Kosovo continues participation drive with launch of Tennis Festival

Kosovo continues its drive to increase tennis participation across the nation after launching ‘Tennis Festival 2022’ this week – a series of introductory tennis events held across the Balkan state’s 12 municipalities.

Supported by the ITF Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) programme, a global national junior development programme that introduces children aged 14 and under to the sport, the event kicked off on Monday in the city of Istog, where over 300 children aged 5-8 were given a first taste of tennis through a series of fun and engaging sessions.

The festival moves on to 11 other cities: Suhareka, Gjakova, Rahovec, Peja, Mitrovica, capital city Pristina, Obiliq, Ferizaj, Prizren, Skenderaj and Vushtrri.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity for children from all over Kosovo to get acquainted with tennis as a sport for the first time," said Shkelzen Domi, Director for Development at the Kosovo Tennis Federation.

"[It is] an opportunity for them to start playing sports as young as possible, and to realise that it is good for their health as well, and to spend more time outdoors."

The JTI programme is the launch point for many aspiring competitive players and a platform to introduce talented youngsters to the game. It helps feed the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors - which in turn provides a route for players to move on to the ITF World Tennis Tour and toward the elite levels of the game - the ATP, WTA and Grand Slams.

Kosovo’s appetite to grow the sport is strong, and the nation took a large step forward in its desire to create a competitive player pathway for home grown players last September when it hosted its first ITF World Tennis Tour junior event at J5 level in Peja.

Thirteen players from Kosovo took part and had the opportunity to test themselves against players from all over the world. The tournament is set to return for a second edition in the same slot on the junior calendar this year – on 5-11 September.