Lack of qualified tennis coaches

by Lal Gunesekera

TENNIS: There is a lack of qualified coaches in Sri Lanka and these few coaches are in demand mainly in Colombo. There is a big short fall of coaches in the outstations and an average coach is paid a lucrative sum.

In these circumstances, the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) have made arrangements with the assistance of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to conduct training programmes for coaches and a tutors programme too next month (December).

So said the President of the SLTA, Janaka Bogollagama, to the Sunday Observer and that they (the SLTA) are planning to train school leavers with the support of the Schools Association to avail themselves of the opportunity to become qualified coaches and also persue a career as a referee/umpire as some of these officials are used by both the ITF and the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) on international circuits.

Bogollagama also said that the SLTA will focus more on a development programme for the outstations. There are two such programmes at the moment (Junior Tennis and Mini Tennis) which are very successful with enthusiasm and interest shown by both parents and children, but the lack of facilities and coaches have been the main constraint.

These programmes are held successfully in places like Negombo, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, Batticaloa, Matale, Jaffna, Bandarawela, Kandy and even Badulla where it has been launched recently. There are nearly 1,500 players in the junior tennis programme. He also commented that the lack of courts, equipment etc, the SLTA are unable to extend this programme to other places.

Over 100 teachers have successfully completed the preliminary teachers training programme with the help of the Schools Association and clubs in various regions in the outstation and are currently being used for the Mini Tennis programme.

He went on to say that it was noteworthy that the regional clubs have come forward to offer existing facilities available to encourage the young children to play the game of Tennis, and arrangements have been made for next year's Mini Tennis tournaments to be held at District and All-Island level.