Tennis  

HÀ NỘI — Athletes from nearly 40 countries and regions took part in the ITF Team Championships for Boys and Girls of 14 and Under – Asian Oceania Pre-Qualifying Event, which officially opened on March 2 in Lâm Đồng Province.

The event is jointly organised by the Việt Nam Tennis Federation (VTF) and Novasports at the international NovaWorld Phan Thiết tennis court.

It is one of competitions for junior players of the International Tennis Federation and considered a zonal qualifier of the Australian Open Junior Series.

The best players would grab their slots to compete in the Finals, an important step to advance to Junior Grand Slam events in the future.

This year, 150 competitors from 18 strong teams will compete in the women's team event in the first week from March 2-7. 

They are divided into six groups of three. Việt Nam are No 1 seeds in Group A with Maldives and Macau. 

In the second week on March 9-14, 80 players from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Việt Nam will compete in the men's team event. 

Vietnamese teams gather three boys under coach Nguyễn Công Thành and three girls managed by coach Nguyễn Minh Triết.

“This event is an important opportunity for young players to compete and gain experience against international opponents. It marks a milestone for Việt Nam tennis to demonstrate its sustainable development in the strategy of international integration,” said Nguyễn Hồng Sơn, VTF general secretary.

He added that the event also contributed to promoting the image of Lâm Đồng and NovaWorld Phan Thiết as a regional-level sport, tourism, and entertainment destination. — VNS