The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s annual general meeting and election of officers was called off at the last minute, incumbent president Perry Newton said it will still be business as usual until they get the matter resolved.

The AGM and elections were scheduled for Saturday at the National Tennis Centre. But on Friday, a group led by Ken Kerr, who is seeking to oppose Newton, got an injunction from the Supreme Court to postpone the AGM and elections.

Justice Donna Newton presided over the matter. The BLTA was represented by Ramona A Farquharson while Kerr’s side was represented by Kahlil Parker of Cedric L Parker & Co. The hearing was heard by Zoom.

According to Kerr, who is backed by lawyer Bjorn Ferguson, they were disappointed in the manner in which the elections were called and members of the BLTA have been denied the opportunity to become financial in order to vote.

It’s unfortunate that our AGM was not able to take place on the scheduled date and time,” Newton said.

“We pray that this matter will be resolved soon and as an association, we will continue with our developmental programmes.

“Play tennis and afterschool programmes resume in February and we also will focus on the preparation of our national teams as there are two teams scheduled to go off in February and two in early March.”

Newton, who was elected to serve on the COTECC board in August with the responsibility for The Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Haiti over the next two years, said it’s unfortunate what transpired, but they will continue to work for the continued growth of tennis in the Bahamas.

Looking forward to making his first stab at an executive post in the BLTA since making his transition from playing in the Commonwealth American Football League, Kerr said he feels vindicated.

“We now have the correct way to proceed.

“So we’re hoping now that all of the matters we’re concerned with will be debated with regards to the changes in the constitution so that we can have something that would reflect the proper way that everybody who wants to participate can do so in the right and fair environment,” he stated.

Kerr said they will continue their membership drive to ensure that those persons who wish to be financial members can do so and be eligible to vote when the duly elections are held no later than April 30, as constituted by the BLTA.

“Once we have done that, we will be about our business trying to make tennis accessible to all Bahamians,” Kerr said.

“We want to provide educational opportunities for all of the young players, develop our junior programme and provide some wholesome, healthy opportunities for all Bahamians interested in the sport.”

As they look ahead to the possibility of being elected, Kerr said they would like to focus more on inner city tennis, their partnership with the International Tennis Federation, their relationship with the collegiate and professional players and the disciplinary actions of its players.

Kerr said they also want to focus on their financial partners with the view of securing the necessary funding to assist in the growth and development of their game locally and internationally, as well as improving the facilities at the NTC.

And he noted that they want to launch a programme called Tennis Anywhere Bahamas where interested persons can locate both players and coaches whom they can contact to either play with or against or to gain some knowledge of the sport.

Just before the AGM and elections, Newton came under heavy scrutiny by professional player Kevin Major Jr, who has called for a change in the leadership of the BLTA.

Newton, indicating that he felt no animosity towards Major Jr, said he will respond in short order because he feels he was misrepresented in the comments directed toward him.