3rd  ITFR WORLD TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP – SALERNO 2007

ITFR International Tennis Fellowship of Rotarians

The 3^rd ITFR World Tennis Championship – Rotarians’ Tennis Meeting” (International Tennis Fellowship of Rotarians) took place from the 8^th to the 15^th of September 2007 in Salerno, Italy.

The initiative has been an important meeting for all the Rotarians who fondly play or even just follow tennis all over the world according to the motto “Score an ‘ace’ with Rotary … for a winning ‘service’!”.

The principles tennis is based upon are in perfect harmony with the Rotary spirit: loyalty and fair-play are characteristics that make tennis different from other sports and really “special” in the eyes of Rotary International, which is active in over 200 countries with its service activities.

The sports and social events in the programme of the Championship were all organised with the primary goal of fund raising for the “Africa Project” and specifically for the creation of learning laboratories for the students of the School of Medicine of the University of Gulu, North Uganda. The commitment for the sustain of the recently founded School of Medicine – created and supported by the University of Naples “Federico II” – since 2001 is a priority goal of the Rotary Club Salerno and it will be the mission of the World Championship, to build humanitarian paths through tennis.

During the week over 100 matches were played by around 100 Rotarians tennis players from 10 countries and 3 continents, but also other important social events deserve to be mentioned: an evening vintage tournament called “White & Wood” (“…in white with wooden rackets”), the preview of the new  Maserati Gran Turismo, the vintage tennis exhibition called “Maxima’s story” whose curator has been Salvatore Sodano and the presentation of the  book by Beppe Russotto “Tennis in postcards”, kindly published for the occasion by Arti Grafiche Boccia s.p.a as a contribution for the humanitarian project.

The Official Opening Ceremony took place on Saturday, September 8 2007 at 6,30 p.m. in the splendid “G. Dininno” Tennis Centre, just renovated thanks to the commitment of the Mayor On. Vincenzo De Luca and of the Salerno Town Administration.

The whole event was sponsored by a  prestigious Main Partner: BNL-BNP Paribas. Technical Partner was Legea, while the Silver Partner was Cesarmeccanica-Maserati.

The international event promoted by the Rotary Club Salerno and organised by the Association “Solidarietà Rotariana Salerno onlus” under the logo of ITFR (and with the organisational support of all the Rotary Clubs and the Rotaract Club of Salerno) was realised under the patronage of the most important institutions: Minister for Heritage and Cultural Activities (MiBAC), Minister for Youth Policies and Sports Activities (POGAS), Italian National Olimpic Committee (CONI), International Tennis Federation (ITF), European Tennis Federation (Tennis Europe), Italian Tennis Federation (FIT), Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR); under the patronage of the Town of Salerno and of all the local Administrations. Greetings were sent by the President of the Council of Ministers Romano Prodi, by the Home Office’s Minister Giuliano Amato and by the Minister of Sport Giovanna Melandri. On the 1st  of September 2007 the Office of the President of the Republic sent a notice saying that the 3rd ITFR World Tennis Championship was awarded an important prize: the “silver plate of the President of the Republic”.

            During the week the General Assembly of the ITFR members  unanimously elected  the international President: Marco Marinaro, who will be in charge from July, 1 2008 for the term 2008/2010. According to the ITFR Constitution the  President elect is now in charge as Vice President.

            Further information on the official web site: www.rotarytennis.org .