27 First Nations tennis stars are set to represent Queensland at the upcoming National Indigenous Tennis Carnival (NITC) in Darwin next month from 10-13 August. The annual carnival is the pinnacle event in the calendar for First Nations youth and sees hundreds of players come together from across the country to participate in a festival of tennis and celebration of culture.
Regional lead-in events have taken place across Queensland ahead of the carnival, providing more opportunities for First Nations youth to play and engage with tennis.
From these lead-in events, a handful of participants gained selection in the Queensland team, in addition to performance players selected on their current ratings.
Players have the opportunity to compete across three event pathways, with cumulative results from the carnival determining which state will be crowned the 2023 Ash Barty Cup Champions!
Last year's event saw the likes of Evonne Goolagong-Cawley attend to mentor participants across the carnival, with the former World No.1 sharing valuable knowledge from her journey as a tennis player and First Nations person.
Tennis Australia First Nations Lead Kyah Jones says, "The National Indigenous Tennis Carnival is an incredible celebration, bringing together hundreds of young First Nations people from across the country to participate in a festival of tennis and First Nations culture."
"I'm so proud of how we've been able to bring tennis to each state and territory and combine the on-court competition with a range of culturally immersive experiences to so many young First Nations people across Australia.
"It's so rewarding to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth trying tennis for the first time ... I love seeing those big smiles - the enthusiasm is infectious, and we hope that through these events we can help discover the next Evonne Goolagong or Ash Barty."
QUEENSLAND TEAM
| NATIONAL INDIGENOUS TENNIS CARNIVAL SHOWDOWN (14&U) | ||
| Casey Bounghi | Cairns | Far North Region |
| Jesse Howard | Ipswich | Metro |
| Sophia Kawane | Cairns | Far North Region |
| NATIONAL INDIGENOUS TENNIS CARNIVAL SHOWDOWN (18&U) | ||
| Lawrence Dufficy | North Stradbroke | Metro |
| Rhylee Jackson | Brisbane | Metro |
| Giselle Kawane | Cairns | Far North Region |
| Amali Zillman | Gold Coast | Gold Coast Region |
| NATIONAL INDIGENOUS TENNIS CARNIVAL FUTURE STARS | ||
| William Beck | Mossman | Far North Region |
| Olivia Forde | Chinchilla | South Region |
| Shaylee Haynes | Cairns | Far North Region |
| Drew Hinch | St George | South Region |
| Bella Merrick-Reilly | Tara | South Region |
| Tora-lyn Namok | Cairns | Far North Region |
| Ashleigh Rookwood | Cairns | Far North Region |
| Geoffrey Rynne | Cunnamulla | South Region |
| Goothala Rynne | Cunnamulla | South Region |
| Kelsey Weribone | St George | South Region |
| Phillip Yock | Cunnamulla | South Region |
| NATIONAL INDIGENOUS TENNIS CARNIVAL HOT SHOTS | ||
| Marcella Banu | Mt Garnett | Far North Region |
| Jamaya Bond | Yarrabah | Far North Region |
| Sedeequa Clevin | Toowoomba | South Region |
| Peter Davidson | Yarrabah | Far North Region |
| Dwayne Cannon | Mareeba | Far North Region |
| Keeanah Saunders | St George | South Region |
| Jakobee Saunders | St George | South Region |
| Tia Singleton | Yarrabah | Far North Region |
| Taliana Yeatman | Yarrabah | Far North Region |
TEAM MANAGERS
Rebecca Herbert
Cody Meagher
FIRST NATIONS LEADERS
Shari Woodbridge
Geoff Rynne
Keiryn Lenoy
Keiren Gibbs