The Federation
Bhutan's game, and its future.
Founded in 1983 and a full member of the ITF and the ATF, the Bhutan Tennis Federation runs the national courts at Changlimithang — and the pathway that carries a Bhutanese child from a first lesson to an international draw.
01 — Who we are
One federation, four courts, and a country's worth of ambition.
Tennis reached Bhutan in the 1970s. The Federation was founded in 1983, and four decades on the National Tennis Centre beside Changlimithang Stadium is where the national team trains, where the junior championships are played, and where anyone in Thimphu can sign up for a game.
We are the national governing body for the sport: we run the competitions, we certify and develop the coaches, we select and send the teams that carry the flag abroad, and we look after the courts everyone plays on.
What follows is what we are trying to build, who leads it, and the coaches who do the work every day on court.
Vision
The next generation, at the highest level.
Develop the next generation of Bhutanese players that can compete at the highest levels of the ITF, ATP, and WTA tennis tours.
Develop one of the best national tennis programs in the country using state of the art facilities, high performance coaches, and cutting edge teaching and coaching methods.
Mission
The best resources, and the opportunity to use them.
The overall mission of the Bhutan Tennis Federation (BTF) is to provide young Bhutanese tennis players the best resources and opportunities available to reach their maximum potential and compete in renowned tennis tournaments locally, regionally and internationally.
In addition the Bhutan Tennis Federation (BTF) is fully committed to elevate the level of tennis in the country and to turn tennis into the preferred sport among the community of Bhutan.
Under the snow line · Championship evening at Changlimithang
02 — Executive committee
The people who steer the Federation.
The executive committee sets the direction of Bhutanese tennis — the ten-year framework, the national squads, the facilities, and the partnerships that pay for them.
03 — Our coaches
The people who do the work on court.
Feeding balls at seven in the morning, driving to a school in Punakha with a bag of racquets, standing at the net after a lost match. This is the part of a tennis programme nobody photographs — so we did.
Junior development
At the net, mid-match
Coaching between games at the Monthly Junior Series — the tournament where most Bhutanese juniors play their first competitive match.
Little Champs
Eye level, always
The under-10 programme runs on short courts, low-compression balls and a great deal of crouching down to talk to someone properly.
Squad coaching
The huddle
Squads train together six days a week at Changlimithang, grouped by age and level rather than by how long they have been playing.
Mentoring
Walking her on
Senior players walk the youngest ones onto court before their first matches. It is the closest thing Bhutanese tennis has to a tradition.
Officiating
From the chair
Coaches umpire as well as coach. Certifying more Bhutanese officials is one of the nine pillars of the ten-year framework.
School outreach
Off the mountain, into the schools
Racquets, a net and a car boot full of balls. School visits are how most children in Bhutan meet the sport for the first time.
The programme
Coaches and juniors, Changlimithang
The ten-year framework calls for 25 or more Bhutanese coaches certified by the ITF and the ATF. Building that group is the single biggest thing standing between our juniors and an international ranking.
Dream.
Play.
Achieve.
Get in touch
Come and see it.
Play at Changlimithang
Members, residents and visiting players all book through the same app. Four hard courts, open year round.
Book a courtWork with the Federation
Sponsorship, coaching partnerships, an event you would like to bring to Thimphu — write to the Federation office.
E-mail us