| ITF/GSDF Facility Grants |
 | | Sao Vicente, Cape Verde Works- before |  | | Santiago Island, Cape Verde - After |  | | Togo -before |  | | Togo- after |
The ITF can assist National Association by providing grants towards the establishment or improvement of National Tennis Centres in developing countries. Since 1984, 94 National Associations have taken advantage of the assistance available, either to construct a new facility, to renovate or to add roofing and lighting to the courts, under their ownership or control. The grants for facilities awarded to countries are paid in instalments at the start, midway and at completion of the projects.
The ITF facility grant represents a small percentage of the overall building cost; however the grant often acts as an endorsement and catalyst to enable associations to attract other funding whether from the government or private sector. In 2011, the following 11 National Associations benefited from the facility grant:
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde
El Salvador
Guatemala
Niger
Paraguay
Togo
Turks & Caicos
Yemen
Zimbabwe
Examples of Facility Grants
Burundi
The Burundi Tennis Federation received a grant to help resurface 8 tennis courts at their Club in Bujumbura which also opened as the East African ITF Training Centre in January 2011. Four of the courts were built in 2004 with the help of a GSDF grant and the Burundi Tennis Federation uses a further four courts contracted by the Entente Tennis Club. The fencing and lighting was also mounted on 4 courts during this extensive project. Additionally the GSDF grant helped to resurface a further 2 courts in Ngoyi where the Burundi Tennis Centre has a further three clubs.
Cape Verde
In May 2011, Cape Verde was awarded a facility grant to resurface four courts on their Islands: Santiago and Sao Vicente. The project of resurfacing two courts on Santiago Island was quick and complete within 3 months.
Later on in the year it was decided that the Sao Vicente Island project would be expanded due to an increase in funds available in Cape Verde - two courts were resurfaced, a full size court built and an additional mini court too. In October 2011, there were a few minor delays due to very heavy rain; however the development was back on track in no time.
By December 2011, The President of the Federacão Cabo Verdiana de Tenis, Carlos Pereira dos Santos, organised the inaugural on Sao Vicente Island with the presence of the Sport and Education Minister and General Sport Director. President Carlos Pereira has been a pleasure to work with and is very thankful to the ITF for the GSDF contribution.
El Salvador
The National Tennis Centre in El Salvador comprises 13 hard courts hosting a wide range of events from Junior ITF tournaments, ITF Team Competitions, Junior Fed Cup and Davis Cup, taking an important role in the COTECC region, where the El Salvador Federation and COTECC offices are based. Unfortunately Hurricane Stan in 2005 caused major damage to the courts and halted activity at the Centre. In February 2011, The Federacion Salvadoreña de Tenis was awarded a GSDF grant to compliment the previous grants awarded in the past and the government provided vast support to reconstruct 8 of the 13 courts.
This centre was close to not been able to host the international competitions due to the bad conditions of the court’s surface, and now, it is always busy with training and tournaments.
President of the Federation, Enrique Molins described the grant as ‘the rebirth of the Tennis Centre’ and Mr Molins also expressed: ‘The ITF’s constant support assists the Federation to keep on working hard towards tennis development’.
Togo
In October 2010, The Federation Togolaise de Tennis was awarded a GSDF facility grant in order to build a 3rd court at their tennis Centre. Once the Minister of Leisure and Sport and the entire Department gave the authorization to use the additional piece of land, the Federation started building the court in January 2011. By April most of the court was ready and in May 2011, the President of the Federation, Romain Atafeitom Tagba, held an inauguration at the Centre where a player’s lounge was also built recently. Mr Tagba explained that the new court will make the Centre more autonomous and more attractive when it holds international events such as the West African 18&U Circuit which takes place in September every year.
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