History of Tennis in the Kingdom of Bahrain
Written by Ahmed I. Aleid Monday, 03 March 2003 00:00
Tennis started in Bahrain as early as the 1950’s when expatriate visitors were playing it. 4 years later, the first ever tennis competition was held in the country. Thereafter, the game rapidly spread amongst the local and residents, resulting in more tennis courts being built.
Establishment of the Federation
In 1979, Bahrain Lawn Tennis Association merged into the Bahrain Tennis and Squash Association, and the first professional Tennis Championship held. The Bahrain Tennis Federation (BTF) was formed in April 1981 as the governing body of tennis in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
BTF headquarters was located in the six tennis courts complex with administrative buildings in Isa Town, behind the Football Stadium. In March 2008, it has relocated to a new headquarters at the BTF Tennis Center in University of Bahrain, Isa Town.
BTF is a member of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the Arab Tennis Federation, the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), and the Organizing Committee for Tennis in the GCC Countries.
Main objectives of BTF
- Tennis development: Encouraging and promoting it amongst the public, especially young ones
- Support and supervise: National team players that compete in regional and international tournaments
- Promote and participate: Local, Arab, Asian and international activities
- Supervise and regulate: Local competitions and issue general rules and regulations governing them
- Host and organize: Local, regional and international tennis events