Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy Kuwait, which will open this Wednesday, is vital to the advancement of the game in the country, Kuwait Tennis Federation (KTF) President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said Monday.
In an interview with local media, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber said that this organization will enable local talent emerging in tennis, as well as upcoming generations of champions in Kuwait. The opening of the Academy in the Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah International Tennis Complex will take place with the presence of Rafael Nadal himself; Spain’s number one tennis player, who will play an exhibition match, he pointed out. The Academy is concerned with training participants and players for both genders, in addition to training national teams in collaboration with KTF, and under the supervision of highly experienced coaches in the game, he noted.
KTF will organize local championships throughout the year in cooperation with the Academy to provide experiences that benefit the national teams, he said. Regarding the Complex, he specified that it includes 18 tennis courts, nine of which are indoor, as the indoor main stadium accommodates 5,000 spectators, while the main outdoor stadium accommodates 1,500.
The Complex also includes a hotel consisting of 300 rooms and special facilities for tennis, indicating that the official opening of the facility as a whole will take place next September. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber said that the Complex will host the first tournament, the 3rd Gulf Sports Games next April. The deal was inked last November by Chairman of Tamdeen Group Mohammad Al-Marzouq and Toni Nadal – Tennis Director, Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar Mallorca (Majorca), at Tamdeen Group’s headquarters at 360 Mall. The press conference with them addressed the details of this prominent project that will contribute to enhancing awareness levels about tennis and a healthy lifestyle among the youth, as well as enticing a new generation of sports enthusiasts.
During the conference in a video message, ‘Rafa’ expressed his pleasure at the new venture saying, “I’m personally very happy to open the Academy in Kuwait. We’re working hard to create the right programs for the kids and our members, making for strong development of tennis all over the region. See you very soon.”
Meanwhile Toni Nadal said that they have worked since the Academy’s opening in Spain to train tennis enthusiasts worldwide in the finest technical and ethical skills. He added that in Kuwait, they will provide high-level training for children and adults enrolled in the Academy.
The Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah International Tennis Complex project, which has a building area of 70,000 square meters, is the first multi-facility and service complex for tennis in the Middle East. The Complex includes KTF headquarters, in addition to the Rana Nadal Academy, the largest international tennis academy in the Middle East, in which unlike the Academy in Mallorca, is not intended for student accommodation. Each of these stadiums is equipped with a package of the latest international technology, advanced sound insulation and a variety of fixed and foldable seats designed by the architect and designer Norman Foster, manufactured by Figueras International Seating.
On his part, Nuno Marques, the vastly experienced coach at the Academy who will assume the role of head of tennis at the planned academy, stressed his ultimate aim of producing future Kuwaiti tennis champion. He revealed his collaboration with KTF to grow the sport domestically and provide a platform for people to pursue healthy lifestyles begins immediately. “The Rafa Nadal methodology includes five main sections: tennis training, physical training, mental training, nutrition and competition. We are bringing that method to Kuwait,” Marques pointed out.
