EXPERIENCED negotiator, banker and businessman Aubyn Hill was elected president of Tennis Jamaica on August 19 at an extraordinary general meeting to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Phillip Gore, who served as president for five years.

Also elected was Leroy Brown, well known sports administrator and industrial relations consultant, as the new Hon Secretary, in place of Christine Gore, who also resigned.

The Gores, who had pledged to serve the sport as a team for three years and then extended this pledge to five years, decided some months ago to give up their leadership role at this time.

They made it clear at the meeting, however, that they were not leaving tennis, and would continue to serve Tennis Jamaica in whatever capacity.

Christine Gore will also be focusing on their approved charity, The Scholarship Fund, which has been assisting young people for several years to access education opportunities, locally and overseas, through tennis scholarships.

In accepting the position, Hill said he had given serious thought to the challenges he would face. Voluntary organisations, he said, are difficult to run because one has to encourage people to contribute, but he was willing to try to make a difference to the sport that he loves.

According to Hill, tennis is seen as an elitist sport in Jamaica and he said when he met informally with the directors he was pleased to be told that one of the goals of the organisation was to assist young people from under-privileged backgrounds to follow their dreams.

Hill said helping ambitious young people achieve their life’s objectives through Tennis Jamaica would be one of the administration’s immediate and long-term goals.

He praised Philip and Christine Gore for the outstanding work and financial contribution they had given to Tennis Jamaica.

Brown also thanked the Gores for their years of leadership and predicted that history would show that under their guidance, tennis had made great strides and would continue to flourish in the coming years.