West Pacific Regional Championships 2014.
Darran Wrighton writes that “The 2014 West Pacific Regional Championships saw the start of a project between the Oceania Tennis Federation and the Fiji Tennis Association that endeavoured to raise the profile and increase the participation in this event. Being the “Regional” championships the courts and the surrounds were in immaculate condition with shade tents between the courts, National Flags in full view of all the players and sponsors banners adorning the fences.
Daily every nation gathered in front of their flags for morning meetings directed by the Tournament Referee, the ITF Pacific Oceania Development Officer. In these meetings players were advised of their obligation to fair play, calling the scores loud and clear and demonstrating good sportsmanship. This was to be the first year that a Nation leaderboard would feature strongly as part of the event, every match now had the added bonus of potentially putting your nation in the lead. The top 4 singles and top 4 doubles results would determine the West Pacifics leading tennis
Nation.
After the morning meeting each Federation would gather and yell their team chant to motivate themselves to play well for their country. With every country having representative t-shirts the days play was certainly a colourful affair. Not only because of the high standard of tennis but it was great to hear so much support from the nations represented in the West. Players from Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Vanuatu , the Solomon Islands and the host Nation Fiji were represented with other 70 players competing.
The first two days saw round robin play to determine entry into the main draw and the play offs for places. From Thursday onwards doubles matches were included in the draw as well as completing the play offs. Saturday was to be finals day with not only finals being played for events but the player playing off for 3rd and 4th place were able to bask in the glow of playing on finals days (this also gave some of the singles finalists a break before their doubles later on in the day.)
After finals all players, parents and coaches gathered in Tennis Fiji’s newest acquisition, a grand marquee that was to be the location for the prize giving and the traditional Fijian“ Lovo” feast prepared for all the players and visitors to enjoy. Prize giving was conducted by representatives Tennis Fiji and the OTF Executive Officer, John Shannon.
This was the first of the OTF/ITF Pacific Oceania Regional Championships for the year with events being played in the North (Guam) in June and the East American Samoa) in August. The players who qualify from these events will then form a regional team that compete in the Pacific flagship junior event – The Pacific Oceania Junior Championships. Not only do these Championships feature individual singles and doubles events but all players compete for their region to win the regional trophy and their country to feature at the top of the leaderboard.
Players winning their age groups in this premier event will have the chance to travel on International Tours funded by the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund and some of the younger players may be offered the chance for a scholarship to the ITF Regional Training Centre in Fiji.
Benefits of training at the centre are that players have access to a high performance coaching and fitness program all year round. Players resident at the RTC are entered into all local Fijian tennis events as well as the two ITF Junior World Circuit events. All schooling and accommodation is funded for the players and every player will travel overseas at least once per year funded by the ITF.
A worthwhile prize to the players who wish to take their tennis to the highest level, gain a junior world ranking and perhaps one day graduate from the Centre to take up a tennis scholarship in the USA thus enhancing their career prospects and gaining international tennis exposure.
Results of the Federation Leaderboard
- Vanuatu 660 points
- Solomon Islands 595 points
- Fiji 480 points
- Kiribati 365 points
- PNG 203 points
Individual event results can be found at this link” http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/winners.aspx?id=69493C5C-A1FA-4B9F-9C4F-9C072C8D2098
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The West Pacific Qualifying is being played at the Regional Tennis Centre (Lautoka) and the Northern Club (Lautoka), Fiji from 6th-10th May.
A summary and overview of the completed Tournament can be accessed by clicking on the following link Report on the ITF West Pacific Regional Championships 2013
Click on this link to access the Tournament Software to view at a glance all draws
http://tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draws.aspx?id=F118DEEC-8E05-4DC9-9AC1-BE6ECADBBE5B
Final Day (Friday 10th May)
Gene Ridgeway reports “that Friday 10th May was the conclusion of the ITF West Pacific Regional Championships for 2013. The West Pacific Team has been found with 18 players from
5 Nations representing the West.
In this years championships 56 players competed, and 8 coaches attended from Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Kiribati. 191 matches were played over the 5 days with the longest match being over 3 hours in length between 2 of the youngest competitors.
Francis Bryard from Vanuatu and Doreen Ningalo from Solomon Islands have been
selected to be the team coaches for the West Pacific team to compete at the POJC 12-16th August 2013 in Lautoka Fiji.
Congratulations to all of the qualifiers and to all of the players for competing. Thank you also to all of the coaches and administrators for making this event possible. Thank you to Tennis Fiji for hosting the event and special thanks to Tennis Fiji President Richard Breen, Samson Fong as tournament controller, Naga Reddy as transport and accommodation, Filo Ho for the lunches and the meals, the ITF House Staff for the hard work in hosting so many visiting players, the RTC Head Coach Andrew Mailtorok and Assistant Coach Ian Honila for their work with the
players from the RTC and all teams and coaches, John Shannon and Cyrille Mainguy from Oceania Tennis Federation.
