Press Office

Esporta Serves An Ace

Date: 21 July, 2004

The Esporta Racquets Academy has gone from strength to strength since its launch in September 2003, with two leading tennis stars playing for the Esporta Riverside club, Chiswick.  Oliver Golding, 11, and Joe Salisbury, 12, are both ranked number one nationally in their respective age groups. 

The Racquets Academy, which has now been rolled out in all 20 Esporta racquet clubs, awards scholarships to talented young players and provides a structured training programme to develop their game.  It is supported by the Tennis First Charitable Trust, of which Tim Henman is a patron, and helps to fund players' training as well as the costs of competing in national and international tournaments.  The Academy is also assisted by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

Jeremy Halmshaw, racquets manager at the Chiswick Riverside Esporta comments: "Our racquets clubs are producing some excellent players, we have an 'all welcome' philosophy to encourage young players from all backgrounds to realise their full tennis potential."

Each of the 20 Esporta racquets clubs across the UK have initiated a schools outreach programme, as part of the Academy, in order to spot promising young players from all walks of life.  Both players and non players are assessed and when exceptional talent is found, a scholarship is awarded. 

The scholarship encompasses coaching, the use of facilities, fitness instruction and sponsorship to travel to tournaments.  Graded over five levels, children are given the opportunity to work their way up from a grass roots scholarship to full funding and support.

Esporta is to invest a further £100m in racquets which could result in a further ten racquets clubs being added to its existing portfolio of 61 clubs nationwide.   Research is currently being carried out to identify prime locations where there is a lack of facilities.

 "With our racquets clubs currently outperforming the rest of the industry, we saw a 23% increase in these clubs in the first quarter this year, there is enormous potential in rolling out this investment programme:" comments Esporta's CEO, Neil Gillis, "Combined with our Racquets Academy we hope to make tennis a more accessible sport as well as finding the tennis stars of the future."

Ends

For further information please contact:
Pippa Trentham/Catherine Humphries, Corixa Communications
Tel: 0117 949 3394  email: catherine.humphries@corixa.co.uk
Date of issue:  21 July 2004