Denton insists future is bright

THE Channel Islands Lawn Tennis Association have defended themselves against criticisms levelled at them by Geoff Martel. Martel retired as a junior tennis coach after 40 years of service.

He is frustrated that young players on the island were being overlooked. His main gripe is that there is a lack of indoor facilities where he can hold training sessions for his juniors.

Rick Denton (pictured) the chairman of the Guernsey sub-committee of the Channel Islands LTA, said that the island's only indoor courts at the Guernsey Tennis Club's Long Camps centre have been arranged by the LTA to be available to budding young players.

'To help the development of future tennis stars, the Guernsey Tennis Club has created special membership for juniors,' said Denton. 'Geoff Martel has criticised the availability of the indoor courts to him and his personal pupils. In Guernsey we have tried to develop a sense of teamwork between the coaches and all coaches have been invited to participate in the Guernsey squads that are run at the Guernsey Tennis Club by sending their future stars to be trained together under the watchful eye of a number of co-operating coaches.

'Geoff has preferred not to participate. While I commend all that Geoff has done in his long career and wish him every success in his retirement, we must recognise that teamwork between coaches and between tennis clubs is the best way of developing our future talent.'