SLTA eyes record number of tournaments this year

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KUCHING: Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) president Dato Patrick Liew is grateful that all tournaments organised by the association so far this year have been a success.

According to him, it had been a very busy year for SLTA so far and the association still had nine tournaments more to go for the rest of the year.

Liew said if SLTA managed to hold all the tournaments in its schedule this year it would be a record for the association.

“We have never organised more than six tournaments before, but we are going for it this year. I believe that the association and all its committee members have enough firepower to oversee all these challenges,” he added.

The association had been one of the most active sports associations in the state having organised international tennis tournaments in the state every year since Liew took over as SLTA president in 1998.

Liew too admitted that it was not easy to organise an international tournament as there were standards and requirements that the association had to comply with.

“As for SLTA, there is no problem for us so far. We have enough experience to cope with the pressures of organising an international tournament,” he said.

He was speaking to The Borneo Post during the opening ceremony of the ITF Asia/ Oceania Zone Junior Davis Cup Grand Finals Qualifiers tournament yesterday at the SLTA Headquarters tennis courts.

During the ceremony, Liew in his speech hoped international players and officials taking part in the tournament would enjoy their time here in Sarawak and that they would take the time to get to know the state better apart from competing in a tournament.

The opening ceremony was also attended by representatives from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and SLTA officials.

Meanwhile 16 teams from 16 countries will battle it out at the SLTA Headquarters tennis courts starting from yesterday to May 3 for the four slots to represent the Asia/ Oceania region at this year’s Junior Davis Cup grand finals in September.

The Junior Davis Cup Grand Finals will be held in Mexico this year.