Bangkok--9 Feb--
A total of 18 federations will be invited in 2015
The WTA Future Stars event, produced in association with Sport Singapore and Singapore Tennis Association, will U14 and U16 participants to attend the Opening Ceremony and Opening Session of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals presented showcase the top ranked U14 and U16 junior girls’ players in Asia-PacificWTA Future Stars Tournament dates: October 19-26 Singaporeby SC Global
Women’s Tennis Association has announced the expansion of the WTA Future Stars’ “Junior
Road to Singapore” invitations to 18 countries across Asia-Pacific, allowing the top ranked U14 and U16 girlsthe once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their home countries at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals
Singapore presented by SC Global.
“The WTA Future Stars initiative had a phenomenal kickoff in 2014, with a fantastic turnout of young andtalented girls throughout the region,” said Melissa Pine, Tournament Director of the BNP Paribas WTAFinals Singapore presented by SC Global. “This expansion across 18 countries in Asia-Pacific shows our commitment to give back to the community through tennis, and present the stars of tomorrow on a globalstage. We are excited to be able to showcase the passion and talents of these young athletes through WTAFuture Stars.”
Says Toh Boon Yi, Chief of the Strategic Development and Marketing Group at Sport Singapore, “We willcontinue to build on last year’s success in this year’s WTA Future Stars tournament as it will contribute tothe growth of tennis in the region. Bringing together the best U-14 and U-16 junior girls players in AsiaPacific will also provide opportunities for professional development while they engage in friendlycompetition.”
The 18 countries invited to participate in this year’s WTA Future Stars “Junior Road to Singapore” areAustralia, New Zealand, Korea, Cambodia, Brunei, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand,Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, China, Japan, India, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong.
Each country who wishes to participate will be required to host a “Junior Road to Singapore” qualifyingevent in two age categories – Girls’ U14s and Girls’ U16s. These events will take place between the monthsof June to August and will decide who will be represented in Singapore at the WTA Future Starstournament.
As a result, top young junior girls from the Asia-Pacific region will have the opportunity to experience theworld of women’s professional tennis, learning about high-level athlete development, life in the public eye,media responsibilities and empowerment through tennis.
While in Singapore, the WTA Future Stars will take part in various off-court activities including a WelcomeDinner, the WTA Finals Draw, Opening Ceremonies, the WTA Fan Zone and a community service activity.
Last year’s winners – Thailand’s Thasaporn Naklo (U14) and India’s Karman Kaur Thandi (U16) – werepresented with trophies and medals by WTA Legend and two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na in a specialon-court ceremony. Li then met all 24 WTA Future Stars in an informal gathering after the event,introducing the greatest Asian player of all time to the next generation of Asian-Pacific athletes.
U16’s Champion Karman Kaur Thandi, who received Li Na’s ceremonial opening serve of the WTA Finals2014, said: “WTA Future Stars was an amazing experience as we got to share the stage with the world’s topeight women tennis players. Winning the tournament made me so proud, and the best moment wasreceiving the trophy from Li Na, who is an inspiration for young players in Asia.”
Hsiang-Wen Huang, who represented Chinese Taipei and reached the Final of the U16’s WTA Future Starstournament in 2014, said: “Taking part in the WTA Future Stars tournament was an inspiring experience –being able to meet the top players shows there’s still some distance to go to achieve my dream, but that itcould actually turn into a reality through hard work.”
“Since the competition in 2014, I have become Champion at two ITF events, which was only possiblethrough having dealt with match pressure and developing in-game strategies at my matches in Singapore,”Hsiang-Wen added.
WTA Global Partner SAP and official Asia-Pacific performance apparel and shoe partner Peak will return assponsors for the WTA Future Stars tournament, which is being run in partnership with Sport Singapore(SportSG) and Singapore Tennis Association (STA) at Kallang Tennis Centre with the Finals at the SingaporeIndoor Stadium.