Junior tennis meet hailed a success following conclusion

THE 2024 Junior Tennis Open concluded yesterday following a massive entry of 61 participants competing over the three-day tournament at the Port Moresby Racquets Club.
President Barbara Stubbings said this year’s edition received interests from outside centres apart from Lae Tennis Club, who brought 12 juniors, and Goroka being represented by one junior.
The tournament featured two Australian-based juniors and one from Sri Lanka.
“It’s been an absolutely wonderful 2024 PNG Tennis Junior Championships. We have been overwhelmed with numbers this year, 61 entrants compared to 53 last year so it’s been a bit of a growth there,” Stubbings said.
“We’re proud to have kids from Lae show up, one from Goroka, two from Australia and one from Sri Lanka.
“The success of tennis in PNG with our juniors and seniors is now encouraging those who are living outside to want to compete and be part of our tennis community.”
In the finals yesterday, Mika Tabuchi claimed the Under-8 mixed as Timothy Koliwan won the U10 mixed title. Andrew Aisi defeated Koliwan in the boys U12 division to claim the 2024 title.
The U14 boys and girls’ singles titles had a tough contest this year with Sri Lankan-based junior Gracen Mayooran claiming the title after defeating Port Moresby-based Thomas Hyun, while Oceania U14 champion Colita Hakena claimed the girls’ title against Adelaide Mesa.
Both Mayooran and Hakena claimed the U16 boys and girls’ titles after a tough contest against Lae’s top junior John-Louie Domalaon and 2023 Pacific Games Bronze medalist Pauline Hyun.
The U18 was categorised as a mixed entry that saw Sugar-Ray claim the title over Pacific Games representative Christopher Kaiulo, while Goroka’s lone tennis rep Mark Kerry settled for third spot at the tournament.
“The kids are now keen to represent PNG on the world scale and regional scale so we’re really looking forward to that,” Stubbings said on the weekend.
“We’re really honoured that you know some of them have made this effort to come this far.
“Colita’s super strong, she’s just came back from the World Juniors in Sri Lanka with her Pacific Oceania team so the tournament has hardened her, and Pauline was also amazing on the courts battling it out there with ‘Coco’.”
The championship is a qualifying tournament for the West Pacific Regional Championship in Lautoka Fiji come April.