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Club Med Punta Cana to Host Nike Junior Tour International Masters
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Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - Club Med will once again play host to the Nike Junior Tour (NJT) International Masters tennis tournament. This year the world's No 1 event for Under-12 and Under-14 tennis players will be staged at Club Med Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic from13 to 20 October 2009.
This will be the fourth time Club Med has hosted the NJT International Masters since its inception in 1997. This year's tournament is the second in a three-year arrangement with Club Med to stage the tournament.
The 26 countries participating this year are Argentina, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom and USA.
Belarus, Morocco, Serbia and the UAE will be making their first appearances at the NJT International Masters while The Netherlands will be returning after a long absence.
The 2009 French Open was a testament to the success of the Nike Junior Tour. The top seed and world No 1 Rafael Nadal won this tournament on three occasions. Finalist Robin Soderling of Sweden, who is now ranked 12 in the world, was the boys Under-14 top seed at Stuttgart in 1998. In addition semi-finalist and current world No 5 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina was the Under-12 finalist in 2000.
NJT players are now making an impact on every junior Grand Slam and leading junior tournaments all over the world. The current junior draws at Wimbledon are strewn with names of players who have participated at the NJT International Masters. Carlos Boluda (Spain, three-time winner), Thiago Fernandes (Brazil), Sebastien Lavie (France and now New Zealand), Robert Rumler (Czech Republic), Marin Draganja (Croatia), Radim Urbanek (Czech Republic, winner), Arthur De Greef (Belgium) in the boys Wimbledon draw and Zsofia Susanyi (Hungary), Chanel Simmonds (South Africa), Tamaryn Hendler (Belgium), An-Sophie Mestach (Belgium, winner) and Ajla Tomljanovic (Croatia, winner) in the girls draw, demonstrate the universality of the Nike Junior Tour.
"Nadal, Del Potro, Berdych, Soderling, Safarova, Peer, Paszek…these are prestigious names in world tennis and all of them participated in the Nike Junior Tour, the biggest tennis tournament for kids in the world," said Nike Junior Tour Project Leader, Philippe Weiss. "I'm more than convinced that the 13th edition of the tournament will also unearth more up-and-coming talents" added Weiss.
"Club Med has historically encouraged guests to develop their love of tennis. Adults enjoy our group lessons or individual workshops. Our Petit Tennis program and Elite Tennis Academies have been longstanding favourites for kids." Comments Xavier Mufraggi, CEO Club Med North America.
"Club Med's dedication to fostering children's activities and sports in a multicultural environment provides a natural synergy for working with the NJT International Masters."
A $34 million renovation has transformed Club Med Punta Cana into a luxurious family escape. Nestled on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, Club Med Punta Cana sprawls over 75 acres of beachfront property. The tennis facility boasts 14 hard courts of which nine have lighting, which will help the tournament in case of any rain delays.
"We are excited at the prospect of hosting the world's best tennis players in the Under-12 and Under-14 categories in a competitive but fun atmosphere at such an exquisite venue. We wish players all the best in the qualifying tournaments in their respective countries and look forward to seeing the winners in Punta Cana," Weiss concluded.
The South African Nike Junior Tour Local Masters will be played on the 11th-13 September 2009. The winners of the Boys and Girls under 12 and 14 singles will represent South Africa at the Punta Cana showdown.
BLD Communications
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