<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Warm welcome for Williams sisters</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>DANIA BOGLE, Observer staff reporter
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=350 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Champion sisters Serena (second right) and Venus Williams (right) hit tennis balls with children during a tennis clinic at the Jamaica Pegasus yesterday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Tennis' most famous sisters, Venus and Serena Williams, arrived yesterday for a three-day visit, but while the pair were greeted by throngs of adoring fans, and well-wishers at the airport and the Jamaica Pegasus, there was an air of discontent among some who felt the visit was poorly organised.<P class=StoryText align=justify>A planned tennis clinic for approximately 100 inner-city and high school children, which was scheduled to start at the Pegasus at 4:00 pm did not begin until almost an hour and a half later, but some children got the opportunity to hit a few balls with Venus and Serena, while many did not.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Patrick Nelson of organisers Visions Multimedia Incorporated (VMI) told the Observer that much of the delay happened because the sisters were disconcerted by the crowd which met them at the airport.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"They were a bit thrown off by the paparazzi," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>A member of the Williams' entourage, an agent from the Williams Morris Agency also implied that the sisters found the reception overwhelming.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It's just too much," he told the Observer when the newspaper attempted to speak to Serena.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The visit is mainly sponsored by Olint, whose lead principal David Smith told the Observer that his foreign exchange trading company came on board after being approached by VMI.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"...the sisters would be coming to get involved in uplifting inner-city people with motivational speaking and some training clinics for the youth in Jamaica. They asked if I would like to get involved and I told them yes I'd be interested in covering whatever," Smith said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The sisters are expected to head to Montego Bay today for another clinic before leaving the island tomorrow.
Serena Williams won her eighth grand slam title two weeks ago, defeating world number one Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the Australian Open final at Melbourne Park. Venus Williams has won five grand slam titles.
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>DANIA BOGLE, Observer staff reporter
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=350 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Champion sisters Serena (second right) and Venus Williams (right) hit tennis balls with children during a tennis clinic at the Jamaica Pegasus yesterday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Tennis' most famous sisters, Venus and Serena Williams, arrived yesterday for a three-day visit, but while the pair were greeted by throngs of adoring fans, and well-wishers at the airport and the Jamaica Pegasus, there was an air of discontent among some who felt the visit was poorly organised.<P class=StoryText align=justify>A planned tennis clinic for approximately 100 inner-city and high school children, which was scheduled to start at the Pegasus at 4:00 pm did not begin until almost an hour and a half later, but some children got the opportunity to hit a few balls with Venus and Serena, while many did not.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Patrick Nelson of organisers Visions Multimedia Incorporated (VMI) told the Observer that much of the delay happened because the sisters were disconcerted by the crowd which met them at the airport.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"They were a bit thrown off by the paparazzi," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>A member of the Williams' entourage, an agent from the Williams Morris Agency also implied that the sisters found the reception overwhelming.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It's just too much," he told the Observer when the newspaper attempted to speak to Serena.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The visit is mainly sponsored by Olint, whose lead principal David Smith told the Observer that his foreign exchange trading company came on board after being approached by VMI.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"...the sisters would be coming to get involved in uplifting inner-city people with motivational speaking and some training clinics for the youth in Jamaica. They asked if I would like to get involved and I told them yes I'd be interested in covering whatever," Smith said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The sisters are expected to head to Montego Bay today for another clinic before leaving the island tomorrow.
Serena Williams won her eighth grand slam title two weeks ago, defeating world number one Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the Australian Open final at Melbourne Park. Venus Williams has won five grand slam titles.
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