Use English as one of development factors
Published:Saturday | June 11, 2022 | 12:05 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
I recently saw an advertisement inviting participation in a ‘tennis development clinic’ in Kingston. Initiatives such as these are a positive step in the development of the sport in Jamaica.
An online search provides a plethora of information on tennis, including past organised summer clinics and programmes particularly geared towards young people, targeting those with the least opportunity, tennis clubs, tennis academies, the best tennis courts in Jamaica, and mention of tennis governing bodies.
Tennis is growing in popularity on the island. We now should move ahead towards establishing a coherent national development plan for sport. We can develop local tennis much along the line of international tennis as there’s no need to reinvent the game.
It is being suggested that we establish annual tournaments across the island, having our form of Grand Slam in Kingston, Montego Bay, Mandeville, Port Antonio, and Ocho Rios.
In the past, a leading financial institution had sponsored a competition and this proposed expansion would provide room for more sponsors to come on board. But, we need outside venues, considering that the better tennis courts are associated with the hotels and private clubs, venues with stands, and paying patrons. Breakdown prize money will pay tennis players.
We would develop our Jamaican ranking, qualifying, and seeding system, again akin to international tennis.
Then Jamaica will have a vibrant tennis programme that would impact the tourism sector while a Jamaica Open tournament attracts the participation of Caribbean tennis players.
Can this dream become a reality?
CLAUDE WILSON