Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Story by: Nicholas Clarke

Jermille DanclairNewly elected president of the Tennis Association of T&T  (TAT&T) Jermille Danclair feels that the country’s top players need more financial assistance from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs in order to make a bigger impact on the international circuit. The 36-year-old, who once played Division One tennis on scholarship for Delaware State University, was speaking to the media for the first time since being elected to replace Michael Cooper as president of the association last month.

“There are people in government who are knowledgable, but generally I’m not sure if there’s a good understanding of what it really takes to get to the top level,” he said. “Yohansey Williams and Joseph Cadogan are the best players in T&T and I think the sky is the limit with them, but the funding they’re getting is not enough for them to get to there. People who have world rankings have a team of people working with them providing coaching, physio, dietary input, etc. If you want to get a substantial ranking you have to continuously go outside and compete against those people.”

As with several areas, cuts were made in tennis funding upon the change in government last year. Danclair said he was looking forward to gaining the confidence of the new administration and working with them to improve the standard of the sport in T&T. “When we put forth our budget for funding we have to be held accountable for how it’s spent. They will be more willing to give funding when they know that we are doing what we said we will do and the results are showing that we are achieving what we have planned.”

Currently an assistant project manager for Genivar Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, Danclair’s involvement in tennis goes back over 20 years. After taking up the sport at the age of 14, he went on to represent T&T at the Davis Cup and also became a national doubles champion. His experience in administration has included stints as chairman of the East Zone Inter Club Committee and president of the Arima Tennis Masters Tennis Club.

One of the first items on his agenda will be to address “the crisis level in terms of women involvement in tennis”, which he plans to counter by setting up new programmes around the country. Other goals include enforcing selection and disciplinary policies, improving communication between the public and the association through its website (www.tennistt.com), attracting a wider variety of people to the sport and forging stronger relationships with other tennis associations around the region.Jermille Danclair... ‘country’s top players need more assistance’.