Posing with the sponsorship cheque (from left to right) A Digicel official, Mr. Anthony Boyea – President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tennis Association, the Treasurer of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tennis Association, Ms Sonia Polius – Digicel St. Vincent Country Manager, St. Vincent and the grenadines Minister for Tourism, Youth, and Sports Glen Beache, and Mr. Michael Lin – First Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of China on Taiwan. (Photo by-: Robertson S. Henry)
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Friday September 14th, 2007 -
The inaugural Digicel-sponsored ITF Junior Tennis Tournament was launched this
morning Friday September 14th 2007 at the National Tennis Centre, situated at
Villa in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Grade Five level tournament, scheduled to be played from October 19th –
28th, 2007 at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Tennis Centre, is
expected to see about 200 players participating, with requests already coming
from as far a field as Russia.
Addressing the launching ceremony, Country Manager for Digicel St. Vincent and
the Grenadines Ms Sonia Polius stated, “We at Digicel have led the Caribbean in
the sponsorship of Caribbean sporting teams including the West I9ndies cricket
team, the special Olympics team, and Caribbean football.”
She spoke of the pride within the Digicel family in helping through an
EC$40,000.00 sponsorship package, of bringing an international tennis
tournament to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“This is a flagship event,” she added. “And we are especially enthused to be
involved in events that productively engage the young people of this country.”
The coming ITF tennis tournament comes on the heels of a weekly tennis
programme for children with special needs, and is sponsored by Digicel.
Also sponsored by Digicel is a summer programme during which children learn and
develop their skills in the sport of tennis.
“We believe that sporting opportunities should be available to all,” Polius added.
With a high value placed on fair competition and constant self-improvement, a
very successful Digicel-sponsored ITF Junior Tennis tournament is anticipated, as
all the participants would be challenged to do their utmost best.
A proud president of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tennis Association
Anthony Boyea told attendees at the launching ceremony of the work done by
the Association in implementing a programme to develop the sport.
The tournament also comes in the 35th year of the existence of the St. Vincent
and the Grenadines Tennis Association, “and what better year to celebrate it but
with our sponsor Digicel.”
Minister of Tourism, Youth, and Sport Glen Beache was full of praise for the mobile
communications company. “Since Digicel entered the St. Vincent and the
Grenadines market, they have done a tremendous job of really supporting and
sponsoring many different activities throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
He recognized that sports tourism is a major factor in the economic development
of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and heap praise on the Boyea-led executive of
the Tennis Association for the new directions the organization is taking.
“Instead of tennis being for the affluent only, it has really spread across St.
Vincent and the Grenadines now on a more even basis,” Beache stated.
With this tournament set to go down in the history of tennis in St. Vincent and
the Grenadines as the biggest ever, according to Boyea it “will have economic
benefits to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, especially the tourist industry.”
Additionally as Sonia Polius said, “This tournament also has the benefits of giving
St. Vincent some international exposure, and we hope that there is a positive
ripple effect, trickled into other areas of our economy, and also in our
communities.”
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