By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

VETERAN player/captain Marvin Rolle said he was willing to return as captain of the Bahamas men’s Davis Cup heading to Paraguay next month, but nothing was finalised with the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association.

Rolle, who has represented the Bahamas at Davis Cup since 2001 and has played in 62 ties before he was elevated to player/captain, said he first got an e-mail on December 8, 2023 from the BLTA, but was waiting for a follow-up mail.

BLTA president Perry Newton said after they didn’t get any response from Rolle, they decided to give the captaincy job to coach Ricardo Demeritte.

Subsequently Kevin ‘KJ’ Major Jr, one of the top players on the team, withdrew his spot on the team one day after he made it during the final team trials two weeks ago at the National Tennis Centre.

He cited his displeasure in Demeritte being given the nod over Rolle and Baker Newman also replaced on the team after he indicated that he was no longer available to travel following his selection in December at the Giorgio Baldacci Tennis Invitational at the NTC.

The BLTA announced last week that the team will be captained by Demeritte and will feature top internationally ranked player Justin Roberts, along with Rodney Carey Jr, who was the runner-up at the December Tournament; Michael ‘MJ’ Major Jr, the winner of the final trials; Donte Armbrister, who got third place and Denali Nottage, who also participated in the trials.

All members have represented The Bahamas on the Davis Cup previously with Major Jr debuting in his first Davis Cup.

The team will play in the Americas Zone III in Paraguay June 17-22 in two pools that will be divided between Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Paraguay.

Three teams will be promoted and two teams will be relegated.

In his statement, Rolle expressed his concerns about the current state of the BLTA and why he was disappointed that he was not asked to captain the team again.

“My main concern lies in the BLTA’s certification requirements for different levels of competition. Why are the same certifications used for both junior and professional level events?” Rolle asked.

“It is alarming that the minimum requirement for our Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup team captains is a Level 1 ITF coaching certification, which is intended for beginner and intermediate players. “This bare minimum is inadequate for guiding our professional players. It is disheartening that the BLTA views its professional players with such disregard.”

Rolle noted that for prestigious tournaments like the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, the minimum coaching requirement should be a professional ranking. “Professional tennis players often seek out former professional players as coaches because players respect those who have walked in their shoes,” he said. “I understand why Kevin Major Jr. expressed his frustrations, and I respect him for it.

“I acknowledge that our current Davis Cup team captain holds a Level 2 ITF Coaching Advanced Players certificate, which is a commendable achievement.

“However, high-performance players and professionals require a different level of coaching. Players need to relate to their coach, especially in high-pressure situations.”

Rolle pointed out that there are coaches like himself, with Level 1 ITF certification or higher and former professional experience, but he wants to know why they weren’t considered for the captaincy.

“This situation could have been avoided if the BLTA had contacted me personally, as they have done in the past,” he said.

“For many years, I have received personal messages about upcoming deadlines and participation in events, such as before the Giorgio Baldacci tournament.

“A simple follow-up would have ensured that we put our best team forward.”

He further said that the “current administration’s failure” to handle such basic matters “is detrimental to our ability to represent our country effectively.

“This is why the current administration should resign, to prevent further missteps and to ensure that we always field our best team,” he summed up.