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Riding on S’pore’s expected tennis wave

SINGAPORE — As Singapore gears up to host the prestigious season-ending BNP Paribas Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals next month, Singapore Tennis Association (STA) general manager Gregory Tan has stressed it is vital that the Republic capitalises on this opportunity to develop the sport here.

SINGAPORE — As Singapore gears up to host the prestigious season-ending BNP Paribas Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals next month, Singapore Tennis Association (STA) general manager Gregory Tan has stressed it is vital that the Republic capitalises on this opportunity to develop the sport here.

Yesterday, SC Global, a presenting partner for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals at the Sports Hub from Oct 16 to 27, unveiled Tennis for Every Child, a programme that will involve between 8,500 and 10,000 primary school students here.

Conducted by SC Global and the STA, the programme will run in 14 primary schools as part of physical education (PE) classes. It will offer a modified version of tennis with lighter rackets, lower nets and softer balls. Four of the participating schools will also offer tennis as a co-curricular activity (CCA).

Local bakery BreadTalk is the programme’s financial sponsor, while sports equipment manufacturer Wilson will provide about 650 tennis rackets and 2,500 balls. SC Global, a homegrown luxury property developer, unveiled the programme at the Ministry of Education’s Co-Curricular Activities Branch at Evans Road yesterday as part of a five-year deal worth almost S$500,000.

“The success of Kei Nishikori and Peng Shuai at the US Open will inspire more kids in Asia to take up tennis,” said Tan, referring to Japan’s Nishikori and China’s Peng, this year’s US Open men’s singles finalist and women’s singles semi-finalist, respectively.

“In Singapore, with the presence of the WTA Finals, we too have to ride on the wave and provide platforms for children to enjoy the sport. Only by developing a strong base can Singapore hopefully discover a potential Grand Slam contender.”

SC Global will hand out 200 tickets to the programme’s participating students to watch the tournament, and its chairman and chief executive officer Simon Cheong said: “By initiating this community programme, we hope to create a lasting legacy for the sport in Singapore after the WTA Finals concludes here in five years.”

The tournament will feature the world’s top eight ranked women’s singles and doubles players. So far, newly-minted US Open champion Serena Williams and Russia’s Maria Sharapova have been confirmed.

The BNP Paribas WTA Finals’ tournament director Melissa Pine said tickets are “almost sold out” for the semi-finals and finals.

In July, 25 teachers from the 14 participating schools attended an 11-day workshop conducted by the International Tennis Federation to prepare them to coach the students.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong, who attended the launch, urged more corporations to come forward as sponsors. He said: “Hopefully from a broad base of people taking up the sport young, a few will take it to a higher level.”

Participating primary schools: Anderson Primary, Bedok West Primary, Concord Primary, Da Qiao Primary, Da Zhong Primary, Fernvale Primary, *Innova Primary, *Lian Hua Primary, Palm View Primary, *Siling Primary, Tampines North Primary, *Woodlands Primary, Fengshan Primary, Yu Neng Primary.

 

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