Henman speaks out
Tim Henman has hit out at the prospect of a London tennis facility being closed on a technicality.
By Jo Healy
Last Updated: 27/10/11 5:26pm
British Olympic silver medallist Tim Henman is fighting against a council in London which is threatening the survival of a public indoor tennis facility... over a planning technicality.
The former British number one, who enjoyed a professional career spanning 14 years, has been at the forefront of the fight to keep the Duke Meadows Golf and Tennis centre accessible for the 1,000 children that play at the facility each week.
"It's completely mad to do something that stops children playing sport," he said. "Here we are trying to build a legacy for the sport and the country as a whole, and here is a Council tearing up that legacy even before the Games begin.
"We're lamenting the fact that so many of our children are staying at home on their computers and trying to inspire them to have a more healthy active lifestyle - and now that very opportunity is being massively jeopardised by a planning permission technicality. I really hope the Council see sense."
The council is supporting the motion to remove the centre's dome court cover, known as the tennis 'bubble', that provides 5 additional indoor courts in the winter months.
Locations
Duke Meadows is one of only three locations in London where anyone can pay-to-play on a non-membership basis, elevating the traditional stereotype of tennis as an upper class member-only sport.
"It's not an exclusive club," said Henman. "It's not a privately-run club that you have to pay a fortune to join. It's open to everyone in the community.
"We have few enough places in London, in the whole country, where kids can just turn up and play for a fiver. I come down here and hit with the kids and the guys in the Performance Academy from time to time. It means a lot to me because I owned my first home in London close by... and it's got golf here."
Ollie Golding, gold medalist at the Youth Olympics in 2012, lives close by in Twickenham and uses the centre as a training base. Golding won the US Open Junior Championship earlier this year; Andy Murray won the same title in 2004 before turning pro.
Duke Meadows is also used as part of an LTA high performance programme which supports British women's number one, Elana Baltacha, and Laura Robson, who won the Junior Wimbledon Championship in 2008; she turned pro the same year at just 14.
A member of a LOCOG Athletes Advisory Panel, Henman firmly believes that London 2012 can generate a great legacy of sport in the UK, however at the grass roots the opportunities for children must be easily accessible to maintain their inspiration from the Games.
"The Olympics are coming and what a great chance we have to improve our levels of participation in sport, our standard of play, the social mix of our players and our general health. We, as a country, have invested billions in these Games and we've got to utilise them not spoil the opportunity for our children."
