Here are some future champs right here. LTA take notice of what you've got and nurture them.
BIG RACKET HITS YOUNG PLAYER
BY Joel Campbell
Clarke : no funding or sponsorship deals
No funding for potential Brit Wimbledon winner
HEAR YE, HEAR YE, HEAR YE! Would whoever is responsible for the nurturing of budding tennis talent in this country please stand up?
The Voice of Sport has unearthed an interesting player for you to look at and her name is Yasmin Clarke.
Her sporting CV doesn’t fit into this space as it’s too long, but we can point you in the right direction if you like – just ask!
Clarke is arguably one of the best talents coming through the ranks and, at 13 years of age, she has won pretty much everything.
Well, not everything, but recently she won the Coppa Carlo Stagne D’Alcontres doubles title in Italy and is now preparing to take part in the 14 and under summer cup series, which starts this Thursday, as Great Britain’s number one.
The series will pull together the best players in the world of her age group and she is in with a great chance of winning it.
But hindering her progress is the need for constant financial assistance from her family.
Although dad Errol is more than willing to facilitate his daughter’s needs, he is mystified when he hears people in the British game moan about the lack of young talent when they won’t support what’s right under their noses.
Errol told the Voice of Sport: “Yas is very excited about going out to the summer series. She is really looking forward to it.
“With regard to sponsorship or funding we have heard nothing. We’re waiting to hear something from Ariel, having written to them recently. Yas is their current champion, two years running at two different ages, so we’ll wait and see what happens.”
There seems to be a general reluctance to bring this young lady on – the question is why. LESSONS
Some observers have suggested that because Clarke has a coach and lessons given to her, she should count herself lucky.
But is that how other potential world-beating British talent is treated? You might rather think that everything possible should be done to help this young flower flourish.
The Derby-born player will doubtless grace the courts of Wimbledon one day and might even win it in the not-too-distant future – but she will need more help from the tennis bigwigs to get there. So, could they please stand up and be counted now?
Becker backs boys
WITH WIMBLEDON just weeks away, the Voice of Sport has unearthed two future jewels for Britain’s wobbly tennis crown.
When you are just 10-years-old and told that you will have what it takes to win Wimbledon in just six years by the only man ever to accomplish such a feat, you listen.
That was the verdict that three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker reached when he saw Jamie Caprice play for the first time.
In fact, Becker was so impressed with the level of performance displayed by Caprice he immediately gave the youngster tennis gear – including rackets, bags and other bits of paraphernalia – from his then newly established company Volkl.
It would seem that the special gift that Caprice possesses has also rubbed off on his younger brother, Kieron, who is just seven.
The two brothers practice their tennis at the Clissold Park Junior Tennis Club in Hackney and the Westway Tennis Club in Ladbroke Grove. The story of the Caprice brothers isn’t too dissimilar to that of the Williams sisters.
FORGET TIM!
BY Rodney Hinds and Joel Campbell
Yasmin Clarke: young star needs proper funding
The Voice says: It’s time to back the kids
With Wimbledon fortnight now complete, the Voice of Sport is calling on the tennis power brokers in this country to give youth a chance.
The nation’s hopes have been pinned on Tim Henman for a decade with the same result – failure.
Now we implore the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to help the many youngsters up and down the country who have the ability, technique and desire to be future Wimbledon champions.
CHAMPIONS
Richard Williams, father of Grand Slam winners Venus and Serena, told the Voice of Sport that the future of the game here is in the hands of black youngsters.
He said: “The LTA has allowed this country to go down without a champion. Britain has not had a champion since Virginia Wade in 1977, yet they have all these fine private clubs.
“But you don’t have anyone from the ghetto there. So where do they expect the champions to come from?
“If they’ve waited this long for champions to come out of these clubs and they haven’t done so, the talent has to be on the other side of the tracks.
“If I can produce two girls out of the ghetto, do you mean to tell me that all of England can’t produce one? Something is dreadfully wrong.
“People in the ghetto have been hustling for so long. If you just give them a chance, some of them will take advantage of it. If you get enough of them out of the ghetto you can develop champions for the next 25 years. It is only fair that, if you have the greatest tournament in the world in your backyard, you should have someone in the country who can win it.”
The Voice of Sport has long campaigned for help for young people in the game – such as Derby-born Yasmin Clarke, 13, who has won titles against players in their twenties.
TRUMPET
And we have blown the trumpet hard for the London-born Caprice brothers, Jamie, 11, and Kieran, 8, who were endorsed by Boris Becker.
Then there is Marshall Osei-Tutu of Essex, winner of the Ariel Tennis Search.
These are just a few of the youngsters out there who need unconditional support. If £40 million can be found for a retractable roof for use one month of the year, surely cash can be found to support the stars of tomorrow – ghetto or not.
