Guwahati, March 12: The trainees at Jorhat Tennis Club will no longer have to sit idle at the clubhouse on rainy days. The club is building a new covered court alongside the existing four.

To continue its year round coaching programme, the 98-year-old historic club yesterday started construction of the court with Jorhat deputy commissioner L.S. Changsan formally laying the foundation. The court will be of clay, like the existing ones at the club.

All Assam Tennis Association general secretary and president of the club Raktim Saikia said the covered court project would cost nearly Rs 15 lakh. Of this, chief minister Tarun Gogoi has promised Rs 10 lakh. “We are looking for contributions from other quarters as well to meet the remaining expenses,” Saikia said. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd has donated some drill pipes which would be used as pillars to erect the roof.

“The court will be used only for practice. The trainees will no longer have to skip regular practice sessions because of rain,” the veteran tennis organiser said. The project would be completed within 45 days. There are nearly 80 regular trainees, including state players, and about 40 recreational players enrolled with the club.

“The roof material could be of corrugated galvanised iron (CGI) sheets or any other materials which could be cost- effective and durable,” Saikia said. Besides, the club would try to install floodlights for the covered court at a later stage.

The club, which hosted the senior nationals in 1993 and other tournaments, including ITF Futures, will organise a national-level men and women’s prize money tournament in October. It has four clay courts with floodlights and a clubhouse with all the amenities and galleries.