Excited for new challenges
Aisi looking forward to play with kids from around the Pacific
By JAMIE HARO
PAPUA New Guinea’s Under-12 junior tennis player Andrew Aisi is looking forward to attending his second regional tournament set for July in Lautoka, Fiji.
The 11-year-old from Central is among teammates River-Jordan Hakena and Timothy Koliwan who made their debut at the 2024 OTF West Pacific Regional Championship in Fiji a few weeks ago and won silver in the U12 boys team event.
They were selected from this tournament to represent West Pacific at the 2024 Pacific-Oceania Junior tennis championship.
“I’m looking forward to playing the other players from the other regions because I have already had the chance to play kids my age in the West Pacific,” Aisi said.
“I’m excited to play against other kids from other countries such as American Samoa, Samoa and even Tahiti.”
Currently attending Koroboro International School as a fifth grader, Aisi said he was influenced by his uncle to try the sport and picked up the racquet in 2019.
“I was just at home always playing video games and stuff and my uncle was the one that pulled me out of the house to try the sport,” he said.
“I started playing tennis in 2019 at the Racquets Club. I had the privilege to train under coach Ian Kaiulo and then I left in 2020, I guess it was because of the Pandemic then I came back to continue in 2022.”
He said after two years since returning to the courts, this year was a great start for his tennis career, especially making it into the junior national team following the 2024 PNG Junior Tennis Open in Port Moresby.
“My biggest aim is to build on my experience to achieve goals in the future and to also meet my role model ‘Djokovic’ one day”
He said the feeling was different competing overseas than at home while training under coach Eddie Mera.
“When I found out I made the U12 Boys team, I was really happy and thankful because I knew I would now have the chance to go and play kids in another country and on a different court, meet new friends and make memories,” Aisi said.
“I am now looking forward to play in the championship with my teammates when we go back to Fiji to represent the West Pacific Region and compete against countries like Tahiti and Samoa from the other regions.”
A young aspiring tennis player, Aisi said his biggest aim in the future was to meet his role model and World’s Number 1 ranked tennis player Norvak Djokovic.
“My biggest aim is to build on my experience to achieve goals in the future and to also meet my role model ‘Djokovic’ one day,” he said.