26 schools in Ballarat’s Friendship District of Ainaro, Timor Leste, will receive tennis equipment as part of a project by the City of Ballarat’s Friends of Ainaro Community Committee and the Wendouree Men’s Shed.

A visit to Ainaro by self-confessed tennis enthusiast and Ballarat resident, Pauline Corcoran in 2009 has led to the development of an unlikely partnership. Although not a big part of the sporting scene in Timor Leste, Pauline felt that tennis would be a good sport for the Timorese to become involved with.

Since that visit, Council’s Ballarat Friends of Ainaro Community Committee has supported the training of tennis coaches in East Timor through the Tennis Federation of Timor Leste and been involved in the Kids Tennis Program run from Dili.

City of Ballarat People and Communities Portfolio Councillor Des Hudson said the programs are fantastic for fitness, ball handling skills and mini tennis skill development and can be provided in most schools without requiring an actual tennis court.

“The men at the Wendouree Men’s Shed have volunteered a huge amount of their time to construct from donated materials hundreds of wooden tennis bats and net posts from donated materials”. 

“We’ll send these, some donated tennis balls and some other tennis gear to 26 schools in Ainaro. This will give upwards of 10,000 Ainaro District students the opportunity to take part in physical activities not normally available to them”.

This project is just one of many to benefit the communities in Ainaro throughout the last 8 years of the friendship relationship with the City of Ballarat.