Lautoka, Fiji , 26 September 2022 | tennis.com.au

PacificAus Sports, the Australian Government’s elite sports pathways program, is supporting the Tennis Australia Pacific Women in Tennis – Emerging onto the World Stage program.

The four-year program is part of the PacificAus Sports Pacific Women Sport Administration Program (PWSAP) which is investing in female sport leaders, officials, and administrators in rugby union, netball and now tennis in the Pacific.

Higher participation in tennis for women and girls in the region is one expected benefit along with an increase in the number of women in leadership roles, improved access to safe and inclusive sporting competitions and stronger governance and administration of Pacific women’s sport organisations.

The program launched during the finals of the Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Lautoka, Fiji on Sunday 18 September by the Fijian Minister for Commerce, Trade and Tourism, The Hon Faiyaz Koya, alongside the top female juniors competing in the event, and representatives from Tennis Australia and the Oceania Tennis Federation.

“Australians and people across the Pacific share a love of sport. We are all looking forward to seeing more women and girls in Pacific Island countries playing tennis – including at an elite level,” said Pat Conroy, Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific.

“I’m confident there’s a lot of untapped talent in the Pacific, when it comes to women and girls playing tennis and participating at all levels of the game. The Australian Government is please to support this program, which will allow this talent to shine.”

Building on the programs offered by Tennis Australia as part of its Women and Girls Strategy, the program aims to increase women’s leadership in the Pacific through three key initiatives:

• Building the in-country capacity of women coaches to graduate to international standards, advancing their careers in coaching.
• Providing the talent pathways for girls and women to stay and excel in tennis.
• Leveraging and adapting Tennis Australia’s ‘Women Leaders in Tennis’ program to increase the pipeline of female administrators in the sport.

“The Oceania Tennis Federation welcomes this support from the Australian Government, in partnership with Tennis Australia. It will enable Oceania Tennis to create further opportunities in the region for our women and girls to be involved in all aspects of the sport,” said Oceania Tennis Federation President Cyrille Mainguy.

“Our Oceania Tennis Federation Board is proud to have equal gender representation, and this funding will further enable the development of women leaders in administration roles across the region, as well as support our talented coaches, officials, and players to develop their skills and pursue a career in tennis.

“This program will benefit many women and girls in the Pacific by helping to increase opportunities throughout all aspects of tennis including participation, administration and talent,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said.

“We are incredibly proud to continue to support tennis in the Pacific and talented girls and women striving for a professional tennis career. This program will also help provide a pathway for women to develop further skills and knowledge in order to become sports administrators or committee members.”

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