Scottish Secretary David Mundell meets tennis boss to discuss building a Murray legacy
Minister discusses developing future Andy and Jamie Murrays with Lawn Tennis Association.
Tennis fan Mr Mundell met with LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd to discuss plans to develop the sport in Scotland and across the UK.
The meeting followed Commons exchanges earlier this year when MPs stressed the need to capitalise on the success of the Dunblane-born stars.
The Scottish Secretary and Mr Lloyd met just hours before three-time Grand Slam champion Sir Andy received his knighthood at Buckingham Palace from Prince Charles (Thursday 16 May).
Speaking following the meeting, Mr Mundell said:
I was delighted to meet Scott and hear at first hand the work the LTA is doing to develop the sport in Scotland, alongside Tennis Scotland, and across the whole of the UK.
Andy and Jamie Murray are two of Scotland’s greatest sports stars. They are also two of the most popular – and I’m in no doubt their success must be harnessed to develop tennis. I’m pleased to see progress towards this with the introduction of a Murray Trophy tournament in Glasgow in September in honour of the family’s contribution to the sport.
If we can encourage youngsters to play the game and stay fit and healthy, that’s great. If we can find the stars of the future, even better!
LTA CEO Scott Lloyd said:
Scotland has a fantastic sporting heritage and forms a central part of the LTA’s plans to open up tennis in Britain and make it a sport for all.
We were delighted to be able to share details of this work with the Secretary of State for Scotland, including our £7.5m capital investment in new indoor facilities for Scotland and our collaboration with Jamie Murray on the Murray Trophy – Glasgow event later this year. We are very grateful for his support and look forward to keeping him updated.
During Scottish Questions on March 27, MPs hailed the “golden opportunity” of the Murrays success to promote the game and inspire a new generation of players.
Commons Speaker John Bercow – also a tennis fan – backed the calls to build on the “heroic successes” of the Murray brothers. He also praised “the extraordinary efforts of Judy Murray, one of the greatest women in the world of tennis”.
Last year, the LTA announced that Stirling University would become one of two national academies (along with Loughborough University).
In September 2018 the LTA organised the inaugural Glasgow Trophy ATP Challenger at Scotstoun Sports Campus, working in partnership with Glasgow Life, Glasgow City Council, Tennis Scotland and Event Scotland.
In developing the event for September 2019, the LTA has worked in close partnership with Jamie Murray to ensure the tournament excels in meeting the needs of both the players on court and the fans in the stands. The tournament has been renamed the ‘Murray Trophy – Glasgow’.