Tennis Factory ITF Donation
The ITF was delighted to be able to donate Tennis Factory Equipment to countries competing in the recent BNP Paribas World Team Cup in the Netherlands. This versatile equipment will be used in rehabilitation centres to introduce wheelchair tennis in non-traditional tennis environments.
Mark Bullock, Wheelchair Tennis Manager ITF
This partnership with Tennis Factory is allowing us to emphasise that wheelchair tennis is easy to play with appropriate equipment in non-traditional tennis spaces. The colourful and creative equipment is also allowing us to promote wheelchair tennis as a fun activity for wheelchair users and their family and friends.
The countries that received equipment included: Brazil, Greece, Morocco, Kenya, Malaysia, Romania, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey.
Tennis Factory in Haiti
Factory Eleven have been long term partners with the ITF (International Tennis Federation) and have provided a significant amount of Tennis Factory equipment enabling people with a physical disability to play wheelchair tennis in a number of centres around the world.
As part of the latest phase of equipment rollout, Mark Bullock, Suzie Dyrbus and Samanta Bullock visited Haiti to launch a project that will provide tennis equipment for rehabilitation centres and communities.
Mark Bullock, Wheelchair Tennis Manager ITF
The design of the equipment makes it perfect to use in non-traditional tennis environments such as rehabilitation centres. The team spent two days in Port au Prince before going to a rehabilitation centre in Cap Haitien for 4 days
Wheelchair Development Fund
The Wheelchair Development Fund (WTDF) formerly the Silver Fund is a long and successful partnership between the ITF and the Cryuff Foundation.
Establised in 2002 it has established sustainable tennis projects for those with disabilities in countries that are otherwise not able to embrace the sport.
Working with the ITF we developed a ‘clip net’ which allows for a realistic game of tennis to be set up virtually anywhere in the world.
Mark Bullock, Wheelchair Tennis Manager ITF
I have worked with Tennis Factory equipment from its inception and love the fact that it allows tennis to be played with little formal instruction in a variety of environments from tennis settings to a park or the street.
More recently at the ITF we have purchased the ‘clip nets’ that are easily transported in a racket bag and allow us to set up a court in any setting and deliver wheelchair tennis. Our aim is to remove barriers and make wheelchair tennis more accessible and the nets have helped us achieve that whilst also giving exposure to our partner, the Cruyff Foundation.