It may not have ended the way anyone envisaged, but Jermille Danclar is the latest – and an extremely proud – recipient of a Masters degree in Sport Administration from the Russian International Olympic University in Sochi.

As part of the ITF Solidarity Programme, each year an individual from one of the ITF’s 213 members nations is selected to receive an ITF Scholarship which funds the studying of the sport administration course.

The aim is to provide professional development opportunities for tennis administrators to enhance their knowledge and skills and ensure they are better equipped to grow and nurture the game.

Furthermore, it is an investment which the ITF believes will pay a significant dividend as it continues its mission to develop and promote the sport of tennis in every corner of the world.

The programme has been in existence since 2017 with the most-recent recipient being Danclar, the former president and general secretary of the Tennis Association of Trinidad and Tobago. In September 2021, he packed his bags and swapped Tunapuna for Sochi.

“I felt like this was something that I really needed to do,” Danclar told itftennis.com. “I have a degree in engineering and physics, but when I came home and began to get involved in tennis, I realised that I didn’t have any qualifications in sport.

“At the back of my mind I was thinking, ‘sure, I’m doing all of these things, but how seriously will people take me when I don’t have any qualifications?’.

“It was something I had on my to-do list for some time, so when the opportunity arose through the ITF to study for a Masters in Sport Administration, I was so happy and remain incredibly grateful.”

While the food was a little different to that of the Caribbean, the course began seamlessly and despite a heavy workload, Danclar settled into life in Sochi with minimal fuss. However, everything changed when Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

While some students decided to stay and complete their studies in Sochi, Danclar was one of those who opted to leave.

After an arduous journey home via Moscow, the Middle East and New York, study-wise he was able to pick up where he left off. However, given the time difference it did mean lectures and tutorials were beginning at the rather unsociable hour of 2am.

Nevertheless, all obstacles were overcome and Danclar now possesses a qualification which he hopes will enable him to make a more refined and sustained contribution to tennis in Trinidad and Tobago.

“This has come at a key time,” said Danclar, who is currently working as an advisor to the Tennis Association of Trinidad and Tobago. “In Trinidad and Tobago, we have a new National Tennis Centre, and we really want the centre to be a regional hub for tennis.

“Our goal is to develop the centre’s reach and the course has given me the background and knowledge to help with this. We had a sports tourism module and a facilities management module, and I was totally immersed in both.

“However, the entire course added to my holistic development, and I cannot wait to put all that I have learned into practice. I really hope my new qualification, which wouldn’t have been possible to attain without the ITF Scholarship, can benefit tennis in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean region more widely.”