Call to boost cash and attract kids to the tennis

By ANDREW WHITAKER
Published on 12/09/2012 01:14

SCOTTISH ministers are under pressure to increase funding for tennis and ensure all schoolchildren have the chance to play the sport.

The SNP government faced calls from MSPs yesterday to increase the £1 million it has spent on developing the sport during the past three years.

Sport Scotland, the government’s sports agency, said yesterday it was now in talks with the governing bodies of tennis.

But Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said that the government should capitalise on the opportunity to grow the sport.

He said: “The government should work with Andy Murray to develop a longer term plan to inspire people to take up tennis and learn from his experiences to help people in Scotland, if that means more funds then the government should consider that.”

A Sport Scotland spokesman said: “We are in discussion with Tennis Scotland and the Lawn Tennis Association about how we can capitalise on the popularity of tennis.

“A lot of possibilities have been discussed over the summer and we are actively seeking to use the great opportunity from Andy Murray’s tremendous success.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Through Sport Scotland, we invested over £1 million over the last three years in Tennis Scotland to develop the sport.”