News

BALTIMORE, July 28, 2020 — Slinger Bag, a sports brand focused on innovating game improvement equipment for all ball sports today announced a significant expansion in Canada with the appointment of Doug Coombs as director of business development, effective immediately. Coombs brings over 30 years of experience in business development in the Canadian sports market. Coombs is responsible for building the direct to consumer channel distribution, operations and finance, player relations, marketing, and grassroots initiatives.

With an initial focus on the tennis market, Slinger Bag has developed a next generation portable tennis ball launcher for players of all abilities, offering a 24/7 training partner ensuring players never have to miss a day of practice again. It is the ideal on-court tool regardless of playing setting, ability or the availability of a playing partner and is the most affordable product of its kind.

“The arrival of the new Slinger Bag now to Canada is incredibly exciting for Canadian tennis players,” said Coombs. “The growth of tennis is on the upswing generating enthusiasm with all Canadian tennis players, especially in light of the recent success of young Canadian professional players on the men’s ATP and WTA tours. From winning the US Open to reaching the Davis Cup finals, the Canadian tennis market is clearly on the upswing.”

Most recently, Coombs was the national sales/commercial manager for Racket Sports Canada for Wilson Sporting Goods, during which he led the sales force and developed annual business plans for marketing, financial and operational strategies. Coombs led Wilson to the number one market position in tennis in performance rackets and tennis balls. In addition, he established grassroots programs supporting many of Canada’s top professional tennis players.

“Doug’s industry expertise and key relationships with tennis governing bodies and organizations will be invaluable to Slinger Bag as we expand into this key international market,” said Mike Ballardie, CEO of Slinger Bag. “He knows the tennis market inside and out, and as we navigate this new normal, Doug’s leadership skills will reinforce the fact that Slinger Bag not only keeps tennis enthusiasts engaged with their passion, but also, is especially suited for today’s times. His proven ability to grow businesses is a key asset for Slinger Bag and we look forward to having him be part of the team.”

“As a tennis player, former coach and industry veteran I am excited to join the Slinger team,” continued Coombs. “The breadth of the management team’s industry experience and the Slinger Bag’s potential to transform the tennis industry positions the company for significant growth. I look forward to leveraging my knowledge of Canadian tennis to help expand Slinger’s global footprint in this vital market.”

The Slinger Bag Canada business will be operated by Slinger Bag’s Canadian subsidiary with customer service and support located in Belleville, Ontario. All legal work has been conducted by Slinger Bag’s Legal Counsel, Kalfa Law a Toronto based Law firm

The Slinger Bag is available to order now in the US – to find out more about Slinger Bag, visit https://slingerbag.com.