GEORGETOWN: Underprivileged
children in Penang now have the opportunity to learn tennis from qualified
coaches with at least an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Level 2
Certification and assisted by a group of senior and experienced coaches.
“The entire training programme will
take six months to complete, and it is open for students aged between 7 and 14
years old,” said K. Manimaran, 56, the founder and head coach of Proace Tennis
Academy, which operates from two tennis courts at the St. Xavier’s Institution at
Lebuh Farquhar.
“Tennis, like many other sports, is
not just about the sport itself. It is about character building and integrating
life’s lessons such as discipline, integrity, and ethics into the sport itself.
In the past two years, we have had students participating in Penang School
Sports Council (MSSPP) and Malaysian School Sports Council (MSSM) with a few
medals won,” he said.
Last year, sisters Agasini, 18, and
Agilasini Chandramogan, 17, represented their respective schools in MSSPP.
Agasini went on to represent Penang State in MSSM. Currently, Agasini is taking
her SPM exams at SMK Tunku Puan Habsah, while Agilasini is attending SMK
Convent Green Lane.
“We have about 200 children who have
registered with us since our programme started in 2018. However, this is the
first time we are getting funded by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA).
Previously, we were running the programme through public funds,” said
Manimaran, who was a Penang State tennis player in the 80s.
“At the moment, we have more boys
than girls, and we hope to get more girls interested in pursuing tennis as a
career,” he said. “We hope to produce talented tennis players who will excel
and represent our country in major tournaments overseas. With proper training,
these students can also participate in international workshops and tennis
clinics by professional tennis players.
"We also have 15-20
participants from Ramakrishna Ashrama in our academy, and some students even
travel from as far as Juru and Kepala Batas,” he said. Ramakrishna Ashrama is an
orphanage and Tamil primary school for Indian children aged between 6 and 20
years old and is located at Scotland Road in Penang.
Manimaran established Proace Tennis Academy in April 2018 with hopes of enhancing the lives of underprivileged children. “It will be my dream come true if one of our students secures a college or university tennis scholarship to further their studies overseas. In fact, some tennis scholarships cover up to 100% of the costs.
“Years back, Datuk Dhinagaran, a
good friend of mine kept encouraging me to start coaching. He even sponsored me
with equipment such as rackets and tennis balls to start the programme. Later
on, Ramkarpal Singh, the former Deputy Minister of Law and Institutional
Reforms, became our academy’s patron and continued to help us financially.”
Datuk Dhinagaran Jayabalan owns Jaya Catering and Restaurant in Gelugor.
“Sports is one way to keep children
occupied and stay away from bad influences. Proace Tennis Academy provides the
children with skills and knowledge, and valuable life lessons such as teamwork
and humility. This tennis academy adapted to the new normal and took tennis to
the next level,” said Ramkarpal.
The new intake will commence classes
from 22 January 2024 until 22 July 2024. The classes will be held weekly on
Saturdays from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm at St. Xavier’s Institution on Farquhar
Street. Each coach will be responsible for 8 to 10 students, and equipment will
be provided.
