Colombo, Feb 29, 9.50PM – In an unprecedented feat, Sri Lanka played host to the world’s largest Junior Tennis Tournaments over two weeks, marking a historic milestone in the international tennis scene. Anupa Maththapperuma, Head of Tennis Development at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA), expressed excitement, saying, “This is the first time in history, with the biggest participation from countries in an ITF tournament worldwide.”
Jonathan Stubbs, ITF Development Officer for South, South East & East Asia, commended the organizers, stating, “I just wanted to send a personal note of congratulations for successfully holding not only a great event but a record-breaking one.”
The monumental event comprised two tournaments. The first week featured the Under-14 World Junior Tournament with 35 participating teams. In the second week, the Davis Cup Junior and Billie Jeans Kings Cup Junior Under-16 took place with a staggering 44 teams. This marked the first instance of such a large number of teams competing in a single location in the world.
Northern Ireland participated for the first time, and notably, the Philippines returned to the tournament after a four-year international ban in their federation.
Tournament Chief Referee Dharaka Ellawala, along with three assistant referees, oversaw the matches. A team of 32 local umpires worked across three venues: Sinhapese Sports Club, Sri Lanka Tennis Courts, and SLTA courts, utilizing 15 different courts.
Approximately 160 staffers from the SLTA, led by Tournament Director Silen Nithyanathan, Tournament Secretary, and Tournament staff, were instrumental in the smooth execution of the event. The organizing team also managed hotel arrangements and catering for lunch.
Internationally, Johnathan Stubbs represented the International Tennis Federation (ITF), while Anupa Maththamagoda, Head of Staff at SLTA, and a team of 15 staffers worked tirelessly for five months to bring the prestigious tournament to Sri Lanka.
The journey began with Sri Lanka bidding in August 2023, and confirmation came in November 2023. Extensive preparations included hotel bookings for visitors, offering lodging, and providing lunches at the venues. Over the two weeks, around 320 players participated, marking the third consecutive year that SLTA has hosted ITF tournaments.
(From lef): Dharaka Ellawala – ITF Supervisor, Jonathan Stubbs – ITF Development Officer, South, South East and East Asia Iqbal Bin Issack – President, Sri Lanka Tennis Association Pradeep S.Goonasekera- General Secretary, Sri Lanka Tennis Association Nithiyananthan Sylan – Tournament Director, ITF Junior Team Competitions, Asia Oceania Pre-Qualifying 2024.
