By Neto Baptiste
Evan Heyliger, development officer with World Tennis, formerly the International Tennis Federation (ITF), said the body is seeking to help smaller countries such as Antigua and Barbuda produce more elite players.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, Heyliger, who is on island meeting with key officials and administrators in and around the sport, said the aim is to get more players competing regularly.
“We have some good nations that are producing players at a high level and you have some players that are very good, where you guys have one of the best ones in the region, if not the best, right now, in Jody Maginley. But we are trying to produce more and better players. At junior level, we have more round-robin-type tournaments that just started this year. So, for example, I just came from Trinidad and Tobago, where they have a J60 — it’s called a junior tournament there — where players can go and, instead of going and having a straight knockout, which is how tournaments have always been, now they have round-robin formats for tournaments, so players can go and at least get three, four matches,” he said.
President of the Antigua and Barbuda Tennis Association (ABTA), Cordell Williams, welcomed Heyliger’s presence, noting that the development officer was already having a positive impact on key areas of the sport locally.
“Yesterday [September 2], we spent the day doing a workshop with the PE teachers, which went well. We had 48 of the PE teachers yesterday, so, yes, the whole of yesterday we spent at the tennis centre doing a workshop and Evan went through drills and different areas that they can work on with the children. He showed them ways that they can work if they don’t have enough equipment and gave them a lot of good ideas. So, yes, the day went well,” he said.
Over the next few days, Heyliger will meet with officials from the Ministry of Sports, including Sports Minister Dwayne George.
More players, matches and elite talent, says World Tennis’ Heyliger
