THE Sunraysia District Tennis Association (SDTA) competition will go ahead as planned this Saturday despite the New South Wales border being shut to Victoria.
President Bill Madafferi said unless the SDTA received official notification they could not play, all grades would start this weekend as scheduled.
“Who knows what could happen in the next few days, but I can’t see why we won’t play unless we are told we can’t,” Madafferi said.
Madafferi said the only team affected by the border shut down would be Alcheringa, whose home base is across the river in Gol Gol.
Alcheringa have notified SDTA officials they will be withdrawing four of their five teams entered in this year’s competition.
“We are lucky all our clubs are Victorian based other than Alcheringa,” Madafferi said.
“I will speak to (Alcheringa) club officials and our committee to see how we manage that situation.
“I know most of their Premier League players, if not all of them, live in Victoria so it may not be as big a issue as we think.
“It might just mean we have to find a venue for them to play at or they share some facilities with another club, but either way we will work through things and come up with what is best for everyone.”
The SDTA will play a modified competition this season, with each grade playing 10 rounds with no finals series. The premiership will be awarded to the side that finishes on top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season.
In the Premier League, the SDTA’s top division, five clubs have entered teams.
Madafferi said he expected the standard to improve on last season with a number of the region’s top players committing to play.
“Last year was our first season of the Premier League and, considering how late the decision was made to go ahead with it, I think it went very well,” Madafferi said.
“We have players like Troy Kelly and Lachy Flynn who have put their hand up to play which is great. They are both very good players and will boost the standard.
“I think everyone is just excited about having a game of tennis and hopefully we get do to that this Saturday.”
