50 Road Tennis Courts for the Nation

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Harris Paints, the Champions of Colour, committed to providing 50 new or refreshed road tennis courts in schools and communities across Barbados.

At the opening ceremony on the completion of the 50th Road Tennis Court at the Ellerslie School, the Inventory, Logistics and Retail Services Manager for Harris Paints, Donette Wharton announced that this program provided 23 courts to 19 communities across the island; added 14 courts at 10 schools and 13 other courts for organizations including a church, two at police stations, District A Bridgetown and District E St Peter and a court at Dodd’s Prison.

The island’s only locally owned paint company decided to mark their half century by celebrating Barbados’ own home-grown sport of Road Tennis. The initiative was brought to life in partnership with Barbados Road Tennis Association who guided the program and attended to all the works around the installation of courts.

Ms Wharton praised the BRTA saying “We would like to thank and congratulate Frederick Blunte, President of the BRTA and his team for their dedication and diligence in coordinating the program over the past several months.” Of the accomplishment, she said, “This initiative, we feel, has gone a long way to help increase access to road tennis courts – a healthy outlet for energies; to encourage youth participation and in this unique way to help Harris Paints continue to serve and bring colour to communities.”

At the event at Ellerslie School, the Principal also paid tributes to past alumni and Road Tennis Men’s and Women's’ Champions Mark ‘Venom’ Griffith and Sheldene Walrond, who she commended as role models and examples of the positivity that can come from involvement in sport.

Harris Paints also confirmed that would once again be sponsoring and hosting the BRTA’s Electing a Junior Champion Road Tennis Competition in January 2024.