Alain Bailey lands Tennis scholarship

Nineteen-year-old Alain Bailey is into his first week of a four-year scholarship at the Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia in the United States of America.{{more}}

Bailey, a member of the local Tennis Academy, X-Cel, was able to latch on to the opportunity after successfully making the required Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and satisfying other entry requirements.

“My coach Samantha (Goodluck) told me about the scholarship and I just applied and got through,” Bailey told SEARCHLIGHT last Saturday afternoon at the National Lotteries Tennis facility at Richmond Hill, one day before his departure for the US.

The former St. Vincent Grammar School and St. Vincent Community College student will, for the next four years, seek to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, whilst improving his Tennis skills.

The soft-spoken Bailey also told SEARCHLIGHT that although he has been playing Tennis for just over five years, his academics helped him immensely in securing the scholarship.

Looking ahead to the challenges of the North American culture without the watchful eyes his father Reynold Bailey and mother Phyllis Jackson, Alain said: “I have been training. I think I am mentally prepared.”

He credits his parents for their support all through the years, and according to him, “They always allowed me to play Tennis.”

Apart from participating in local Junior tournaments, Bailey has also been an entrant in the Coca Cola International Tennis Federation (ITF) championships.

“I just want to play Tennis as long as I can,” Bailey, who has Argentine player David Nalbandian as his Tennis idol, projected.

But as he embarks on a double journey, seeking to enhance his Tennis abilities as well as further his academics, the younger Bailey stated: “I will have to balance both.”(RT)