Four players on the Tennis Foundation’s Deaf Tennis Performance Programme have been selected to represent DeaflympicsGB at the 23rd Summer Deaflympics in Samsun, Turkey, from 18 – 30 July 2017. Tennis events will take place at Samsum Tennis Club from 19 – 28 July.
The players will be accompanied by the Tennis Foundation’s National Deaf Tennis Coach and former Deaflympics gold medallist Catherine Fletcher, as part of the wider DeaflympicsGB delegation of 63 athletes representing DeaflympicsGB across 5 different sports.
The Great Britain team is comprised of four players, who will contest men’s singles and doubles events:
Jack Clifton (21 – Purley, Surrey)
Toby Clifton (15 – Purley, Surrey)
Lewis Fletcher (31 – Burderop, Wiltshire)
Esah Hayat (15 – Finchley, London)
Catherine Fletcher – National Coach and Tennis Team Manager
Andy Graham – Sports Therapist
Nicholas Ansell – Welfare Officer
Lewis Fletcher will contest his third Deaflympics after reaching the bronze medal play-off in the men’s doubles in Taipei in 2009 and the mixed doubles bronze medal play-off in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2013. Jack Clifton will contest his second Deaflympics after making his debut in the event in Sofia in 2013
Toby Clifton and Esah Hayat will both make their Deaflympics debuts in Samsun this year.
“We’ve got a great mixture of youth and experience in the Great Britain tennis team for these Deaflympics, with all four players having enjoyed medal success in the last two years at either the 1st World Deaf Tennis Championships or last year’s European Championships,” said five-time Deaflympian and two-time Deaflympic medallist Catherine Fletcher.
“The Deaflympics is the pinnacle for our elite deaf athletes and having made my international debut at the age of 12 and played in the first of five Deaflympics 20 years ago this year, I’m sure it’s going to be an especially inspiring experience for Esah and Toby as they make their Deaflympics debuts.
“We hope the selected GB players will inspire the next generation to pick up a racket and increase the number of deaf tennis players across the country playing for fun or feeding into the Tennis Foundation’s deaf tennis pathway to nurture even more future talents.”
The Tennis Foundation works to open up tennis to its priority audiences of disabled people, young people in education and people in lower socio-economic communities, making it possible for them to enjoy the many health and social benefits of the sport whilst maximising their personal potential.
As part of its disability work, the Tennis Foundation oversees a Deaf Tennis Performance Programme and organises ‘Have Go Days’ and Talent ID Camps to help players develop their skills.
To assist players who would like to progress from playing for fun to competing at the highest level as a deaf tennis player, the Tennis Foundation has produced the Game On guide to advise on the different pathways that can be followed to reach the summit of the sport.
To find out more about the work of the Tennis Foundation visit www.tennisfoundation.org.uk.
Download Player profiles (PDF) – Tap here.
For more information please contact:
Tennis Foundation
Andy Dodd
TF Head of Communications and Marketing
E: andy.dodd@tennisfoundation.org.uk
T: 0208 4877085
M: 07908 091865
Marshall Thomas
MELT Communications
E: Marshall.thonas@btinternet.com
M: 07880 641 855
UK Deaf Sport Media Officer
Chris Doyle
E: christopherdoyle24@hotmail.com
To follow the progress of the DeaflympicsGB Tennis Team during the 23rd Summer Deaflympics:
Twitter: @TennisFndation and Facebook: facebook.com/TennisFoundation1/
Twitter: @DeaflympicsGB and Facebook: facebook.com/DeaflympicsGB
Photo credit: Tennis Foundation
