Date:20/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/20/stories/2008082053592100.htm

Sport - Tennis

Foreign coach at the TTC

Principal Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Trivandrum Tennis Club (TTC) is hiring a foreign coach to give impetus to its training programme and to develop quality players at the National level. It has appointed Paul Tornquist from Canada as its director of tennis.

The 35-year-old, who is at present the director of tennis at the American Club in Singapore, has signed a two year contract with the TTC and will take charge from October 1.

Tornquist, who has had coaching stints at the Evert Segusso-Bassett academy in Boca Raton, Rick Macci’s Academy in Delray Beach, Harbour Ridge Country Club, the Sagamore, Bolton Landing in New York, will be assisted by three coaches — Biju Mani, Chandu and Abhilash.

The TTC will pay the coach a monthly salary of Rs. 70,000 and will also provide him accommodation and take care of his tennis-related expenses.

Govt. help

The TTC secretary B. Biju said that the total expenditure will come to Rs. 12 lakh per annum. He said that club had approached the Kerala Government and Kerala State Sports Council for help and they have, in principle, agreed to bear 50 per cent of the expense.

He added the club doesn’t have any plans to burden the present trainees by increasing the coaching fee. The TTC has around 250 trainees, who pay a yearly fee of Rs. 6000, on its rolls.

More trainees

The club proposes to take an additional 150 trainees (between five and 14 years of age) this year. Mr. Biju said that the TTC had launched a community tennis programme this year and the club has already adopted two talented children.

And to take the game to the grassroots level, he said the club has plans to send its coaches to nearby government schools and also invite children to the club for a day. The TTC will be adopt two children from each school and will bear all their tennis expenditure.

Mr. Biju said talks were on with racquet manufacturer Wilson to provide equipment at subsidised rates to members and trainees of the club. He said that the club also had plans to conduct two international tournaments this season.