Tennis in Tana: Max's, Le Country Club and a pricey COT

Antananarivo has a fair share of Sports Clubs but it's hard to find out information about them when you first get here.  So I will put the info I find here for newcomers and latecomers. 

We ended joining Max's Sports Club--which I've written about here.  It has a really nice family atmosphere and has a quasi little playground for small children.  Some days they have a big lunch which members are welcome to sit down for.  Max is rather well known in Madagascar as an athlete and coach.  In 1991 he was honored as the best tennis coach in Africa.  He has two daughters who play(ed) on the pro tennis circuit, one named Dally who retired in 2006, climbing to #44 in the world at her peak.  That daughter now owns/runs "Le Country Club" which is mentioned below.  Lily is the main tennis pro that runs the schedule there, she doesn't really speak much English but here number is: 034 013 6515.

Le Country Club is run/owned by Dally Randraintefy (Max's daughter).  The grounds there are very nice and it has a small pool and at least six courts.  There's also some nice walking trails on the premises.  The reason we didn't end up joining it is because it's a bit of a drive from Ivandry and the road is a little rough getting there (it's by Polyclinique Ilafy).  Much like the COT you have to go through Devil's Triangle to get there which can mean an hour or more during the week.  

COT (Club Olympique de Tananarive) is the most gucci of the tennis clubs.  It has several hundred courts, a huge pool, a kid's pool, and a stable of horses.  It also is even further down the road than Le Country Club  and has a truly exorbitant initiation fee (500,000 MGA!).  I put the a copy of their fees below because they were so preposterous.

Aces, Deuces and Love: Tennis in Tana

We checked out Max Sport Club today.  It's tucked back behind Jumbo and Tour Zital.  We've lived here a year and never noticed it before.  It was only when Jack had a meeting recently at the Tour Zital that he looked down from his colleagues 10th floor balcony and noticed the courts.

Like many things here in Tana--some things you just accidentally discover (for better or worse).  

We have our first lesson there this Friday so we will write an update on how it actually is playing there.  But the price is right--16,000Ar for a lesson or 11,000Ar for a court reservation.  One of the great things about tennis here is that the prices always include a ballboy (or 'ramasseur' from the french verbe ramasser--to pick up, or collect).  With neither of us having ever played on clay before it should be quite an experience.  

Unfortunately, these courts (like most here in Tana) don't have lights.  The other courts/clubs we have checked out here include Le Country Club, ITEC and COT.  Only the ITEC has lights but they don't light them due to complaints about the wattage.  This is really too bad--these clubs could charge extra to let people play at night on lighted courts.