The Vodafone Suva Open Tennis Championship served as a significant learning opportunity for Western teams, many of which were participating in tennis for the first time. Head coach Lemeki Ledua Veimatayaki expressed his appreciation to Tennis Fiji for facilitating the experience for the community children from the Lautoka tennis club.
Veimatayaki brought ten players across various age groups, from Under-12 to Open grade, and was thrilled to witness their excitement during their inaugural trip to Suva. “I brought in ten players for the tournament from U12, U14, U16 and for open grade. For most of these kids, this is their first time traveling to Suva,” Veimatayaki noted.
He added, “They are really enjoying themselves and are happy to be here in Suva. Most of them are participating for the first time, except for two players, Pena and Uraia, who have been competing for the past seven years since U10. Now Pena has moved up to the open grade.”
Despite the challenging weather conditions, the players managed to complete two matches on the tournament’s opening day, with plans to continue the following day. Veimatayaki’s primary objective was to ensure the players had fun while gaining invaluable experience in a competitive setting.
Suva coach and national representative Sumit Lal also highlighted the tournament’s growth, noting an increase in participants compared to the previous year. Lal underscored the significance of including junior categories in the competition, as these young players have the potential to become future stars of the sport.
The tournament is taking place at Victoria Tennis Court in Suva and is set to conclude tomorrow.