KUCHING: Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) is gearing up for the World Junior Team Competition (WJTC) in March, despite challenges posed by the fasting month in many countries.
SLTA president, Datuk Patrick Liew said that the association is one of the few willing to take on the challenge during this period, and its team is ready and waiting for the event.
“As of now, 14 teams have confirmed their participation, with two to four qualifiers expected to join. The pre-qualified players are currently in Sri Lanka for ongoing matches, and the final teams will be determined by next week.
“The competition will take place from March 18 to 31, with girl categories starting first and followed by the boys. Each team consists of three players and one coach, and there will be a total of 32 teams competing.
“SLTA has also received a grant of RM220,000 from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for the event. In addition to preparing for the WJTC, SLTA is also focusing on training and shortlisting players for other tournaments, such as Malaysia Games (SUKMA),” Liew said.
With last year’s success of winning one gold and one silver, SLTA is aiming to maintain or improve upon this performance. Despite challenges posed by the age of some players, SLTA is confident in the abilities of its younger players and is pushing hard to achieve success in the upcoming competitions.
In a related development, he explained that for SUKMA, a team of nine boys and nine girls, has begun intensive training ahead of the national games with Muhd Aiman Hamdan, a former gold medalist, to lead the training sessions.
The team is also welcoming a new player for a 10-day training stint, aimed at assessing partnerships and honing individual abilities. By May, the team plans to shortlist six boys and six girls for the final roster.
“Last year, SUKMA secured one gold and one silver medal in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles categories, respectively.
“This year, the team is hopeful of maintaining their success, despite the challenge of an ageing roster. The current players are considered second-tier, younger, and less experienced than their predecessors,” he said.
He added, three players who had been training in the United States have returned to join the team for intensive training sessions in preparation for the games. The team’s goal is to secure at least one gold or either one silver and one bronze medal.
“SUKMA has never failed to secure a gold medal in the past, and the team is determined to maintain this record on home ground,” he said.
