Sport : Tennis

LTA CRITICISED IN HOUSE OF LORDS

15th May 2012, 08:47pm

Hugh Robertson: Urged to launch an inquiry

Hugh Robertson: Urged to launch an inquiry

The Lawn Tennis Association has again been forced to defend itself against charges of failure and financial profligacy by the chair of the All Party Tennis Group, Baroness Billingham.

Billingham, a long-standing critic of the organisation, used the Queen's Speech debate in the House of Lords on Tuesday to brand the LTA a "total shambles" and called on Sports Minister Hugh Robertson to order an inquiry.

The LTA, who strongly dispute the majority of the allegations levelled by Billingham, hit back, saying: "The speech contained a number of inaccuracies that do not reflect a true picture of British tennis."

Billingham was part of the All Party Tennis Group that levelled similar allegations two years ago when asked to investigate the governing body by the then Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe in the wake of a Davis Cup defeat to Lithuania.

Despite a heavy defeat to Belgium last month in Davis Cup Euro-Africa Zone I, some progress has been made, in particular at women's world-class level with four Britons currently in the world's top 150.

Billingham said: "The LTA are a total shambles, tottering from one broken pledge to another, the British press and the world's press aghast at the huge cost and pathetic results of six years of mismanagement. It is pitiful.

"I call on Hugh Robertson, the Minister for Sport, to set up an urgent review and inquiry into British tennis. He must insist on transparency of all expenditure and salaries, especially given the LTA receives public money - taxpayers' money."

The LTA insist the public are beginning to see improvements. Great Britain won the junior Davis Cup for the first time last year, and three British boys made the semi-finals of the US Open, including the eventual winner, Oliver Golding.

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