Tennis ACT hosted its 2026 Ngunnawal Indigenous Tennis Carnival (NITC) at Tennis World on Friday 5 June. The event saw First Nations & Indigenous kids from across 13 schools take part in a day of culture, community and connection.
The event was proudly supported by Kamberra Indigenous Cleaning, with special appearances from Kye Oates and Jarrah McLeod from the ACT Brumbies.
The participants moved between four different stations which featured activities that blended fun and cultural immersion. The day included traditional painting, Indigenous games, boomerang throwing and POP tennis.
As part of the painting section, the kids designed their own tennis balls, which went on to form the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags on a canvas.
There was a pause for a quick lunch, during which the group got the chance to ask Kye & Jarrah about their Indigenous heritage as well as their playing careers, providing great insight into their journeys as Indigenous players & young men.
The group then resumed and took part in an intense one-point slam to round off the day before departing.
Six participants from the day will be selected to travel to Darwin in August for the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival. The NITC brings together Indigenous kids from every state and territory across Australia to connect with each other through sport, cultural activities, health workshops, and ultimately getting to know each other and sharing stories about themselves and their own communities.
Thank you to all the organisations, schools and volunteers that made the day possible, and most importantly, the kids.
