A Tennis Federation of Cambodia coach shows a young student of Chaktamuk Primary School how to grip the racquet on Wednesday.

The Tennis Federation of Cambodia has launched a talent search at the Chaktamuk Primary School in the run up to the introduction of the Tennis 10s as part of their junior tennis initiative. This will be the second educational institution after Preah Norodom School to be brought under the ITF’s mini tennis programme.

The Federation’s Technical Director and National Team Head Coach Braen Aneiros has been visiting the school for the last two days with his coaching staff to take a close look at boys and girls born between 2001 and 2002 to test their potential.

“We are trying out students from the second, third and fourth standards to see how keen they are and how well they can co-ordinate their movements,” Aneiros told The Post yesterday.

“It is totally new to them. They have never felt a tennis racquet before and they have absolutely no idea what tennis is about, so we have to go with our gut feeling and use our powers of observation to select a bunch of 25 or 30 kids and then put them through the programme in a phased manner.”

The coach claimed enthusiasm for the new sport has been “almost infectious”.

“The authorities are as thrilled as the parents. The success we have had at the Preah Norodom School obviously is inspiring more and more kids to join this programme. The response from the students has been very positive,” he added.

TFC Secretary General Tep Rithivit said: “To take this grassroots programme to another prestigious school in Phnom Penh is in itself a great privilege. I would love to see more and more schools involved in the capital.”