It was great to meet so many Nepalis on my recent visit who are genuinely concerned about the future of tennis in this country. Everywhere I went, in meetings, at clinics or just walking in Kathmandu's familiar streets, I came across old friends and colleagues who wanted to talk tennis and were genuinely interested in batting around ideas for advancing this wonderful game.

Their interest being so clearly demonstrated, I believe now is the time for all of us to look forward and begin some serious brainstorming on practical ways to put the bounce back into Nepali tennis. We should also mull over some ways to involve our youth in this process, for they are the ones who will be leading our efforts in coming years.

I was impressed and encouraged particularly by the young people who participated in the clinics that I held in Kathmandu. (Pictures below are ones at took at the Nepali Times tennis clinic on 17 December--thanks everyone for coming!)

The young Nepalis were energetic, positive young people who were eager to learn. Some of them had that burning passion for the sport that could take them to impressive heights of accomplishment in competitive tennis. Others have an interest for the game that will allow them to enjoy it as they grow older.
I pledge to do my utmost in coming years to help them to get all they can from the game. I encourage all our upcoming stars and all Nepali tennis players, fans and officials to send their thoughts to me directly at this email address: lama@ad.uiuc.edu

Happy hitting!