» An excel file with the results can be downloaded here. These files are password protected as per the organizations Data Privacy Policy. Please use the same password as for the Members' Area to open the file.

» Minutes from the delegates meeting can be found here.

Wrap-Up of 41st Anniversary Meeting of the World Medical Tennis Society, Summer, 2011, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.

The 41st meeting of the WMTS was held in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, August 20-26, 2011. There were many highlights that made the week very enjoyable for everybody. Thanks to Jan Kirchner, President of the Czech Medical Tennis Society and new Vice-President of WMTS(!), and his organizational staff, we had great tennis, scientific sessions, and special events.

The weather was hot, and I thought to myself that it?s good our members are physically fit. (Fitness through tennis, of course, has always been important in our organization.) Nine years ago in KV, there was the ?100 year flood,? but the sun shone on us the whole week this time. A new format of tennis was introduced: The ?third set? would become a ?match point tie-breaker.? This was for all matches in all categories. This new format was well received by just about everybody, and at the delegates? meeting the new rule was added to the by-laws. (This is a rule well-accepted by the International Tennis Federation, and it is good for our organization: The matches move along more quickly, and the Tournament Director can more easily get the next matches onto the court.) Women MD Nations? Cup is a competition for 3 years now, and this will continue. You can review results of the tournament by going to , then wmts, then mccampbell. (At this writing the results may not be up yet?but soon.) 24 countries were represented this time.

It was good to see a number of young doctors ?hitting the cover off the ball.? In recent years it?s been a concern that not enough younger doctors are participating in the meeting. How very important it is that younger doctors, men and women, become engaged with WMTS, so we remain healthy in years to come.

The scientific sessions were excellent. All of the presentations were very interesting. There were three of special interest to me: 1)A Czech hydrology engineer spoke of the restorative waters in the KV area; many people throughout Europe come here to drink the water for improved health. 2) Dr. Craig Broome spoke of his experience in New York City following the 9/11 tragedy. 3) Dr. Simon Myint, our 83 year old competitor, spoke of his recent surgical missions to Nepal. There were other excellent presentations too.

At the yearly Delegates? Meeting, Miroslav Ondrej, Slovakia, stepped down from the President?s position. Egils Valeinis, Latvia, is the new President. Lars Hagberg, Sweden, is the new President-Elect. Jan Kirchner, Czech Republic, is the new Vice-President. Upcoming meetings will be next year in Cervia, Italy. (Look on the WMTS website for information; the Italians, under Dr. Sciacca?s direction,have already done much organizing to make the event special.) The next year Latvia and Dr. Valeinis, then Bali Hai, Indonesia and Dr. Gultom, then Rotterdam, Netherlands and Dr. Halim. ?Old man,? Jan K., turned 60 during the week; however, he still looks young and vigorous although all of the planning of the meeting might have aged him somewhat.

My wife, Pat, and I always look forward to the special events that host countries stage. The Czechs? events were great. On the first evening we boarded a tram and rode high onto a, well, not quite, a mountain. We said hello to our friends from previous meetings and met some new attendees; the food, beer, wine, camaraderie, weather were great.

The next event was a visit to the famous Pilsner Urquell Brewery. (Jan K. owed this to us ?big time? because 9 years ago the event was rained out.) It?s a fascinating place complete with giant tubs of about 1,000,000 liters of brewing beer. We had to be careful not to slip and fall into a tub and drown in the beer. Following the tour we ate Czech food and drank Urquell (of course) beer. We were treated by folk singing from Jan, Jaroslav Kratochvil, and Jan Voda. They were off-key, but that was okay.

The last special event was on the final day. After medals were presented to the winners and consolation winners at courtside, we gathered in the magnificent ballroom of the Hotel Pupp. We were entertained by a band while having a wonderful dinner and drinks. The final evening is when I always resolve to rededicate my life to tennis so that next year I?ll last longer in the tournament.

I hope this account will stir your interest to register for the next meeting in Italy. The Italians have already had meetings in Naples, Rome, San Remo, and Cervia. They know how to conduct such a meeting. Plus?the food and wine aren?t bad either!!

Many thanks to the Czechs for the meeting!! You?re great friends.

See you next year!?

Ciao,
Jim Manion
Executive Secretary, WMTS

» An excel file with the results can be downloaded here. These files are password protected as per the organizations Data Privacy Policy. Please use the same password as for the Members' Area to open the file.

» Minutes from the delegates meeting can be found here.

Wrap-Up of 41st Anniversary Meeting of the World Medical Tennis Society, Summer, 2011, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.

