Probably one of the most anticipated tournaments run by the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) the 2008 Nigel’s Supermarket Junior Classic Tennis tournament will serve off this morning at the Le Meridien Hotel courts.
The tournament will run for 13 days and will be coordinated by Shelly Daly-Ramdyhan.
This is the fifth year that the tournament will be sponsored by the company whose managing director Nigel Johnson is a sports enthusiast.
According to a release from national table tennis player Christopher Franklyn, who is marketing officer of the company, the sponsors are bidding to ensure that there is a high standard of competition for young lawn tennis players.
Franklyn said his company was pleased with the efforts and progress made by the GLTA to promote and coordinate tennis activities for young children and he reiterated the commitment of the company to sponsor the event each year.
The tournament, which usually attracts all the advanced junior players, will now include the category of mini-tennis to cater for the newly established National Squad C-team which emerged from the Primary Schools Initiative Programme.
The tournament will run daily from 8am – 3pm and will feature the following categories: boys’ under-12, 14 and 18, girls’ under-12 and 14, junior mixed doubles and mini-tennis medley under 10 and 12.
A high standard of play is expected especially in the boys’ under-14 and 18 categories where Seanden Longden and Anthony Downes respectively, will try to maintain their number one rankings.
Shawna Gentle will also be expected to battle it out with the much-improved Aruna Ramrattan in the girls’ under-14 category to maintain her number one status.
The opening ceremony takes place at 8am.