The Tribune

THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) is pleased to announce that The Bahamas has been selected to host a regional training camp for top junior tennis athletes in the Caribbean and Central America.

The training camp will be held at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) November 6-10.

The camp will feature the top talent in the U14 category from the regional English speaking countries (Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent, Curacao, Barbados and The Bahamas) and will be facilitated by John Goede, the ITF development officer for the Caribbean.

Coming off the heels of the BLTA being awarded for its tennis excellence and the re-election of its president to the Cotecc board, The Bahamas is once again setting history as being the first country to host a training camp for the juniors from the English-speaking countries in the region.

The BLTA is excited to have this opportunity to host this training event.

Seven Bahamian juniors, including two from Grand Bahama and one from Eleuthera, have been invited to participate in the camp.

Patrick Mactaggart, Synaj Watkins, Ayai Bethel, Chase Newbold, Briana Houlgrave, Caitlyn Pratt and Danielle Saunders, all top players in their respective age groups, are expected to participate in the training camp.

Newly minted Level 2 CAP (Coaching Advanced Players) coach Ricardo Demeritte will be a part of the coaching group.

The camp will also allow for potential 2024 CAP candidates to participate as well.

BLTA president Perry Newton noted:

“Training is the gateway to development and growth. I am very appreciative of Cotecc for allowing this tennis camp for the English-speaking countries.

“It has been a wonderful experience to be a part of the Cotecc board for the past two years and to sit on their junior development committee; this progressive board is shaping the future of tennis in the region.

“The U14 is a key development group that Cotecc puts emphasis on and this camp shows their commitment to that goal. It is great that we will have a mix of male and female juniors to represent The Bahamas in the camp from Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and Nassau.

“The camp will impart knowledge and the juniors will have so much memorable experiences that we hope will improve their game and add value to them on their tennis journey. We encourage persons who wish to help in sponsoring these activities to come forth as these events do require some financial investment.

“Holding the camp in The Bahamas is positive for the sport and a great feat for the country. We are happy to be able to manage and organise it all.”

Immediately following the camp, the BLTA will host the U14 Junkanoo Bowl at the National Tennis Centre. The tournament is ranked on the Cotecc Junior Circuit.

Juniors born between 2009 and 2010 and are at a minimum of 11 years old by November 11 are invited to come and participate in this international event scheduled for November 11-16.

The registration deadline is October 23. You will find registration information at www.cotecc.org.sv.

U14 players can send their confirmation of interest along with a passport copy to the BLTA’s secretary at bltasecadmin@blta.net.

The BLTA looks forward to hosting the camp for this vibrant group of talented juniors and also hosting the U14 Junkanoo Bowl on the international Cotecc Junior Circuit.

November promises to be a very productive and groundbreaking month for Bahamas Tennis.