Over three days, tennis players and enthusiasts will hone their skills during the second staging of the Intercollegiate Tennis Championships, scheduled for the University of Technology (UTech) courts, starting tomorrow and ending on Friday.

It will feature players from the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, UTech, and defending champions the University of the West Indies.

According to tournament director Llockett McGregor, the objective of the tournament is to broaden the scope of tennis in Jamaica at the tertiary level.

"The aim is to involve all colleges and universities, even if they do not have a tennis court. We are in dialogue with a number of these institutions and they have shown an interest. Many of them won't be participating this year. However, they have expressed an interest to compete in next year's competition," McGregor said.

AVENUE FOR CONTINUITY

McGregor indicated that many of the junior players, starting from the primary, prep and high-school levels, do not continue to play the sport while at the tertiary level. The competition, he said, is a way for them to continue and have them play in more senior tournaments.

President of Tennis Jamaica, John Bailey, said the association was excited about the relaunch of the competition and was expecting good competition from the players.

"The tournament completes the educational cycle as it provides an avenue at the tertiary level for players to continue fine-tuning their skills," Bailey said.

McGregor added that they also offer tennis scholarships at UTech to keep the interest in the sport going.