Tennis Federation gets $50,000 to start complex

Frank Coggings (third left), presents a cheque for $50,000 to members of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tennis Federation – from left: President Arthur, wife Tanis Wake-Forbes, Secretary and Sandy Lightbourne, Treasurer.

By Vivian Tyson
SUN Associate Editor

The Turks and Caicos Islands Federation's dream of raising up a ten-court tennis complex on Providenciales so the youth may hone their skills received a shot in the arm when a United States national – Frank Coggings – gave the local tennis body $50,000 to begin construction of the sporting facility to be sited along Venetian Road, in the vicinity of British West Indies Collegiate.

The complex, which in addition to its ten fully lit, fenced courts on a five acre expanse, will also house a two-storey full clubhouse facility. The bottom floor will comprise a locker room, changing rooms, bathrooms, a small office, a covered patio from which individuals may be able to view action on the tennis courts and a one bed room apartment. The top floor will house a fully air-conditioned bar and restaurant, with an outside screened-balcony designed to capture the panorama of the tennis courts.

Coggings, who lives on Providenciales, where he also owns a great deal of real estate, said with each land transaction that he conducts, would donate a portion from his sales to charity. He said based on his love for tennis, or for individuals close to him who were involved in the sport, he made a commitment that he would donate part of a land sales to the cause locally.

“I was married at one time to a tennis coach. I bought a court for her, and I married another woman who likes to play tennis,” Coggins said, noting that he also constructed a $250,000 tennis complex in his dad's memory in Elverton , Georgia .

Secretary of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tennis Federation, Tanis Wake-Forbes, said the Federation wanted to kick-off construction of the complex with a substantial sum, and the presentation from Mr. Coggins has realized that body's dream.

“Frank has actually privileged us with fact that we can now kick it (tennis complex) off. We wanted something big and we wanted to come to the media with something that shows we are serious. We've got the land, we've got the five acres, we've got the support of Government, we've got the support of the community, and now we are getting the support of the donors, se we expect to start to go full gear in may,” Wake-Forbes said.

She said support for the complex also came from Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Hon. Dr. Carlton Mills and Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety Hon. Galmo Williams.

“Hon. Carlton Mills and Hon. Galmo Williams were real help to us getting it off the ground, and Provident has given us the ninety-nine year lease at peppercorn rent on the land, so, we are going head on that basis. And the Government said they need an overflow parking area for the Carifta Stadium. We were only going to do thirty or forty spaces, but we have increased it to a hundred spaces now because has helped us now on the parking area,” Wake Forbes said.

She said funds will be raised to complete the facility by way of named courts, in that; persons who donated a substantial sum will have their names attached to each of the ten courts. The first court will be called the Frank Coggings Court , according to Wake-Forbes.

She noted, too, that as another means of raising funds to construct the facility, the Turks and Caicos Islands Tennis Federation would be selling thirty-five lifetime memberships at $10,000 each on a first-come-first-serve basis, which she said would go out to the public at a date to be announced.

In addition to Wake-Forbes, on hand to receive the kick-start funds were President of the Turks and Caicos Island Tennis Federation Arthur Forbes and Treasurer Sandy Lightbourne. Other executive members of the Tennis Federation are: Vice President Robert Smith, Ray Carberry, Carlos Simons, David Hartshorn and Tony Garland.

US, Canadian teams
confirmed for Best of Best Basketball Comp

By Vivian Tyson
SUN Associate Editor

Twelve teams, including from the United States , Canada and Cuba have been confirmed for the Best of the Best Basketball four-day tournament which is to take place in the Turks and Caicos Islands between May 1 and 4.

Organiser of the event Russell Cox, told The SUN that a team will be coming from Miami High School and the Chicago High School in the United States; C.R. Walker High and Eight Mile Rock from The Bahamas; Belair High, St. George's College and Kingston College from Jamaica; a team each from the Dominican Republic and Haiti; Bermuda; the Philippines; the Cayman Islands and Marjorie Basden and Clement Howell High Schools from the Turk and Caicos Islands.

A Combined High School team from across the Turks and Caicos Islands will also take part in the tournament. The Airport Inn Hotel will serve as the village for the players and the officials coming with them.

Cox said all the teams should arrive in the Turks and Caicos Islands on April 30, in time for the opening ceremony which will take place at 5pm, May 1, and will feature a number of cultural items and greetings by local politicians, including Minister of Sports Hon. Dr. Carlton Mills. Sports administrators in the Turks and Caicos Islands will also bring greetings, following which there will be two games.

Local media will get the opportunity to interview all the coaches of the participating teams and to be carried live by WIV News4.

There will also be a slam dunk competition involving all the participating teams, and also a 3-point shoot-out competition. Each team will be required to submit the names of two players. He said all the trophies for the different competitions Cox is calling on members of the public who may have experience in basketball officiating to come on board, as they will need approximately twenty-five officials.

“So anybody who wants to assist they can call me at 231-2497, or they can call me at the office at 946-5180. T-shirts are ordered for officials, so they will be uniformed,” Cox said.