Although I have lived most of my adult life abroad, I have followed the growth and development of tennis in Nepal very closely. Whenever I visit Nepal I am saddened by the lack of progress we have made.

Yes, there are a few more courts and a small increase in the number of people playing. However, I do not see a coordinated effort to popularise and spread the sport. What was even more discouraging is the lack of opportunities for young children to train and play in tournaments. Why have we gone backwards? Who is responsible for promoting tennis and energising the grassroots? What can be done?

As I write this column today, I have two choices. I can choose to be negative and pessimistic or I can be positive and optimistic about the future of tennis in Nepal. I am not qualified to criticise and there is no point throwing blame from so far away. There are people who are genuinely giving their time and energy to teach children and adults the joy of playing tennis. To jumpstart tennis in Nepal we need to address the following areas as soon as possible:

Leadership
For any organisation, company or team to be successful, you've got to have a leader who has passion and love for what he does. A leader must have a vision and be able to sell that to the masses. Great leaders must lead by example and energise the people around them. Do we have capable leaders running the All Nepal Tennis Association (ANTA)? What have they done to develop the game of tennis? How are they held accountable? What are their limitations? Do they have well-defined goals and strategies to accomplish set goals? How much should ANTA shoulder the responsibilities for the growth of the game in Nepal?

The grassroots
The focus has to be on children when it comes to popularising tennis anywhere. Nepal is no different. How can we give more young people the opportunity to learn and play tennis? The answer seems pretty simple, yet it's complicated. Tennis is an expensive sport and getting more access to courts, rackets and balls would be a good start. Access to coaching would help children to develop faster. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has helped many developing countries develop their programs and if we were to use their help the right way, we could start making tennis more accessible to children. A first step would be for ANTA to start a constructive dialogue with ITF leaders.

Work together
Nepal's tennis community is very small-we have no choice but to work together. We have to start by communicating with one another and combining all our resources and expertise. It is important to address the issues that are slowing the progress of tennis and share our frustrations as well as possible solutions for improving the status quo.

In mid-December, I will conduct a tennis forum and clinic in Kathmandu especially geared towards children. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb once said: "The greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to always try, just one more time."

lama@uiuc.edu