The Davis Cup Trophy arrived in Bristol on Thursday 18 August as part of a national Trophy Tour of Great Britain launched by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in April this year.
To celebrate Great Britain’s historic win against Belgium in the 2015 Davis Cup Final, Avon County Association hosted the Davis Cup – alongside a multi-sport festival – at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex.
A fine day ensured a great turnout of families who were able to have photos taken with the iconic Davis Cup Trophy and enjoy a BBQ on the grounds outside the Cricket Pavilion while children went from sport to sport collecting activity stickers. The Festival of Sport showcased a number of sports, including tennis, wheelchair tennis, football, rugby, golf, cricket, handball, hockey and netball, throughout the whole day.
The activities were delivered by local clubs, coaching providers and national governing bodies including Coombe Dingle Tennis Club, Bristol City Community Trust, Bristol Rugby Club, Gloucestershire County Cricket, Shirehampton Golf Club, England Handball and Future Stars Coaching.
Clive Sampson, Secretary of the Avon County Association, said: “We were thrilled to be a part of this very special Davis Cup Trophy Tour. It was great to see families having fun posing together in front of the trophy and to see so many children playing tennis and other sports that they may not have had a chance to try before. It was a great success!”
Following Team GB’s success in the Davis Cup last year, in which they hoisted the Trophy for the first time in 79 years, the LTA wanted to deliver the Davis Cup Trophy Tour across the country to thank the tennis community, including players, coaches, venues and volunteers, for its support throughout the tournament. It also wanted to inspire a new generation to pick up a racket and get involved in tennis.
Part of the Davis Cup Legacy project is the Tennis for Kids initiative which has seen over 1000 coaches trained and more than 10,000 children aged 5-8 take part in free tennis lessons.
To find out further information about the Davis Cup Legacy visit: www.lta.org.uk/daviscuplegacy