The 41st meeting of the WMTS was held in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, August 20-26, 2011. There were many highlights that made the week very enjoyable for everybody. Thanks to Jan Kirchner, President of the Czech Medical Tennis Society and new Vice-President of WMTS(!), and his organizational staff, we had great tennis, scientific sessions, and special events.

The weather was hot, and I thought to myself that it?s good our members are physically fit. (Fitness through tennis, of course, has always been important in our organization.) Nine years ago in KV, there was the ?100 year flood,? but the sun shone on us the whole week this time. A new format of tennis was introduced: The ?third set? would become a ?match point tie-breaker.? This was for all matches in all categories. This new format was well received by just about everybody, and at the delegates? meeting the new rule was added to the by-laws. (This is a rule well-accepted by the International Tennis Federation, and it is good for our organization: The matches move along more quickly, and the Tournament Director can more easily get the next matches onto the court.) Women MD Nations? Cup is a competition for 3 years now, and this will continue. You can review results of the tournament by going to , then wmts, then mccampbell. (At this writing the results may not be up yet?but soon.) 24 countries were represented this time.

It was good to see a number of young doctors ?hitting the cover off the ball.? In recent years it?s been a concern that not enough younger doctors are participating in the meeting. How very important it is that younger doctors, men and women, become engaged with WMTS, so we remain healthy in years to come.

The scientific sessions were excellent. All of the presentations were very interesting. There were three of special interest to me: 1)A Czech hydrology engineer spoke of the restorative waters in the KV area; many people throughout Europe come here to drink the water for improved health. 2) Dr. Craig Broome spoke of his experience in New York City following the 9/11 tragedy. 3) Dr. Simon Myint, our 83 year old competitor, spoke of his recent surgical missions to Nepal. There were other excellent presentations too.

At the yearly Delegates? Meeting, Miroslav Ondrej, Slovakia, stepped down from the President?s position. Egils Valeinis, Latvia, is the new President. Lars Hagberg, Sweden, is the new President-Elect. Jan Kirchner, Czech Republic, is the new Vice-President. Upcoming meetings will be next year in Cervia, Italy. (Look on the WMTS website for information; the Italians, under Dr. Sciacca?s direction,have already done much organizing to make the event special.) The next year Latvia and Dr. Valeinis, then Bali Hai, Indonesia and Dr. Gultom, then Rotterdam, Netherlands and Dr. Halim. ?Old man,? Jan K., turned 60 during the week; however, he still looks young and vigorous although all of the planning of the meeting might have aged him somewhat.

My wife, Pat, and I always look forward to the special events that host countries stage. The Czechs? events were great. On the first evening we boarded a tram and rode high onto a, well, not quite, a mountain. We said hello to our friends from previous meetings and met some new attendees; the food, beer, wine, camaraderie, weather were great.

The next event was a visit to the famous Pilsner Urquell Brewery. (Jan K. owed this to us ?big time? because 9 years ago the event was rained out.) It?s a fascinating place complete with giant tubs of about 1,000,000 liters of brewing beer. We had to be careful not to slip and fall into a tub and drown in the beer. Following the tour we ate Czech food and drank Urquell (of course) beer. We were treated by folk singing from Jan, Jaroslav Kratochvil, and Jan Voda. They were off-key, but that was okay.

The last special event was on the final day. After medals were presented to the winners and consolation winners at courtside, we gathered in the magnificent ballroom of the Hotel Pupp. We were entertained by a band while having a wonderful dinner and drinks. The final evening is when I always resolve to rededicate my life to tennis so that next year I?ll last longer in the tournament.

I hope this account will stir your interest to register for the next meeting in Italy. The Italians have already had meetings in Naples, Rome, San Remo, and Cervia. They know how to conduct such a meeting. Plus?the food and wine aren?t bad either!!

Many thanks to the Czechs for the meeting!! You?re great friends.

See you next year!?

Ciao,
Jim Manion
Executive Secretary, WMTS

Excerpts from Dr. Stanley McCampbell's, "My Memoirs of The World Medical Tennis Society," written in 1991.

"To me it has been a great honor to know and enjoy the friendship of doctors from around the world. It has been the most exciting experience of my life. Doctors... can be assured that if they travel thousands of miles to meetings, they will be certain of a warm welcome, well-organized tournaments and scientific sessions, and a grand, good time. It is an opportunity, unequalled, as far as I know, of enjoying the friendship of interesting, fun loving, sportsman-like doctors who will be friends for life. I would certainly like to do it all over again."