Tennis trio’s US training stint cut short

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(From left) Hii Shieng Wee, Tan Lin Xin and Tan Lin En with Tennis Players Fitness Institute director Doru Murariu.

KUCHING: The Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association’s (SLTA) long-term plan to develop three potential players has come to a sudden halt with the spread of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.

SLTA president Dato Patrick Liew said the association had sent 19-year old Tan Lin Xin and 16-year olds Tan Lin En and Hii Shieng Wee for a three-month training stint at the Tennis Players Fitness Institute in the US on March 5.

However, the stint was cut short when the Covid-19 also hit the US and the trio were called back to the Sarawak on Mar 24.

“We have no alternative but to postpone the training programme for the sake of the players and we shall be sending them back to the US when everything is clear.

“Hii has actually trained at the Tennis Players Fitness Institute from Aug 28 to Dec 12 last year and I am very impressed with the vast improvement he had made, not only in physique but playing techniques as well,” Liew told The Borneo Post.

The trio are eligible to play for two to three Sukma.

“The Tan siblings are doing home study and aiming to get into a US university on tennis scholarships eventually while Hii is still not so mentally prepared for further studies in the US,” Liew added.

He said it is always tough to produce top players from Sarawak while highlighting a potential player’s passion, committment and strong physique as essential prerequisites.

“Most importantly, we must have strong and consistent financial resources support from the government and corporate/personal sponsors and with the present economic situation it is not and easy task,” he lamented.

“It took me more than 10 years to develop and mould a poor kampung boy Mohd Asri Merzuki into a high calibre player and I take it as my personal challenge and I made it through.

“I am not sure whether l still have the energy and resources to produce another Asri but nevertheless I will do whatever l can to train more outstanding players for SLTA as long as I am still the SLTA president.”