961 to 1972. He represented the country at several international tournaments. Best achievements for Sri Lanka in 1965 when we lost to India 2-3 in the Asian Games.

Broad-base game

Lasantha Fernando, former Benedictine, University of Colombo, Peradeniya University top cricketer, who turned out to be a national tennis player, was willing to share his vast experience with the up-and-coming tennis player here in this country.

First and foremost, Lasantha was of the view that there was an urgent need to broad-based game and have long term plan to make headway in the game. For this, age groups 10 to 14, 14 to 18 and 18 and over should be picked from schools and 'outside'. Fernando said that it was important to have intelligent coaches to impart the ABC of the game at the initial stages to these youngsters.

Lasantha who first won the national title in 1963 and also entered the finals on 17 occasions in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles. He also represented Sri Lanka in the Davis Cup.

He said that the Sri Lanka Tennis Association is now blessed with 6 new hard courts worth three million rupees, thanks to the efforts of Subramaniam and these courts should help in the promotion of the game in a big way.

During our time we had top players but facilities were not provided as at present he said.

Fernando said that our present players can come up to good level if Sri Lanka Tennis Association puts the game on the correct path. The SLTA should be fair on all important issues.

Lasantha who did the country proud defeating China's number one Ziua Ching in 1972, further said that SLTA should send players for more international tournaments. The present standard is at a low level when compared to other Asian countries.

Higher incentives should be offered

The game of tennis is one sport that can make an impact internationally if it is properly organised and harnessed. In the past, some of our players have beaten a number of international players.

The ability of our veteran players to match the players drawn from Japan, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Rumenia, Hong Kong, China came in for high praise said D. L. Seneviratne, a very knowledgeable administrator who held the post of president for five years 1987 to 1992.

Former Royalist Seneviratne, who also was the vice-president Asian Tennis Federation, said that our golden era in tennis was in 1991 when our players won four gold, four silver and one bronze medal out of seven events. Earlier, Sri Lanka reached the semi-finals several times in the Group two Davis Cup tournaments.

The main aim is to have good and potential players, representing the country. But it is sad to state once top players obtain good 'A' level results they go away to the United States or 'Down Under' to better their prospects and they are 'lost' to tennis.

My suggestion is to offer higher incentives to top tennis players so that they will stay in the game said Seneviratne.

Seneviratne explained that most of the other Asian countries including the Middle-East put in a lot of money for training and other facilities for the players. In fact they get the services of high profile American coaches to train the players.

Good planning necessary

I'm not in a position to comment on the present standard of tennis in Sri Lanka as I have not been to the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts nor have I witnessed a game of tennis for a pretty long time. But I think, the SLTA is doing what they can and the players should perform well said Ruki Kodagoda a double international in tennis and golf.

The standard of tennis was at a very high level around 35 years ago. We used to fare prominently on the Indian Circuit and at Ganefo Games.

She said that practice makes a player perfect. I used to practice 3 to 4 hours a day at the SSC and achieved success due to my own determination. Ruki Kodagoda has won the women's singles national titles several times in the good old days.

Her opinion is that if the players show commitment and dedication, success should come their way.

Our players cannot achieve international fame by merely indulging in playing the game as a recreation sport.

The game has to be planned out well as international competition is fierce, said Ruki.