Article from The Manchester Evening News. It was actually a report in today's Times that caught my attention, but that's behind a pay wall. Not a name I've seen mentioned before, but what stupidity & what, by the sounds of it, a waste!
There's a thread in the general section started by JonH yesterday about this guy - but probably both should be in the doping thread in that section !
The story in The Times has this:-
"Nemiah Fletchman, 19, who was 6ft 3in tall by the time he was 16 and could serve at 120mph, was nicknamed Tennis-saurus. He started playing on courts in Moss Side, an area of Manchester that has had problems in the past with guns. He did well in local tournaments and competed in Barcelona. In 2016 his coach said that he was a very exciting and tremendously powerful player and was once in the top ten in the country for his age. Three years later he had thrown his career away for a few hundred pounds in a drug deal, Carlisle crown court was told."
In an article in today's Times, Peter Chappell discusses the rehabilitation of young Mr Fletchman, who is now 22 & has completed his YOI sentence.
An extract:
To say he has bounced back would be an understatement. He has been awarded a three-year scholarship with a tennis academy led by Jamie Delgado, who coached Andy Murray to Wimbledon glory, and Martin Lee, a former international player. Fletchman will take up residence near the Delgado Tennis Academy in Buckinghamshire to train to become a professional player.
Forgot about this lad, good luck to him and glad he is getting a second chance at it with some support. Will keep an eye out for him.
So had I, but the fresh Times article jogged my memory. It notes that he's also had support from some character called Big Narstie, who's nothing more than a name of which I'm only vaguely aware.
All the best to him; 19 is very young, and none of us really knew what circumstances lead him to make this mistake. I hope for his sake, he's able to take something positive and move forward, and he lives his dream of going pro.