Blta.bm
Title
Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association
Description
In February and March the Interschool Tennis Tournaments were held at the W.E.R. Joell Tennis Stadium. This competition was attended by participants with a high level of play and good all around sportsmanship. I am proud to announce that thanks to one of our sponsors, Ace Insurance, the BLTA has recently hired three qualified coaches who will be working closely with principals and physical education teachers, island wide, in order to introduce tennis to our youth and to enhance the level of play for those Juniors already in action. We are pleased to mention that the Pyramid Structure introduced to us by the International Tennis Federation has the school initiative as its base and is reaping the rewards that we wished for.
This year also saw the reactivation of National Training followed by Team Tennis, a segment our of development that offers additional competition for our Juniors throughout the year. This year, as in the past, the Davis Cup, Fed Cup and 14 & Under teams traveled overseas to represent Bermuda. Our 2003 teams did not win promotion as they have in previous years, however, the reports from the team captains were highly commendable and expressed a confidence in stronger results for the future. Congratulations and thanks to our captains and their teams for representing Bermuda at such a high level of play.
History was made this year in Bermuda on June 14th when Bermuda, for the first time, hosted an International Tennis Federation World Ranking Junior Tournament at the W.E.R. Joell Tennis Stadium. Juniors from 18 different countries participated and I am pleased to mention that the BLTA received a very favorable report from Cecilia Ancalmo, the ITF on-site representative, and John Bramlett, the tournament referee. At this time, on behalf of all the Juniors in Bermuda and those from around the world whom participated in the Bank of Bermuda Foundation/ITF World Ranking Junior Tournament, I would like to extend a very special thanks to Mr. David Lang and his committee for their generous financial support as the title sponsor for this event. It gives me great pleasure to mention that the Bank of Bermuda Foundation has agreed to host this tournament again next year, August 2nd – 7th. Special thanks also to tournament director, Mr. Allan Simmons and his professional committee for their outstanding job and the countless hours they put in to make the event happen. Thank you to the various ministries within the Government who also leant their assistance. Special mention to Capt. Herman Eve and his staff for going beyond the agreed contract to ensure that the overseas Juniors enjoyed their stay at the Bermuda Regiment facility. Finally, thanks to all of our local Juniors that participated in the event. Congratulations on a fantastic tournament. The BLTA is proud of your performances and exemplary sporting behaviour.
Languages
English