The following link is the updated results sheets 2013 West Pacific Regional Championships. Also to see the results of the final day on Friday 10th May please click on this link WP – Order of Play Friday 10th May 2013.
The North Pacific Regional Championships hosted in the Northern Mariana Islands is the next Regional Event on the calendar from the 12th-16th of June, followed by the East Pacific Regional Championships hosted in Samoa from the5-9th of August 2013. Following the POJC is the Oceania ClosedJunior Championships (OCJC).
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Day 4 (Thursday 9th May)
Finals day is approaching! It was a big day today here in Fiji. We welcomed OTF Vice President, Cyrille Mainguy, from Vanuatu who has joined us to watch the finals tomorrow. A
good win for PNG today with Robin Morove winning a tight straight set match against Kiribati’s Tito Bira. Good play today from Solomon Islands Vinda Teally to move in to the final with a victory over Fiji’s Mulan Kamoe, she will play defending champion Ruby Coffin (Fiji) who won against Vanuatu’s Emma Maucotel
Today’s results are on the following link WP – Order of Play Thursday 9th May 2013.
The Order of play for tomorrow, Friday 10th May is WP – Order of Play Friday 10th May 2013
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Day 3 (Wednesday 8th May)
Today was a good day for Fiji in the U15 Girl’s West Pacific Regional Championships. Last years girl’s U15 champion Ruby Coffin (Fiji) beat Vinda Teally (Solomon Islands) 6-2 6-0 and Mulan Kamoe (Fiji) defeated last year’s beaten finalist Georjimah Row (Solomon Islands) 6-2 6-0. Both Fiji girls performances were marked with impressive consistency and placement to finalise the pool play and have two Fiji girls secure the top spot in each pool.
All of the pool matches are completed, and today the quarter finals of the U15 Boys Event and the start of the doubles matches were played. Tomorrow is the semi finals of the singles and the doubles, with finals to be played on Friday.
Click on this link to find Thursday’s Order of Play WP – Order of Play Thursday 9th May 2013. Today’s Order of Play with results up to date can be found by clicking on the following link WP – Order of Play Wed 8th May 2013.
The working document with all of the draws up to date as of the end of play today (Wednesday 8th May) can be accessed by clicking on this link 2013-West-Pacific-Regional-Championships1 as at Wednesday 8th May
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Day 2 (Tuesday 7th May)
Tournament Referee, Gene Ridgeway, advises that there was another great day of
tennis. Some excellent matches today with the round robin pool play for the U15 Boys completed and some tighter matches in the U15 Girls. Vanuatu’s Emma Maucotel playing her first year in the U15 age group had the upset win of the day beating Solomon Islands Georjimah Row, last year’s U15 finalist, 3-6 6-4 6-1. Congratulations to Emma. Click here for the up to date draws for all events including the play off draws for the U15 Boy’s positions 1-8 and 9 – 16 2013 West Pacific Regional Championships
Attached please find today’s (Tuesday’s) Order of Play WP – Order of PlayTuesday 7th May 2013 and tomorrow (Wednesday’s) Order of Play WP – Order of Play Wed 8th May 2013
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Day 1 (Monday 6th May)
Results from Day 1 (6th May) can be found by clinking on this link WP – Results from Day 1- Monday 6th May 2013. Gene Ridgeway, the Tournament Referee, remarked “that the weather couldn’t have been more perfect with coaches and players highly motivated and raring to play!
The Championships, he said ,started with the Opening Ceremony after which John Shannon, the Executive Officer of the Oceania Tennis Federation, officially opened the Tournament.”
“The U15 Girls played at the Northern Club today with a very long first match for Bianca Terra from Papua New Guinea winning in the 3rd set tie breaker against Brenda Amanaki from Vanuatu on Court 1. The Regional Training Centre courts hosted matches for the U12 Boys and Girls, U15 Boys and Girls and the U18 Boys. The U18 Girls will begin on Wednesday along with the first of the Doubles matches.”
Gene Ridgway commented that “A highlight of day one was watching two of the Pacific future stars play against each other in a very entertaining match. Clement Mainguy (born in 2003)
from Vanuatu beat Emmanual Kota (born in 2003) from PNG 6-2 6-1 in a match that
was closer than the scoreline suggests and filled with all court play from bothplayers, and some serve and volley play from Clement Mainguy!”
The Order of Play for Tuesday 7th May is as follows WP – Order of PlayTuesday 7th May 2013
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