History

Achievements

Players

Performences

Future Plans

Wheelchair Tennis was started in 1976 and caught on rapidly. To participate in this sport, a person must have been medically diagnosed, permanent physical disability which results in the substantial or total loss of functioning in one or both lower extremities. Wheelchair tennis has thus opened to millions of disabled persons, and face participate huge physical, psychological and social benefits. The rules of Wheelchair Tennis are the same as those for able bodied tennis except that the Wheelchair tennis player is entitled to 2 bounces of the ball. The simple rule change means that Wheelchair Tennis can take advantage of existing tennis infrastructure, equipment and rules, and this has doubtless been another contributing factor to the sports explosive growth over the past 25 years. Today Wheelchair Tennis is by far the fastest growing Wheelchair sport. .

Given the immense physical, psychological and social advantages of the Wheelchair tennis, the Sri Lanka Tennis Association wishes to develop a Wheelchair Tennis programme for disabled persons including disabled soldiers as there are approximately 9,000 disabled soldiers in Sri Lanka, many of whom with permanent leg or foot injuries.

At present wheelchair tennis is sponsored by South Asian Gateway Terminal (SAGT) from year 2004 successfully. At present there are 20 disabled Army Players and 10 kids from ‘Sevena Home” for disabled are in the wheel chair Tennis pool which coach by Mr Jagath Welikala and assisted by Mr Iqbal Majeed. Administration and functioning of Wheel Chair Tennis under the guidance of ITF are run by SLTA. Wheel Chair Tennis sub committee headed by Maj Gen S Wanigasekera as President, Maj Shiran Abeysekera as Secretary and other committee members.

To day Sri Lanka has become one of the best playing WCT in Asia after Japan and being in the world ranking in 26th position as per the last world cup held in Netherlands in year 2005. Sri Lankan WCT Players has achieved tremendous improvement beginning with the Silver Fund Programme under the ITF in developing of this game. Five year plan proposed by ITF are in active hence 4th Successive year is in progress. The aim of Wheel Chair Tennis committee is to develop the game along with kids in liaision with disabled homes in view of looking the future, where all disabled personal has the opportunity to take part.

Achievements Year 2003 - Won in B & C divisions in France / Thailand opens. Year 2004 - Won B division Men's Singles in Australian Open. •  Won in B division Men's Singles in Dutch Open. •  Runner's – up Men's Doubles (Second Draw) Belgian open. •  Won Men's Doubles B division in Malaysian open. •  Won Men's Doubles B division in Singapore open. - Took part in paralympic games in Athens – Greece . Year 2005 - Obtained 9 th Place in group 2 Invacare world cup – Netherlands . •  Ranked 26 th Place in overall ranking in WCT. •  Won Men's Doubles second draw in Malaysian open. •  Won Men's single's B division in Malaysian open. - 2 x Players was granted scholarship of one month training in Netherlands by ITF.

Future Plans