he recent announcement by the DSS Sports Management Group of the formation of a Junior Tennis Team in Dubai gives the city the opportunity to develop internationally ranked junior players that will eventually be good enough to play in the ATP Tour.

Sponsored by the sports menswear giant Reebok the team will consist of five of the most promising junior tennis players resident in Dubai. They will be trained by DSS Sports Management Tennis Director and Coach Pancho Campo at the Aviation Tennis Centre in Dubai. Pancho has worked extensively with famous tennis coach Nick Bollettiero and well known tennis stars like Andre Agassi, Javier Sanchez, Thomas Carbonell and other ATP - ranked players.

The current Reebok Junior Tennis Team members are Michael Harradine, the current No 1 ranked under -14 player in the UAE, Thomas Hellebrandt, Ramy Frem, ranked number 1 player under-16 in the UAE, Paul Remi and Thomas Schwyter. all will be fully sponsored and supported by Reebok.

The long term goals for the Reebok Tennis Team are to develop future players of International ability and to assist young players in obtaining tennis scholarships to collages in the United States. to Achieve these aims DSS Tennis Director Pancho and assistant fitness coach Bob Guerton, who is head of PE at Emirates International School will give the players 8 to 10 hours of intensive tennis training a week that will include fitness and conditioning, nutritional guidance and mental training.

Once the players are ready they will participate in the International ITF Junior Tennis Tournaments world-wide. It is anticipated that the team will be ready by the summer of 1997 and there are plans for them to take part in junior events in Europe and the USA.

A spokesman for Reebok Said that the Junior Tennis Team is open to all juniors with talent and potential and the desire to become professional tennis players.

So let us look forward to the day when a player representing the UAE walks on to the centre court at Wimbledon.