National Tennis Academy to come up at Gurgaon

The All-India Tennis Association will set up a National Tennis Academy at Gurgaon in Haryana by September 2002.

AITA general secretary Anil Khanna said in Chennai after the federation committee meeting, the standards at the residential academy would be at par with international tennis schools. The NTA was being set up as AITA felt it needed to produce a player who could be in the top 100 in ATP rankings in the world, he said.

The meeting was chaired by Union Finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who is the AITA president.

Khanna said AITA had already established tournaments for various age group levels and ensured availability of infrastructure. "But there is lack of depth and our junior players are not able to sustain themselves to good levels."

Khanna expressed confidence over the NTA being granted recognition by the International Tennis Federation and said that Dave Miley, ITF development director, would be in Delhi to oversee facilities being made available at the academy.

To start with, the academy will take in 72 children, of whom 36 would be fully funded for their studies, boarding and lodging, while international coaches would train the wards in the game.