ITF

26 ITFWorld // SPRING 2018 D E V E L O P M E N T In March the ITF announced 15 players from 13 countries as the recipients of the first-ever ITF International Junior Player Grants. The new programme will provide total funding of $325,000 in 2018 to selected players as a contribution towards their competition-related costs, with the aim of helping them make the transition from the junior game to the professional circuit. The grants were awarded to players who met specific age, ranking and regional representation criteria and show exceptional potential. Five boys were awarded grants of $25,000: Nicolas Mejia (COL), Uisung Park (KOR), Jurij Rodionov (AUT), Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) and Chun Hsin Tseng (TPE). Six girls also received $25,000 grants: Violet Apisah (PNG), Emiliana Arango (COL), Kaja Juvan (SLO), Sada Nahimana (BDI), Maria Gabriela Rivera Corado (GUA) and Wang Xinyu (CHN). In addition, Nick Hardt (DOM), Philip Henning (RSA), Maria Camila Osorio Serrano (COL) and Ajeet Rai (NZL) all received $12,500 grants, with the result being that at least one boy and one girl from each of the ITF's six regions will receive a grant. "The experience of going to best tournaments, thanks to receiving this type of support, will motivate me to want to continue competing and working hard," said 17-year-old grant recipient Maria Gabriela Rivera Corado of Guatemala. "It is very exciting because apart from improving my level of play, it gives me an understanding of how to face opponents of different styles of play. This grant will help me enormously to improve so in the future I become a successful professional player." "The ITF is committed to developing tennis throughout the world, and these grants will support some of the world's best junior players from nations with fewer available resources," said Haggerty. "The transition from junior tennis to the professional game is a huge challenge and the Junior Player Grants are one of the many ways that the ITF is aiming to support talented young players to establish themselves on the circuit." ITF introduces International Junior Player Grants ➝ ITF recognition is based on certain criteria with minimum standards set for gold, silver and bronze levels, with gold being the highest. A national training centre applying for recognition will need to show that systems and procedures are in place along with relevant documentation in five key areas – facilities and equipment, management, coaching team, sports science and medicine, and player programmes. After recognition, a national association will be able to use the ITF logo as a sign of quality control for its NTCs, indicating that it has met the ITF's international standards. The ITF plans to provide assistance to nations looking to achieve the various levels of recognition, including conducting expert visits to NTCs. From Kenya, Haggerty moved on to Kigali in Rwanda, where, ahead of attending the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) AGM, the ITF President took part in community work – known as Umuganda – at the construction site of a new national tennis centre in the country. Hosted by Rwandan minister of sports and culture, Hon. Uwacu Julienne, Haggerty and fellow AGM delegates helped clear the site where the new facility will be built at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre. ■ ITF President David Haggerty helps clear a site in Rwanda ahead of construction of a national tennis centre Haggerty officially opens the ITF/CAT/TK East Africa Training Centre, alongside CAT President Tarak Cherif and Tennis Kenya President James Kenani Haggerty in Nairobi Guatemala's Maria Gabriela Rivera Corado

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