On the basis of a continuous financial support project, the most talented athletes in the academy were allocated 25 thousand euro in support. VTA tennis players who showcase the best results and match set criteria could pursue this funding. The Darnių Iniciatyvų Paramos Fondas was established by Darnu Group, which for 20 years now has been one of the main supporters for Lithuanian tennis talents and children’s tennis in the country. The business group’s company Teniso Pasaulis [World of Tennis] is one of the founders of the Vilnius Tennis Academy, which is attended by around 500 children every year.
Darnu Group actively contributes to the nurture of young tennis talents, maintains the Tennis Talents programme, based on which, every year financial support is allocated to both youth tennis players and to professionals on the Lithuanian national tennis team.
The company also offers conditions for free of charge sports activities for disabled tennis players. The business group allocates over 200 thousand euro to various support programmes every year.
Most prospective youth tennis players supported only by private initiatives and their parents
Patricija Paukštytė, who is achieving ever more notable victories abroad, as well as Ainius Sabaliauskas, were awarded 6,500 euro, Patricija Cechanavičiūtė – 5,000 euro, Pijus Reklevičius – 4,000 euro, Viltė Vaitkevičiūtė – 1,000 euro and Linas Plančiūnas – 500 euro.
Dominykas Stonkus, who recently arrived in Vilnius on the basis of the Lithuanian Tennis Union’s project Learn and Pursue the Heights of Tennis! Will be receiving 1,500 euro.
Tennis player Patricija Paukštytė‘s mother Neringa Paukštienė says that her daughter’s sports career is definitely a significant expense for their family, which has two children.
“This is around the cost of two-three weeks of holidays. Most of the expenses go to participation in tournaments because we must often pay ourselves for accommodation, catering and travel expenses. Physical conditioning comes at a significant expense as well, not to mention professional equipment and its maintenance,” P. Paukštytė’s mother says. According to her, despite winning numerous victories, Patricija does not receive state support, only being helped by her parents and private initiatives.
Before sporting life was suspended by the pandemic, all the tennis players receiving the support offered by the Darnių Iniciatyvų Paramos Fondas were successfully participating in various international youth tennis tournaments, without which it would be impossible to improve and pursue ratings.
This is the second financial injection this year for the young VTA tennis players – already during the first stage, 14,500 euro was disbursed to them.
