Johannesburg – In his shock resignation this week as the country's Davis Cup captain, John-Laffnie de Jager blasted Tennis SA, the controlling body of the sport, saying he was left with no choice but to hand in his notice.
“It was a very tough decision I had to make and a very sad day for me as well, but I have decided to resign as Davis Cup captain with immediate effect,” De Jager said in a statement on Wednesday.
“It was always my dream to represent my country as a player and then to become the captain of the team was the ultimate honour for me. It has been a passion of mine for the last nine years and will always remain very special to me.”
He said he was left with no choice after recent events had made him lose faith in TSA's leadership.
“In the past year, they have betrayed my belief in them repeatedly. It is clear that the opinions of very experienced people like Davis Cup consultant Robbie Koenig, senior players Rik de Voest and Raven Klaasen, as well as my support staff and myself are of no value to TSA.
“Instead, they hold the opinions of inexperienced players in much higher regard. After 27 years of experience at the highest level it gets frustrating when every decision you make is questioned.
“We have entered a second year without a CEO-general manager and it is clear to me that the current leadership doesn't have the capacity or the will to run TSA successfully. Their inability to communicate, make decisions and implement them is hurting the game at every level.”
De Jager said TSA held no regard for the achievements of former players nor what they could offer to the game in South Africa.
“This was proved when in November TSA decided not to sanction a coaching course hosted by the Global Professional Tennis Coaches Association, a highly respected organisation.
“I am still waiting for a reply from TSA with details on how we can get the course approved. TSA decided to not affiliate itself with former players Wesley Moodie, Natalie Grandin, Robbie Koenig, Neville Godwin, Kevin Curren, Piet Norval, Stephan de Kock, Jeff Coetzee, myself and specialist in sports fields like Dr Richard Sutton, Dr Sherylle Calder, Kirsty Querl, Gielie Hoffmann and Iain Smith “
Instead of embracing what they could offer, De Jager said they were seen as a threat.
He said he was grateful for the opportunity to captain the Davis Cup team and proud of his achievements.
“It will always stay the greatest honour of my career,” he said.
“We played in four consecutive World Group play-offs and won against teams when our backs were against the wall. The fact that we were never able to qualify for the World Group will be my only disappointment.”
De Jager said he would now focus on coaching leading woman player Daniela Hantuchova, his own tennis academy and the Matchpoint Foundation.
In a brief statement, TSA confirmed De Jager's resignation and said a more detailed reply would follow when president and acting CEO Gavin Crookes returned to South Africa. No mention was made of a possible successor before the looming Davis Cup tie against Turkey in early March.
South Africa were currently wallowing in the Euro-Africa Group Two segment of the Davis Cup, effectively the third tier of the competition, despite being one of a handful of countries to have won the event during the 1970s when tennis was booming in the country. – Sapa