Aspiring First Nations players are set to continue their tennis journey as the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival (NITC) kicks off in Darwin this week.
Nine WA players are travelling to Darwin along with several Tennis West staff to represent WA in the national event that brings together over 200 players from every state and territory to play, compete and connect over four exciting days of tennis and activities. Tennis West extends its sincere thanks to Murlpirrmarra Connection for assisting in the selection of athletes. Congratulations to the following players selected:
Tia Bellotti | Nhanda / Malgana and Jaru / Bunuba | Tarcoola Park Tennis Club
Alifaye Gidgup | South West Noongar | Bunbury Tennis Club
Alexis Holberton | Whadjuk Noongar | Karratha Tennis Club
Vivicka Jackamarra | Nyungar, Yawuru | Guildford Grammar School
Shania Kent | Noongar | Kwinana Tennis Club
Jackson Phillips | Ballardong Noongar | Midland Lawn Tennis Club
Sebastian Savarese | Noongar | Midland Tennis Club
Seth Savarese | Noongar | Midland Tennis Club
Kale Stanton | Gunnaikurnai, Monero, Ngarigo | Higgins Park Tennis Club
The National Indigenous Tennis Carnival is the pinnacle event of the Indigenous Tennis Pathway that celebrates First Nations cultures both on and off the court. Held from 11 – 14 August, the Carnival aims to provide further opportunities for people to access tennis and plays a part in creating sustainable playing and pathway options in consultation with First Nations people. Tennis is a sport for life that helps bring communities together in healthy active lifestyles.
This year will see the largest number of participants in the history of the event gather at the Darwin International Tennis Centre and will feature two streams for players – one for general participation and another for competitive play, in both U14 and U18 age groups.
The NITC also serves as a celebration of the rich culture and history of First Nations communities and a variety of culturally immersive experiences will take place over the four days, including a community concert featuring Indigenous electronic music duo Electric Fields.
Our WA players and staff will don state team hoodies that hold a special story this year. At the end of March this year, after the final training session for the Tennis West Indigenous Metro Squad, two members of the squad (who are also members of the WA NITC Team), Shania and Kale, alongside their mothers Jo and Lilly, worked hard on creating an original artwork. The artwork is a visual representation of the game of tennis across WA’s diverse landscape and captures the inclusive nature of the sport. The personal and powerful artwork has been interwoven into the WA Team hoodies to celebrate our state’s uniqueness and help create a legacy for years to come. The story behind the artwork developed from the ‘yarning circle’ and evolved as Shania and Kale were creating the piece. Read the full story below.
Former World No. 1 Evonne Goolagong Cawley said the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival is a fantastic way to bring tennis and Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander cultures together.
“It’s a dream come true to be part of this National Indigenous Tennis Carnival and to see how tennis can have such a positive impact on communities and do so much good,” Goolagong Cawley said.
“The celebration of culture, improving the health and wellbeing of everyone involved and promoting education are all so important to me.
“It is wonderful to see kids of all ages enjoying the sport I love so much – whether discovering it for the first time or having the opportunity to develop and improve their skills.”
Introduced in 2018, the NITC has played an integral role in providing opportunities for young First Nations people to pick up a racquet and get involved in the sport.
The Evonne Goolagong Medal of Excellence and the Ash Barty Cup will be awarded at the conclusion of the carnival.
The story behind the artwork created by Shania and Kale that features on the WA Team hoodies:
Starting from the yellow dots in the centre which not only represent the sun, the constant renewer of life, but Tennis. The first circle surrounding the yellow dots is our community and the second circle is Tennis West. The larger half circles are parents and families with the small inner half circles being the children. The green dots are our Boodja (land) which is also the foundation of our grass courts on which we play the game. The blue lines are the Beeliar (rivers) which are the songlines from the creator of time which then reach out to all corners, representing the game of tennis across the state of WA. The dots are all peoples and the inclusiveness and diversity of tennis for all peoples no matter their colour or ability.
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