Northants LTA gets 'backing from packing'
DALEPAK’S backing of youth and sport across Northamptonshire has taken another massive leap forward with the forging of an agreement with the county’s tennis association.
Already actively involved in the sponsorship of individual players such as Charlotte Gibbons, Jordan Parker and Dermot Bailey, Dalepak has now cemented a fresh deal with Northants LTA, giving fresh meaning to the phrase ‘backing from packing!’
Dalepak MD Mick White recently met Northants LTA secretary and treasurer Sue Pape to confirm the support which will be used to nurture county training at junior, and more senior level.
Mrs Pape remarked: “There are a lot of very good thing happening within the county set-up for the juniors, but in the past we have perhaps lost one or two players when there has been that step up between junior squads and perhaps players aged between 16-18.”
She added: “This is a vital transitional area if we are to see tennis players coming through into the senior men’s and ladies squads in Northamptonshire.”
Dalepak will also be assisting the senior Northants teams run by Mark Taylor and Amie Anderson.
Dalepak’s first active role after signing the deal was to supply trophies for the mini red and mini orange winners at the Northants Junior County Closed Championships held at the King’s Park Centre in Northampton.
These events are tailored to eight and nine year-olds and this year’s winners saw Alexandra Lewis from Hunsbury in Northampton capture the girls’ mini red, while Samuel Ball from Kettering took the boys’ competition.
The mini orange competition was a mixed event for boys and girls and was won by Alex Ramsden from Great Houghton.
Dalepak MD Mick White said: “Dalepak has always been keen to put something back into the community and just consider ourselves lucky to be in a position where we can do that.
“By dealing with the materialistic side, we are perhaps removing one small headache for the parents and coaches of these young players. They are the ones who have the difficult job when it comes to the constant ferrying to practises and tournaments as well as lifting the spirits of their kids when it doesn’t always go well.. .and we all know that happens at times.”
Dalepak’s existing support to Northants tennis players still extends a little to Charlotte Gibbons who is currently in her fourth year at university in Clevelend in the USA as well as 14 year-old Jordan Parker who in August competed in the national Road To Wimbledon finals on the prestigious grass courts for the second year running.
As well as winning all of his box singles matches and progressing to the knock out stages of the singles, Jordan reached the final of the doubles with his partner Ryan Frankel where he narrowly lost out.
Meanwhile Kettering based junior Dermot Bailey is still on target to fulfil his dream of competing in the 2012 Paralympics in London and taking part in competitions during the summer in Cardiff, Nottingham and Sunderland in preparation for a planned trip to play in Tarbes in France in January.
