STEADY AS SHE GOES

TENNIS coach Serwin Rampersad will be taking a major senior swing at another sport he only took up five years ago after stepping into the coveted role of captain of Awali Golf Club.

The Dutch expat has taken to picking up a golf club as well as the racquet in recent years and is looking forward to the challenges ahead at the oldest golf course in the Middle East.

He said: “I feel honoured to be elected. It is great to be part of this club where the social part is something hard to beat anywhere else in the country and probably a fair few places abroad too. The number of people involved and working together for the club is incredible and makes Awali one-of-a-kind.

“Under normal circumstances, the vice-captain will automatically step up the following year. I knew I was going to come into this role, but it still doesn’t quite sink in until it’s confirmed! I’m incredibly proud and I hope to do good things at the club to maintain the high level that my predecessors have set. We will have a good year!”

As captain, Rampersad’s job will be to maintain both the famous social and competitive spirit at the club. Together with his colleagues on the committee, his task will be to provide for the membership on different levels, whether that be the regulars who play daily or the more casual weekend crowd.

Thankfully, with two years of experience under the stewardship of previous captains Bill Scarth and Paul Anderson, plus the behind-the-scenes support from new vice-captain Mark Hodgkinson, this shouldn’t be an issue.

In terms of plans, it seems that maintaining the status quo will be the aim of the game. Rampersad explained: “To be honest, I don’t want to make big changes. My stance is that whatever is good, we have to keep. This will be my fourth year on the committee and I have seen the club grow and become a fantastic place for new members.”

“The way I was welcomed at this club five years ago was outstanding, and I want to instil that same feeling into newcomers who join this year. The social part is very good and with a fantastic club pro like Rory Young on our side, we have it all. Last year we started to make better adjustments in and outside the club and my idea is to keep that progressing and up-to-date.

“Furthermore, we have a group of fantastic volunteers doing a lot of work behind the scenes to keep the members happy, particularly on Friday competition day, by preparing food and so much more.”

New plans include organising a monthly Ladies Day and Rampersad says he is open to more suggestions. “If there is any member who has a great idea, let me know,” he said.

One Awali tradition is that the club captain always picks a captain’s charity for the coming season. This time, Rampersad has plumped for Feed the Need Bahrain, a cause he has already supported by placing food in the collection fridges dotted around the kingdom.

Rampersad married his wife, Natasja, five years ago and they have two children, Avelyn and Noah. He describes his wife as the ‘soul of the family’ and, in his words: “She is another reason to make the ladies at the club even happier!”

After a decade of tennis coaching in the Netherlands, Rampersad was looking for a new adventure with better weather and sunshine, and was offered an opportunity to move to Bahrain in 2011.

He said: “Bahrain has become a huge part of our lives. The culture, standard of life and people here are great and once you enter this island, it’s hard to leave. So I guess we will stick around for a while and that is all fine by us. Bahrain feels like coming home.

“I still love tennis coaching but because of injuries I haven’t had the chance to play the game competitively in the Middle East. I suppose Awali Golf Club gave me a great new passion and now I’m trying to combine these two beautiful sports together.”

He has even managed, on more than a few occasions, to master the infamous Awali bounce on the sand course in the desert – notorious for sending the ball in any direction when it lands on a pebble.

“Luckily, I took to golf very quickly and have managed to win a few tournaments,” he said. “I think being a tennis professional gives me a little advantage as there are a lot of similarities. Being a coach myself, I have always acknowledged the importance of practice with a professional.

“Our golf coach Rory has done great things with me and having someone to teach you those fundamentals is everything. After that it’s practice, practice, practice … and play.”