Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion and Wiradjuri woman Evonne Goolagong Cawley opened the fourth edition of the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival (NITC) in Darwin, on Larrakia Country today.
Goolagong Cawley was joined by Tennis NT CEO Tania Tandora, Tennis Australia First Nations Lead and Yuin woman Kyah Jones along with participants of the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival, as 160 First Nations aspiring tennis players including 11 from Western Australia, made their way to the Northern Territory today ahead of the official opening ceremony this evening.
Celebrating the cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through tennis, the NITC was first launched in 2018 and is an annual four-day event centred around culture, community, tennis, education, and wellbeing. This year’s event will run from 10 to 13 August.
The carnival features two streams – one for participation (teams competition), and another for performance (tournament), in both the 14/u and 18/u age groups.
“Prior to this week, we had eleven events leading into the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival, from all over Australia, including remote communities,” Tennis Australia First Nations Lead Kyah Jones said.
“With our sustainability strategy at TA, we are really trying to excel in this First Nations space. We’ve recently launched our Innovate, Reconciliation Action Plan, so really looking to be more inclusive and create more opportunities for Indigenous tennis.”
“This event is not just about tennis; it’s about learning from each other’s country and where they come from. I had to come all the way up here (NT) to learn about culture also, and have become very attached to my culture, I’ve become a stronger person because of it,” Evonne Goolagong Cawley also added.
“The tournament covers off all levels of ability, so we have kids who are pretty new to tennis, and kids who are seasoned players. This event is more about the way that participants interact with each other, the values that they show, and how they make use of this event,” Tennis NT CEO Tania Tandora said.
The carnival officially commences tomorrow with cultural activities and match play and runs through to Sunday with the closing ceremony, trophy presentation, Ash Barty Cup (top performing state/territory), Evonne Goolagong Medal of Excellence and Deadly Award winners announced.
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