By GABRIEL KATUHO
FOUR junior tennis players and three squash athletes from Papua New Guinea are set to compete in the Queensland Junior Championships from June 29 to July 1.
The young athletes will travel to Queensland this Saturday with hopes of improving their international rankings and gaining valuable competition experience.
According to William Aisi, father of 12-year-old tennis player Andrew Aisi, the tour was organised by senior clubs to help young players elevate their Universal Tennis Ranking (UTR), a stepping stone toward the International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit.
“All the senior clubs have organised this tour just for the kids to gain their universal tennis ranking. This can help them progress to the ITF circuit, which opens doors for scholarships in the United States and, eventually, professional careers if they choose to pursue them,” said Aisi.
The tennis team features Laurence and Mica, who will compete in the under-10 singles and doubles events, while Andrew and Lioni will compete in the under-12 boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles categories.
Young Andrew, a Grade Six student at Koroboro International School, said he feels ready for the challenge.
“My name is Andrew. I’m 11 years old, turning 12, and I’ve been playing tennis for three years. I feel a bit confident, but I’m ready to go,” he said.
Andrew, who hails from Kairuku in Central Province, with ties to Milne Bay and Western Province, also expressed gratitude to his coach for the hard work and support leading up to the tournament.
This will be his second international tour, following his participation in the Gold Coast Junior Development Series last month.
On the squash side, the team comprises Danzel Romanong (boys division), Leonie Cox (under-15 girls), and Gabriella Cox (under-17 girls).
Speaking to the media, Gabriella said it will be the first time the three will travel as a team, although each has competed in Australia before.
“Leonie and I attended the Australian Junior Open last year in April, and Danzel has also competed in several tournaments in recent years,” she said.
For the squash players, the trip is more than just a competition — it’s an opportunity to expand their network and track their development against international peers.
“It’s a good opportunity to measure how we’ve progressed. We’ll be facing players at our level or even higher, which will definitely be a challenge we’re eager to take on,” Gabriella added.
All the young athletes will be accompanied and financially supported by their parents throughout the tour.