Barbados plans to launch the International Road Tennis Federation before the end of this year as the government steps up efforts to take the island’s indigenous sport to the global stage, Minister of Sport Charles Griffith announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at the media launch of the fifth Barbados Road Tennis Open, Griffith said the global governing body would be based in Barbados and would serve as a key pillar in the efforts to grow the game.
“It is absolutely critical. I think there’s a need to have 50 countries or so that are involved in the process in terms of making it a legit international federation, but I think there’s a need for us to move now in terms of starting that particular international federation,” he said.
“We have had requests from the African continent and from Europe and right now there’s an invitation on my desk to go to Canada to open a road tennis tournament or competition.”
This year’s Barbados Road Tennis Open runs from August 15 to October 3, with the winners in both the men’s and women’s categories taking home $20 000.
For the first time, the event will also feature an Under-18 youth competition for both boys and girls.
Griffith believes more infrastructure is needed at the grassroots level to ensure road tennis continues to develop.
“I think to date we have in excess of 300 courts across the country and there’s a need to add another 300 to ensure that in almost every single community on the island, there’s a road tennis court because the only way that we’re going to broaden the sport.
“If we build the pyramid at the bottom, and by that I mean that we have road tennis being played all over this island, we will continue to work in concert with the national association, in terms of what they’re doing to support them to ensure that they’re successful as well.”
Griffith also believes the local coaching pool needs to be expanded to include a cadre of personnel that can travel abroad and educate more people about the laws of the game.
“Recently an invitation came from Glasgow to showcase road tennis in Scotland during the Commonwealth Games. Subsequent to the initial invitation, a second invitation came while the team was on the ground to go to Stirling University to also showcase road tennis.”
“I’m saying that we need to move at pace and it is critical that young individuals on the island who are interested in traveling should be involved in coaching. One of the things that we will ensure, is that those individuals who travel to coach road tennis in different jurisdictions are paid,” Griffith said.
The minister also believes the framework must be put in place to monetise the game to a point where Barbadians can reap more significant benefits.
He noted that this would also extend to the manufacturing of standardised rackets for the sport.
Griffith further described road tennis as the next big thing in sport.
“About four years ago, in a conversation with the individual who was responsible for the Olympics, an offer was placed on the table for us to have road tennis reach a stage where it can be at observer status. The only way we’re going to do that is if we have the impact of road tennis traveling,” the minister said.
(KH)
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