FIVE-YEAR-OLD Janniah Grannum, the youngest member of a 15-member team from the Rebel Tennis Club, copped second place in a tournament held recently in St Vincent.

Included in the team were seven parents and three coaches led by Coach Andre Erskine. The tournament was held by Fuzion Tennis Academy to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

I have seen Little Miss Grannum practising at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) tarmac in Diamond and frankly, I was amazed. Janniah could barely see over the net and the racquet looked so big in her small hands that I asked Coach Erskine if they did not make racquets for the smaller children. His reply, “No, Miss Cort. Everyone has to use the same size racquet…for her level she can handle it”.

So, I continued to watch and after the first game I knew, as an avid tennis fan, that I was watching a future star. Her grip was sure and her ball placing accurate. She was confident and moved easily on the court.

I have begun this story this way to extend special congratulations to Janniah Grannum and to urge her to continue playing.

In fact, the club racked up most of the medals and according to the coach, the star of the tournament was Israbella Grannum, who was undefeated throughout, dropping no more than one game in each set.

Brielle Paul was also undefeated and walked away with the top prize in the girls under 8, while third place was taken by Kelly Doris, all from Rebel.

In the boys under 8 category, Javier Frazer got third place, and Liza Singh snagged first place in the girls under 7 (red ball segment,) and Rahul Naryan took the first place beating his Club mate, Stephan Bristol in the finals.

In the boys under 10 orange ball competition, Olufemi Cuffy got the third place and Kahlia Luke won the trophy in the advanced yellow ball competition. Making it through the qualifying rounds and playing each other in the quarterfinals, Nandica won and made it through to the semis.

Joshua Culpeper and Virat Peters, two club members who recently began learning the game, made it to the main draw and Peters was awarded a consolation prize.

Indeed, for 14 of the 15 players it was the first time they had played abroad and for some it was the first time they had even been on a plane.

Players travelled from as far away as England to participate and Barbados and Cuba were also represented, but the majority of the players were locals.

And upon their return here, the Rebel team began practising for the Annual Smalta Junior Championships, which began last Friday and attracted players from all over the country.

Once again, I appeal to all businesses and organisations, on behalf of the Rebel Tennis Club’s hard-working coach, Andre Erskine, whose commitment to his players goes far beyond coaching, to help this team of young and talented players by extending your sponsorship.

I am also asking the powers that be to consider building tennis facilities in the Grove/Diamond area for players and all interested in the sport.

And Coach Erskine spoke of his appreciation to the bank for allowing them to not only practise on the courts but to hold events there. “I am so grateful to GBTI for allowing us to play,” he told me.