Darjeeling Gymkhana Club will be hosting a three-day lawn tennis tournament beginning April 25 with an aim to promote the Darjeeling hills in this sport in the national level.
More than 100 amateur players from across the state will be participating in the 7th Open Invitational Amateur Tennis Championship. They can participate in either an open or veteran’s event in both singles and doubles versions.
There is no age limit for the open championship, but only those above the age of 45 will be allowed to participate in the veteran’s event.
“We want to promote the sport in this region and also bring the Darjeeling hills in the tennis map of the country. In order
to achieve this goal, we are organising tennis tournaments on an annual basis,” explained club chairman Brij Mohan Garg where the tennis matches will be held.
It is worth mentioning here that during tennis tournaments hosted by the club earlier, amateur players from countries such as Bhutan and Nepal also participated apart from regular domestic players.
However, participants have been limited only to that from West Bengal this time. Last year, there were about 140 participants and the number has come down to 100 this year, including 30 players from the hills.
Explaining why the club invited players only from within the state, club member secretary Madan Kumar Subba said, “We have noticed the standard of players from Bhutan and Nepal is very high and this fact does not give local players much chance to progress in the tournament, more so because lawn tennis is not very popular among the youths of the hills. Since we wanted the youths of this area to be able to meet the minimum required standards, we invited participants from Bengal only to give the locals much-needed experience before they can venture to take on international players. It will definitely take some time for our youths to raise their game level and we will invite international players only after we are confident enough.”
At present, about 20 youngsters are receiving training at the club and efforts are on to provide them experienced coaches and better training facilities.
“We want to catch them young because that is the best time to learn. I have no doubt that our youths too can achieve greatness in lawn tennis. Cricket is not the only sport we can choose and we want our youths to make a career in tennis in the hope of putting Darjeeling in the national tennis scenario, which incidentally, the BTA also wants,” said Subba, adding plans are also afoot to host a professional tennis championship in Darjeeling.
The member secretary said BTA members will also be present during the tournament and they include the likes of Sushil Mehrotra, the life president of the BTA, along with Hironmoy Chaterjee, the CEO of the All India Tennis Championship and BTA president.
Source : EOI
More than 100 amateur players from across the state will be participating in the 7th Open Invitational Amateur Tennis Championship. They can participate in either an open or veteran’s event in both singles and doubles versions.
“We want to promote the sport in this region and also bring the Darjeeling hills in the tennis map of the country. In order
to achieve this goal, we are organising tennis tournaments on an annual basis,” explained club chairman Brij Mohan Garg where the tennis matches will be held.
It is worth mentioning here that during tennis tournaments hosted by the club earlier, amateur players from countries such as Bhutan and Nepal also participated apart from regular domestic players.
However, participants have been limited only to that from West Bengal this time. Last year, there were about 140 participants and the number has come down to 100 this year, including 30 players from the hills.
Explaining why the club invited players only from within the state, club member secretary Madan Kumar Subba said, “We have noticed the standard of players from Bhutan and Nepal is very high and this fact does not give local players much chance to progress in the tournament, more so because lawn tennis is not very popular among the youths of the hills. Since we wanted the youths of this area to be able to meet the minimum required standards, we invited participants from Bengal only to give the locals much-needed experience before they can venture to take on international players. It will definitely take some time for our youths to raise their game level and we will invite international players only after we are confident enough.”
At present, about 20 youngsters are receiving training at the club and efforts are on to provide them experienced coaches and better training facilities.
“We want to catch them young because that is the best time to learn. I have no doubt that our youths too can achieve greatness in lawn tennis. Cricket is not the only sport we can choose and we want our youths to make a career in tennis in the hope of putting Darjeeling in the national tennis scenario, which incidentally, the BTA also wants,” said Subba, adding plans are also afoot to host a professional tennis championship in Darjeeling.
The member secretary said BTA members will also be present during the tournament and they include the likes of Sushil Mehrotra, the life president of the BTA, along with Hironmoy Chaterjee, the CEO of the All India Tennis Championship and BTA president.
Source : EOI
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