KUALA LUMPUR: Grassroots tennis in the country received a boost with the official launch of the Babolat Duta International Tennis Academy recently.
The academy, which was formerly known as the Duta Junior Tennis Academy, is the first tennis academy in the world to be partnered by the renowned French brand.
The academy is offering four different programmes to cater for various age groups and proficiency levels and emphasises on the International Tennis Federation's Play and Stay methods.
Jens Hiesterman, a highly qualified and experienced tennis coach from Germany, has been appointed as director of coaching at the academy.
Founder and head coach V. Selvam (pic)said the partnership would allow for the implementation of the latest training techniques and equipment in Malaysia which will bring grassroots development to a higher level.
"With Babolat on board, we are able to introduce training techniques which have been used and are proven to be successful in Europe since the past five to six years," said Selvam.
"One example of the advancement Babolat brings is the four different types of tennis balls which are specifically made for each age group. They are much softer and slower than regular balls which allows for longer rallies and is physically less taxing on the young players.
"Techniques such as the Play and Stay are also very good as they focus on letting kids play rallies and enjoy themselves from the start which will help keep them interested and stay in the game longer."
While at the helm of the Duta Junior Tennis Academy, Selvam, who himself is a former national number one player, produced a number of top juniors who include current national number three Khoo Er Yang.
"With this new partnership, we hope to be able to produce not only national champions but also players who can succeed internationally," said Selvam.
Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who officiated the launching of the academy, said there was much room for improvement for the sport in the country and the launch of the academy was a step in the right direction.
"Other Asian countries such as China have already managed to produce top quality talent in recent times," said Ahmad Shabery.
"The academy has already produced good players in the past but with the new training methods, I am hoping it will be able to further boost our players' development," added Ahmad Shabery. - By Fadhli Ishak (NST - April 23)
