ANGUILLA—Anguilla is hosting the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Championships for a week starting on November 12 at the Anguilla Tennis Academy (ATA). The Anguilla Tourist Board in partnership with the ATA and the ITF are hosting the event.
Chair of the Tourist Board Donna Banks said, “We are delighted to partner with Karl Hale, CEO of Sports Travel Experts, to bring this important event to the Anguilla Tennis Academy. ATA Founder Mitch Lake has created the ideal venue for staging this event, and he immediately recognized the benefit to both Anguilla and to our local tennis community. He has worked with us to bring the event to fruition, and we appreciate his unqualified support in ensuring that we produce an enjoyable and successful week of tennis.”
The tournament will have two categories for juniors and seniors and is expected to attract about 200 persons including players, coaches and supporters. There will be two wild card opportunities for local players to participate.
"We are thrilled about the opportunity to partner with Karl Hale and the Anguilla Tourist Board to host the ITF Junior Championships at our facility. This event is an important milestone for both the ATA and Anguilla. We look forward to working with all industry partners to make this tournament a success,” said Mitch Lake, Founder of the Anguilla Tennis Academy, which is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year.
Cardigan Connor, Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for sports, said that the criteria for selecting events such as the ITF Championships are that they must benefit our local athletes as well and attract a new category of visitors to the island. “Our junior players and coaches had the extraordinary opportunity to visit the Rogers Cup in Toronto, courtesy of the tournament organizers. And as a result of the wild card process two of our junior players will be meeting and competing against top players on the circuit during the ITF Championship, which will provide invaluable experience as they develop their tennis careers.”
