Recreation
NEC Sponsors the most Prestigious Championship for Wheelchair Tennis over 10 Consecutive Years
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The second of three NEC Wheelchair Tennis Camps for 2005 took place at the City of Nottingham Tennis Centrex last weekend (12th - 13th March), with some of Great Britain's Athens Paralympic Tennis Team on hand to guide and inspire more than 20 new players in one of the fastest growing wheelchair sports in the world.
The developmental two day NEC Wheelchair Tennis Beginner and Quad Camp, sponsored by telecommunications and electronics giant NEC (UK) Ltd and organized by The British Tennis Foundation, gave new players the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game, including basic racket strokes and wheelchair manoeuvrability.
Those attending the Camp included several Quad players - players affected in three or more limbs - who could have asked for no greater inspiration than having Athens Paralympic Quad Singles Gold medallist and Quad Doubles Silver medallist Peter Norfolk to lend the benefit of his expertise, and of course exhibit his medals.
Joining Peter was David Gardner, another member of the Great Britain Paralympic Team, who joined the coaching team after recently gaining his Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Level I Development Coach Award (DCA).
Martin McElhatton, Chairman of the National Wheelchair Tennis Association, led the coaching during the weekend, assisted by Stuart Wilkinson, coach of British Men's No 1 Jayant Mistry, Mark Bullock, Wheelchair Tennis Development Officer for the International Tennis Federation, and Sandy Lund, of the LTA's Schools Department.
These same four core members of the coaching staff return to Nottingham Tennis Centre this weekend (19th - 20th March) for the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Junior Camp, the third and final NEC Camp to be staged in Nottingham during the past five weeks. And with 34 young players from all across the country set to attend, the coaching staff this weekend will be boosted by former British international player and now qualified DCA coach Jason Ward.
Catering specifically for Under 18s, this Camp will follow the same basic format as the previous NEC Wheelchair Tennis Ladies Camp, held in February, and the Beginner and Camp, with the opportunity to try out a specifically designed tennis chair and get plenty of practice playing various racket strokes, as well as playing some fun games.
Lynn Parker, Disabilities Tennis Manager at the British Tennis Foundation, said: "In past years we have found some very promising players through our NEC Wheelchair Tennis Camps and this year has been no different. To complete our three Camps with over 30 eager young players is fantastic for the sport and means that for the third successive year we will have had 70 players in total attending our NEC Wheelchair Tennis Camps.
"As with all our Camps, the aim is to generate further interest in the game and encourage the players to carry on playing into national and international competition. We have already had players who have attended our two Camps over the last few weeks entering some of the Divisions at next month's National Championships in
The British Open, which this year takes place from 25th - 31st July, is one of only four tournaments on the 2005 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour to have Super Series status, the equivalent of Grand Slam. It is also one of two world ranking events on the NEC Tour that the British Tennis Foundation org anises at the City of
NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters:
The NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters pits the top eight men and women of the World Ranking against each other to decide the wheelchair tennis champion of the world. The round robin format, like the ATP World Championships, guarantees a player must face at least four of the top eight players in the world to gain the title. Presently held in the Netherlands, the NEC Masters has become the most coveted trophy amongst the top players. The NEC Masters was initiated in 1994 to honor the top players who have shown dedication and professionalism to the sport. At the same time it is an opportunity to show the general public and the media that wheelchair tennis played at its highest level is not only challenging and dynamic but also an exciting sport to watch. NEC has been sponsoring the event since 1994.
For further information, please visit: http://www.nec.co.jp/community/en/tennis/masters2003.html
If you have inquiries about the tournament, please email the International Tennis Federation Wheelchair Tennis Department.
About NEC (UK) Ltd
NEC has an ongoing commitment to working within the community, and initiates, and is involved in, a number of social contribution activities. NEC strives to promote a richer and more sustainable society, and has as its goal the 'Realization of Human Potential' - enabling individuals and groups to achieve their targets using the technologies that surround them. NEC continues to believe that the sponsorship of wheelchair tennis provides opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in social and sports activities, to enjoy competitive tennis, and to share experiences with people with and without disabilities of all age groups. For information about NEC (UK) Ltd, please visit: NEC UK