Help me find my missing trophies so I can clear my debts, says Becker
BORIS Becker has asked for help to find 14 trophies he won over his 16-year tennis career – so he can sell them to pay off o his debts.
The 50-year-old player, who was declared bankrupt b last June, is trying to locate the memorabilia m after he was ‘ unable to recollect’ re where they were kept.
Among the missing replica silverware are Becker’s three Wimbledon trophies for his wins in 1985, 1986 and 1989. His Olympic gold medal is also missing.
The lost haul includes his Australian Open tr trophies from 1991 and 1996, trophies from th the President’s Challenge Cup in 1985 and 1 1989, and the Renshaw Cup in 1989.
Becker made a public appeal to find the treasures after they could not be located at Grand Slam venues such as the All England Tennis Club, the US Tennis Association, and Tennis Australia.
Although he is believed to have earned up to £100million over his career, Becker is trying to settle his debts after it was revealed he owed £3.3million to a private bank.
In a joint statement with his bankruptcy trustees, Becker appealed for members of the public to come forward if they had any information about the missing trophies.
The statement read: ‘Anyone with any information relating to the whereabouts of the missing trophies, or any other memorabilia or other information of relevance to Mr Becker’s bankruptcy estate are encouraged to contact the joint trustees.’ They added Becker has ‘assisted the joint trustees to collect some of the trophies and other memorabilia that he had amassed during his long and illustrious professional tennis career, all of which have subsequently vested in his joint trustees following his bankruptcy for the benefit of his bankruptcy creditors.
‘However, a number of the trophies are unaccounted for as Mr Becker is unable to recollect where they are located and various tennis institutions ... do not appear to be holding the missing trophies.’
Becker became the youngest man to win a major singles tournament at the age of 17 with his 1985 victory at Wimbledon. In all, he won six grand slams and retired in 1999.