World's Top Tennis Player Coaches UAE National Team

01 Jan, 2009

UAE, 1st January 2009: Roger Federer, the world’s top tennis player, today took time out to run a tennis clinic for the Junior UAE National Team at Zayed Sports City on the first day of the Capitala World Tennis Championship.

 

The 14 players in the Junior UAE team had an exclusive session with the star, learning new techniques and also rallying on court.  They were divided into four groups, Men’s and Davis Cup Players, juniors aged 16-18, juniors aged 12-14, and girl juniors under age 14.

 

Some of the National team players participating in the clinic are Hamad Janahi, Faysal Bastaki, and Rashed Al Falasi from the Men’s and Davis Cup group and juniors under 18 groups. They have been playing tennis internationally and have an International Tennis Federation junior ranking which allows them to follow the same tracks as their tennis idols competing in Abu Dhabi.

 

Fatma Janahi was the only female participant in the clinic this year, and also has an ITF junior ranking.  She was the first in Gulf history to win the Gulf Tennis Championship in 2007. Fatma’s participation in the Capitala World Tennis Championship Clinic allows her to have a fresh start towards the Asian Championship for juniors under 14 years old, which she’s invited to compete in from the 10th to the 21st of January in Malaysia.

 

Junior players attending the clinic hosted by Roger Federer will be accompanied by their national coaches Mohamed Hichem, Jhed Ben Barka, and the General Secretary of Fujairah Tennis Club Khaled Al Ali.

 

Peter Wilding, Deputy CEO at Capitala, commented:  “To have the world’s best tennis player available to coach the Junior UAE National Team is a clear sign of our commitment to growing tennis in the region, and raising and setting standards.  Tennis is growing in popularity, and we’ve seen the UAE qualify for world wide tournaments.  We hope that through initiatives such as these bespoke clinics, we can continue to grow the sport, encourage participation, and nurture talent, at the highest level.”