Is this the oldest tennis player in Wales? Basil Smith, aged 90, plays twice a week at Swansea Indoor Tennis Centre and reckons he’s as keen on the game today as he was in his teens.
Basil joined the centre 20 years ago and clocks up a weekly mileage of 80 miles for his Monday and Thursday sessions.
His tennis CV dates back 83 years and has included playing in Durban, Los Angeles and New York, as well as in Baghdad when serving with the RAF in the 1940s.
He was captain of the Llandeilo team in the 1950s and ‘60s and coached at schools in the 1980s.
He has won veterans singles competitions at Keele University, Dundee University and at Torquay, and players he coached have won junior titles..
“I must be either very dedicated or mad to continue,” said Basil. “Tennis is my one joy and I look forward to my weekly routine just as keen as when I was in my teens.
“It’s a sport anyone can participate and is one of the best antidotes for keeping young in heart and healthy in body.”
Collette Richards, chair of Tennis Swansea 365, the group of users campaigning to keep the indoor centre open, said: “Basil is an inspiration to us all at the Centre. He’s one of the main reasons why we’re so passionate about keeping the Centre open: he really relishes his twice weekly sessions and would be utterly lost if the Centre were to close.
“He’s the prefect example of what can be achieved if you stay fit, and tennis is the ideal sport that can be enjoyed well into old age, as Basil shows. I hope he’ll continue to play well into his next decade.”
TS365 plan to run the tennis centre as a social enterprise with the help of the LTA and Tennis Wales, if plans to close it go ahead.
“Welsh weather makes indoor tennis a necessity, not a luxury,” added Colette. “We plan to continue to provide affordable indoor facilities for all the players in Swansea and the whole of South West Wales, so that people like Basil can continue to enjoy their chosen sport.”
Peter Drew, chief executive of Tennis Wales, added: “Tennis is one of the few sports open to people of all ages and all abilities. It’s really inspiring to see Basil continuing to enjoy his tennis at the age of 90.”