Experience:

2020 – Present
Part-Time Tennis Coach & Player – Tennis Club of Douala, Cameroon

  • Employed full-time while coaching and playing tennis whenever possible.
  • Coach junior and adult players, focusing on technical development, consistency, tactical understanding, and personal growth.
  • Encourage players to build confidence, discipline, and strong human values.
  • Regularly compete in club and inter-club tournaments.
  • Winner, Inter-Club Men’s 40+ Tournament (2022–2023).

2006 – 2020
Tennis Player (Part-Time) – Dakar, Senegal (Olympic Club, Dakar Tennis Club, and various university clubs)

  • Employed full-time while playing tennis during available time.
  • Trained and competed regularly alongside professional responsibilities.
  • Participated in local tournaments whenever possible.
  • Winner, Men’s 40+ Tournament (2017 & 2018).

1995 – 2006
Amateur Tennis Player

  • Played tennis intermittently while working at sea on merchant vessels in various ranks and positions.
  • Maintained a strong passion for tennis despite a demanding maritime career.

Coaching Philosophy:

  • Teach players to first believe in themselves and develop their best human qualities.
  • Emphasize consistency, tactical awareness, and disciplined play.
  • Promote respect, confidence, and strong character alongside tennis skills.
  • Encourage a lifelong love for the game of tennis.

Education:

  • MBA in Shipping & Logistics — Tamil Nadu Open University (2009, First Rank)
  • Master Mariner License (UK) — Maritime & Coastguard Agency
  • HND Nautical Science — Blackpool & Fylde College (2003)
  • ICS Ship Broking & Chartering — Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (UK)

Tennis Courses and Certifications:

  • RSPA Certified Tennis Professional (USA)
  • Member of RSPA and GPTCA (Level C International Coach Certification)
  • Tennis Mental Toughness (Udemy – Roberto Forzoni)
  • Drill Mastery — USTA / Tennis Drill TV
  • Feeding Course — Tennis Drill TV
  • Private Lesson Mastery — Tennis Drill TV
  • Serve Technique & Correction — Tennis Drill TV
  • Teaching Aggressive Tennis — Tennis Drill TV
  • Trained at IMG Tennis Academy as a player, Florida (November 2024, 2 weeks), gaining exposure to high-performance training methods.
  • Completed an in-person RSPA Level 2 Coach Workshop at James Creek Tennis Center, Atlanta.
  • Completed an online Level 1 RSPA Instructor Workshop.
  • Highly passionate about tennis, with the goal of becoming a full-time professional coach with ATP certification.
  • Aspiring to establish and run a high-performance tennis academy to develop competitive players and future coaches.

Barath Neelakantan

Phone / WhatsApp: +237 679 539 771
LinkedIn: barathneelakantan

Email: barathneelakantan@gmail.com

Location: Douala, Cameroon
Club: Tennis Club of Douala (Player, Trainer & Part-Time Coach) and plays also at Sawa club