|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 7 November 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
SLTA in ambitious campaign to get high ranking for Franklyn and Oshada by Lal Gunesekera A rather ambitious project has been undertaken by the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) in attempts to see two of their most promising junior boy's players (former national champion Franklyn Emmanual and Oshada Wijemanne) to be ranked within the first 100 of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SLTA, Lionel Almeida, told the Sunday Observer that both Emmanual (17) and Wijemanne (18) will be exposed in several ITF junior tournaments next year (2005) in these attempts, and the SLTA who have identified the potential in these two players, will invest in their entry fees, travelling expenses, accommodation etc. During this period, these two players will concentrate only on their tennis, while they take a break from their studies. The President of the SLTA, Suresh Subramaniam, is of the opinion that they (the SLTA) are confident that these two players will reap the benefits that will come their way through tennis, and that the SLTA's venture will pay off. The SLTA in the meantime are looking out for sponsors for both Emmanual and Wijemanne. Wijemanne played in the ITF Junior International in Myanmar recently where he lost in the second-round of the singles to Indonesia's Agung-Bagus Dewantore (3-6,4-6) after beating Chinese Taipei's Hsien-Yin Peng in a three setter at 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3. Players from South Korea, Myanmar, India, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, participated. Presently ranked No. 587 in the ITF junior world rankings, Wijemanne is now in Indonesia for two tournaments. He failed to qualify for the main draw in one and was forced to withdraw from the second due to a toe injury. Renouk Wijemanne is also a former national champion, but in his early 20's. He is presently playing in two ITF Futures tournaments in Thailand and will take a final decision whether to continue with his studies or tennis, after the Davis Cup (Asia/Oceania Zone Group III) to be staged in Qatar in March-April next year (2005). Sri Lanka, who gained promotion together with Saudi Arabia after their success in Jordan earlier this year in Group IV of the Davis Cup, has already picked a pool of seven players. They are Franklyn Emmanual, Oshada Wijemanne, Renouk Wijemanne, Harshana Godamanne, Rajiv Rajapakse and two seasoned campaigners Jayendra Wijeyesekera and Rohan de Silva. Sri Lanka are grouped together with Qatar, Vietnam, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and two other countries, the Lankans are sending five of these players (Emmanual, Renouk Wijemanne, Oshada Wijemanne, Godamanne and De Silva) for three coaching camps in Bombay, India by Earice Piperno. The first is from November 14 to 24 and second from December 2 to 12. The third camp will be just prior to the Davis Cup in February-March next year (2005). A group of nine players in the under-14 age group and two coaches too attended a coaching camp recently in Thailand organised by Australian Open and conducted by former well-known "star" Peter ManNamara, who is now a top notch coach. Meanwhile, two SLTA officials (Arjan Perera and Maxwell de Silva) will attend an ITF meeting in Bangkok, Thailand next week where ITF's international calendar is to be finalised. However, already confirmed to be staged in Colombo is the 22nd ITF Junior International Championship from February 12 to 20 next year, while the SLTA will also request for two further junior internationals plus the usual ITF Futures and ITF Women's Circuit events too. The Queen's Club Open Championship, which is a ranking tournament of the SLTA, started yesterday and will go on till 14 at the Queen's Club courts, Bullers Road, while the Mercantile Championships sponsored by NDB Bank is to be worked off on the National Tennis Centre (NTC) courts, Greenpath from November 20 to 28 with entries closing on November 12 and draw scheduled for November 15. The SLTA's People's Bank sponsored Inter-Club Championship is down to be worked off on December 4,5,11 and 12 also on the NTC courts with entries closing on November 15 and draw fixed for November 18. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
