- ‘It is important to have the Sri Lankan perspective, because we are different to the West’
The first-ever book authored by a Sri Lankan on the sport of tennis was launched on Wednesday, 9 February 2022 at the Jasmine Hall at Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) at 3.30 p.m. The book titled Game, Set, Match – Sri Lanka’s Tennis and its Future, written by Dinith Pathiraja, features the experiences of the author and instructions for players and coaches alike.
In attendance at the launch event was Chief Guest National Olympic Committee President Suresh Subramaniam and the keynote address was made by former Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) Vice President Angelo Patrick.
Brunch spoke with Pathiraja, who is the current Head Coach of St. Peter’s College, Colombo and has also coached countless champion players in the island, including four-time Sri Lanka champion Dineshkanthan Thangarajah, and he shared his journey in putting together this book and why it is important to chronicle the local perspective for the sport of tennis.
He shared that in his 30 years of coaching, he has produced many champions and so he feels that perhaps, humbly, he may have something of use to say. He noted that what he has done here with Game, Set, Match – Sri Lanka’s Tennis and its Future is that he has documented his life’s experience and work in the hopes that it may benefit a fellow Sri Lankan and tennis enthusiast.
Pathiraja shared that not only is his book for players’ coaches but it is also for parents of young players. He said that, especially in the field of junior tennis, those in the under 12 and 13 categories, the players are pushed to such ends that the children feel burnout so early on in their careers. “I have noticed that parents are hell-bent on winning junior age group tournaments at ages when some of these kids don’t even understand the concept of winning or losing,” he said.
He noted: “In Sri Lankan tennis, after a certain level, you come to a plateau. The maximum of it is where tennis is a vehicle for further educational qualifications. If you are maybe looking for a scholarship in a foreign university, but these universities are absolutely not bothered by your under 10, 12, or even 14 performances; they are only concerned with your senior performance.”
He said that while it is advantageous to start young, to build on one’s hand-eye co-ordination before muscles develop, the achievements in junior tennis don’t carry through to further aspirations with that much weight.
Pathiraja noted that there are numerous reasons why it is important to chronicle the local perspective of tennis, because much of the guide book and advice is all western-focused. He said: “It is important to have the Sri Lankan perspective, because we are different to the West. The weather is different, the food is different, the education system, the work hours, and most importantly, body types, body structures, height, etc. – all that is different,” he said. It is important, therefore, to have literature that addresses these differences for better performance, according to Pathiraja.
He shared that if one wishes to purchase Game, Set, Match – Sri Lanka’s Tennis and its Future, they can do so by contacting the SLTA, and all proceeds from the book will be donated to a children’s home in need of a number of necessities. He also shared that he hopes to make the book widely available, and audiences can expect a Kindle version very soon.