Exclusive:

No sponsor for champ

Srian Obeyesekere

The tennis world is huge, and competitive by the numbers held spellbound by the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal by their court craft.

And back home, it is of big things that Sri Lanka’s No.1 and national champion Guyanga Weerasekera, who became the darling to Sri Lankan lovers of the sport by defeating Thai and Japanese heavyweights to become the International Tennis Junior Championships (ITJC) singles champion, aspires of; to be ranked about the 150th international player from his current ranking of 390 so that he could play in the Junior Grand Slam.

“To reach there I have to collect more points to go up,” contends our champion who simply blitzed his way past Thailand’s Sornjaratsuwas 6-2, 6-0 in the finals after what he termed his toughest match 6-4, 7-5 semi-final win over Japanese top seed Ryoto in the ITJC hosted by Sri Lanka recently.

But to realise his ambition in the sport at the top level Guyanga says that `I need a very good travel plan playing in a circuit where I can obtain about 30 points from one tournament.’

But then, in the same breath the champ sighs as he heavily adds,”It’s very taxing. Not as a player. But for other reasons beyond his means.”

Like what?

Only self help

“Because I’ve no financial support. I’m being supported by my parents. The Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) doesn’t help in that respect. The SLTA should have a real good plan because so many aspiring talented players want scholarships to the USA.

One of our topmost players Harsha Godamana did not get any support and was forced to give up playing tennis,” laments Guyanga, who though having a sponsor for his racquets, has to help himself to keep his career alive in what is effectively a rich man’s sport in Sri Lanka.

If you do not have the means to support your career outside SLTA assistance, hen, a player has no future. And the governing arm of the sport being redundant in that sense means it is detrimental to the player and tennis, according to our pride in the sport.

As Guyanga points out, in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit there are different levels of tournaments, and `I’m looking at the Asia ITF which is within us Asians reach. The European circuit is a higher grade which is out of our reach.’

Ranked 26th at ITF level, 17-year old Guyanga, in fact, belies his age as he proved in the recent ITF Junior Championships by colouring Sri Lanka’s rainbow at that level.

Chuck up

But despite his recent success over top notch internationals, Guyanga, who is coached by Sudantha Soysa, an ex-Davis Cup coach, has mixed feelings. Of course he is joyful over his conquests. But he is unhappy when he reflects on the state of tennis here. The failure of the SLTA to back its players is his biggest worrying bug.

“The SLTA does not help me or any player even to find a sponsor. If I’m to go professional I need a sponsor. Otherwise, it is much better for me to chuck up like Harsha and concentrate on my studies”, says Guyanga who is a bright CIMA student.

As a professional sport, Guyanga says that the only paying tournament is the SSC which offers an all take Rs.100,000/= to the winner. But other than that the local circuit is not that paying.In his quest to reach among the top 200 internationally, Harsha is mindful that `it is very difficult.’

Arjun Fernando is the only Sri Lankan to have done so during his time.This year Guyanga is looking forward to the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Group III Tournament to be held in Syria in April when he will team up with Godamana, Rajiv Rajapakse and Sanka Athukorala.

The high point in Guyanga’s career has been winning two ITF titles.

Indeed, the sky is the limit for this local prodigy who has to brave the ups and downs in a sport the name of the game is self help.

***********

GUYANGA FAVOURITES:

Hobbies: On computer most of the time
Dress: Tennis kit
Food: Spaghetti
Music: Alternatives Prefers Engelbert Humperdick
Role model: Raefel Nadal