Wheelchair Tennis can produce world class players

Anuradha ABEYSEKARA

The Wheelchair Tennis has become one of the most popular sport for disabled in Sri Lamka which was introduced to the country in the year 1976. The Sri Lankan Open was the country's first ever wheelchair tennis tournament inaugurated in 2008. Since then the sport has made a rapid progress while producing international level players within a very brief period.

With the successful completion of three back to back International Tennis Federation (ITF) NEC series wheelchair tennis tournaments, Negombo Open, Sri Lanka Open and SSC Open this year, Sri Lanka has gained a prominent place in the world wheelchair tennis scene.

Each tournament offered US $ 2000 as prize money which attracted more than 30 players from Ukraine, India, Malaysia, South Africa and Sri Lanka, including top world ranked players of the caliber of South Africa's Sydwell Mathonsi (world number 36).

The ITF conducts nearly 150 wheel-chair tennis tournaments annually and Sri Lanka is fortunate to host three of them. ITF has pledged their support to popularize the game across the globe and has chosen Sri lanka as a sporting destination to host these tournaments.

Wheelchair tennis will play a major role in the sports tourism sector while consolidating the National Economy by bringing foreign exchange to the country. After the dawn of peace in the country these international events has helped to boost tourism industry and also will strengthen Sri Lanka's international ties.

The first Negombo Open International Wheelchair Tennis Tournament was conducted by the Negombo Tennis Club (NTC) has been a great success and the ITF has agreed to increase next year's prize money to US $ 10,000.

It will attract more top ranked foreign players and will also make the tournament more competitive. Being the second oldest tennis club in the country NTC has taken the initiative to popularize the sport in outstations. Unseeded local contender D M Gamini defeated Mathonsi and Sri Lanka's number one Upali Rajakaruna to clinch the men's singles title at the tournament.

The Sri Lankan Open and SSC Open Wheelchair Tournaments which were worked off in Colombo from March 25 to 31 also concluded on a grand note.

With the intention to produce players within the world's top ten, SLTA maintains a national pool.

It consists of 22 players representing the three Forces and Sevana Lama Nivasa. A program to train world class players as future trainers, coaches and officials is also being carried out by the SLTA while conducting periodical awareness programs island wide. There is a large number of participants in the men's category but women's participation for the game is not very high in the country.

Sri Lanka Tennis Association will organize a wheelchair tennis training program in June to popularize the game in the country and they have invited disabled people to take part in the game.

Wheelchair tennis secretary Lt Col Shiran Abeysekara said that still local disabled people are not aware of the game and the opportunities it offer, so we hope to conduct coaching camps in outstations as well to encourage people to take part in this sport.

The national wheelchair tennis coach Jagath Welikala said that our players have proved their capabilities by being among the world's best 100 players. Top three local players have participated in this year's ITF Wheelchair World Team Cup Championships which is being held in Pretoria, South Africa till May 1 have performed well in the first round matches.

They beat Russian team comfortably in straight sets (6/0, 6/1 and 6/0, 6/2) in both single matches and also won the doubles against Russia (7/5, 6/2). The Sri Lankan team included Upali Rajakaruna, D M Gamini and K M S P Perera who are in good form after the three back to back tournaments.

"Local players have been elevated in world rankings after these three tournaments. Rajakaruna who was the world number 93 has gone up to number 79 while Gamini and Perera have also entered world rankings as number 103 and 113 respectively.

Nearly 20 local players have entered world rankings. All our players needed is to get into world rankings and participate in more international tournaments.

As Sri Lanka has many young talented disabled players in the Armed Forces who are strong enough to pose a threat to top players in the international scene, we have the potential to go far in wheelchair tennis," said the national coach.