HONG Kong Sports Institute chief executive Paul Brettell has denied as ''misleading'' and ''inaccurate'' allegations that he wanted to sack his head tennis coach Geoff Masters.
Brettell was responding to a report which said the 'Masters problem' caused him many sleepless nights and that he could not sack him because it would mean paying off the remainder of his three-year contract.
It was also alleged that Brettell came under fire from leading sports officials for keeping Masters, who resigned last week because of what he claimed was a ''war'' in local tennis circles.
''I know of no time I have come under fire on this issue,'' said Brettell. ''I have not only supported Geoff Masters in public, but also in private, and indeed I will be extremely sorry to see him go.
''I am not prone to sleepless nights as my wife can attest and I have never confided to friends, or enemies for that matter, that I wanted to sack Masters.
''Geoff Masters is to be admired for taking the decision to resign and he has my respect for doing so. To imply there was any suggestion of sacking is offensive and out of order.'' Masters, a former Wimbledon doubles champion and two-time Davis Cup winner with Australia, will leave Hong Kong at the end of January, two years after taking up his post.
