For tennis to develop

(Baonghean) - Although tennis arrived in Nghe An relatively late compared to many other sports, in recent years it has seen strong development, enriching the province's grassroots sports scene. However, for this sport to develop both in breadth and depth, it requires the attention of sports managers and policymakers.

In recent years, the infrastructure for sports activities in general, and tennis in particular, in our province has been increasingly invested in and developed. According to incomplete statistics, there are currently nearly 100 tennis courts throughout the province, including more than 10 complexes of 3 courts, sufficient to meet the standards for organizing provincial-level competitions. The movement to play this sport has also developed strongly and widely among various groups, ages, localities, and sectors. While previously tennis was considered a sport only for the upper class, recently, more and more civil servants, employees, and workers with average incomes have appeared on tennis courts. Mr. Le Trong Giap, residing in Block 8, Ha Huy Tap Ward, and an employee of an electronics company, said: “Initially, I followed some friends to the tennis court and started playing out of curiosity. But after a while, I found it enjoyable and then passionate. Before, I thought tennis was only for the rich, but after playing, I realized it's not too expensive; in fact, compared to badminton, tennis is even less costly in the long run.”

Match at the Thanh Thanh Dat Club Open Tennis Tournament.

The number of courts and players has increased rapidly, leading to the emergence of tennis clubs. Currently, there are more than 30 tennis clubs in the province (mostly in Vinh City) operating at courts within agencies and units, as well as at privately owned courts, forming organized training and competition venues. Some notable clubs include Truong Son, Song Lam, Giao Te, Cienco 4, Thanh Thanh Dat, the Tax Department, the Electricity Department, the Railway Department, Thanh Vinh, etc., each with 40-50 members. Thanks to the establishment and strong activity of these clubs, many major tennis tournaments are organized annually in the province, such as the Provincial Championship, the Cienco 4 Open Tennis Tournament, the Nghe An Television Cup Tennis Tournament, the Vietnam Airlines North Central Region Tennis Tournament, etc., each attracting dozens of clubs and 250-400 athletes. Most large businesses in the province are willing to sponsor the tournaments, and 80-90% of the funding for organizing the events comes from social contributions. Besides networking, meeting, and sports competitions, the tournaments also include fundraising activities to support underprivileged but academically gifted children, war invalids, families of policy beneficiaries, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, and victims of Agent Orange.

Besides Vinh City, tennis is also quite developed in several localities, most notably Cua Lo Town. To date, the number of people regularly practicing this sport in the coastal town has reached over 100, concentrated on 8 large tennis courts, such as: Saigon – Kim Lien Hotel, Hon Ngu Hotel, Ministry of Culture Guesthouse, Cua Lo Town Agricultural Bank... These tennis courts not only meet the needs of local people for physical exercise and sports, but the town also organizes the Cua Lo Town Open Tennis Tournament annually, attracting hundreds of athletes from within and outside the province. Quynh Luu is also a locality with a fairly developed tennis sport, with 5 tennis courts attracting nearly 100 people to participate in training. In mid-December 2013, Quynh Luu also organized a notable tennis tournament, the first Quynh Luu Television Cup Tennis Tournament, attracting 72 athletes from clubs in Vinh City, Quynh Luu District, Dien Chau District, Hoang Mai Town, etc.

However, much work remains to be done to elevate tennis in Nghe An to a new level. According to Mr. Bui Danh Minh, a specialist in the Professional Affairs Department of the Department of Physical Education, Sports and Tourism, although the number of players has been expanded recently, tennis is still considered a "office sport" because it is currently almost exclusively developed within agencies, units, and businesses, both in terms of personnel and infrastructure. Furthermore, compared to other popular sports like football, badminton, and table tennis, where young people make up the majority, those who practice tennis in our province are still middle-aged, mainly for health training and recreational purposes. Therefore, it has not been possible to form talented tennis athletes or a provincial team. For this reason, tennis has not been able to develop into a high-performance sport, and Nghe An lacks athletes of sufficient caliber to participate in regional and national tournaments.

Furthermore, most of the training facilities and courts in the province do not meet the required standards and are insufficient to meet actual needs. In addition, most tennis coaches, instructors, and referees are not yet standardized. According to regulations from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism regarding operating conditions, each tennis club must have at least one qualified coach, but currently, no club in the province meets this requirement. For a long time, the province has had a few coaches from other provinces coming to "teach," but all of these have been isolated and spontaneous activities.

Good news for tennis enthusiasts in the province: the founding congress of the Provincial Tennis Federation will take place in mid-February. Mr. Lo Trung Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated: “After its establishment, the Tennis Federation will actively seek support from organizations and businesses to organize 4-5 regular tournaments annually. In addition, the Federation plans to standardize its coaching and refereeing staff, develop training for talented athletes, expand exchanges with other provincial tennis federations to learn from their experiences, and increase participation in regional and national tournaments.” It can be said that, although the establishment of the Nghe An Tennis Federation happened quite late (as the formation of the Federation had been underway for two years and the General Assembly was scheduled for September 2013), it is nevertheless very necessary. From here, the sport of tennis will develop in a more organized and clearly directed manner, instead of being spontaneous as it is currently. Hopefully, after the Federation is established, those responsible will actively participate in promoting the development of tennis in Nghe An.

Text and photos:Minh Quan