British Tennis in troubled waters and turn to UK Sport for support
In recent times the British tennis fans have not had much to look forward to. They have been devoid of a tennis champion for the past few decades which is a disgrace for tennis in Britain. Moreover, Britain is home to one of the oldest and most celebrated tennis Grand Slam tournaments, that is Wimbledon. This makes it even sadder that Britain itself has been unable to produce a tennis winner from among their people, even when they have the perfect environment and resources to promote the sport.
Andy Murray has been the first successful professional tennis player to have blessed Britain after a long time. Although Murray has been unable to win any Grand Slam title as yet, he has managed to reach the finals at the 2008 US Open and 2010 Australian Open. He has been ranked number two in the world which has made him the highest-ranked British male tennis player since Fred Perry, who became the world number one in 1934. This Scottish player is now ranked number four in the world and still has to go a long way in order to make a name for Britain in the professional world of tennis.
No British player has made it to the finals at Wimbledon since 1938 nor has Britain produced a Grand Slam champion for ages, which has raised some serious questions about the future of British tennis. Higher officials feel the need to take a step in order to prevent this underachieving era in the history of British Tennis.
Hence, British tennis has turned to UK Sport and has called for help as they drown in the endless poor tennis performances which have continued to haunt Britain for many years now. UK Sport is an organization established by the Royal Charter in 1996 in succession to the Sports Council of Great Britain. UK Sport is managed by the UK Government and concentrates on the development of sport within Britain by providing appropriate funding and support. One of the major priorities of the UK sport is to work with potentially talented athletes and prepare them for their sports at an Olympic and Paralympics level.
UK sport has recently launched a new project called the ‘Mission 2012’. This program helps athletes focus themselves towards success in their respective sport at the Olympics and Paralympics. It enables them to recognize their mistakes so that they have enough time to improve. Its aim is to eliminate anything which may stand in the way of success for the British by 2012.
Tennis and football have been the only two sports which have not been made a part of Mission 2012 as public funds are not provided for these sports at a high level. However, the Lawn Tennis Association has turned to the UK sport and has requested that tennis should also be made a part of this program, which is being led by UK Sport performance director Peter Keen, as this is the only hope left for a bright future for professional tennis in Britain.
The training upheld by UK sports is considered to be ruthless and they cater to every aspect of preparing a winning athlete without any compromise. The British cycling and rowing teams have become the pride of Great Britain as a result of their exceptional training by the UK sports. They managed to win eight gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing.
John Steele, who is the current UK Sport chief executive, said that investing money into a sport does not guarantee top results from the athletes. It is proper practice and devotion towards the sport that yields success. They use every pound wisely and try to make the most out of it and encourage the athletes to perform at their level best.
Steele has declared that tennis will be made a part of Mission 2012 after the Lawn Tennis Association approach the UK Sports once more, and give them a proper update on their results.
British tennis is taking desperate measures in order to improve their results and is now dependent on the UK Sport to fish them out of troubled waters and help them create a champion in the near future.
Tags: