Jamshedpur, April 28: Tennis, in the state, is on a roll. And officials are trying to ensure that the phase continues.

If increased participation in national tourneys, three state cadets making it to the top 50 rankings in India, exchange programmes with top players of neighbouring states scheduled in May were not enough, state officials will now explore tennis talent in schools.

State officials as well as those under Jharkhand Tennis Development Scheme (JTDS) now want to initiate mini tennis in city-based schools. Their objective is to tap talents at the grassroots level and provide them training under experts. Officials said that they would approach the different schools to discuss a suitable time without disturbing the routine.

“We can take the lunch time or post-school session and organise mini tennis matches and see how the children fare. There would be experts watching and those having the talent can be taken up and given further training to make them into better players,” said an official.

JTDS director Sunit Tyagi told The Telegraph: “Tennis in Jharkhand has been going places and local boys are now finding a footing in national tournaments. What better place than schools to find more such talents? The interest has to be gener- ated and once it is done, the training would be provided.”

Elaborating on the concept of mini tennis, officials said that the game would be a miniature form of the original one. While the size of the court is cut down to half of the original, the height of the nets are decreased and the tennis balls are softer as children play the game.

Officials are also trying to conduct the International Tennis Federation Level-I Tennis Officiating course in Jamshedpur and a proposal has been submitted to the All-India Tennis Association for conducting the course later this year.

“We are also contemplating talking to Tata Steel and moving into the rural side so that selected players from there can be nurtured into better players,” said Tyagi.

Funds, however, remain a problem.

“Getting sponsors is very vital. We are trying to get them so that the project can be initiated,” added Tyagi.