A fundraising tournament next weekend aims to help the career of promising young Whangārei tennis player Daniel Hammond.
The event, at Mairtown Tennis Club, will raise funds to help the 14-year-old further his budding career, including a trip to Fiji next month for a playoff to earn a spot in a US tournament. Hammond is ranked No 5 in the NZ 14-year-old boys section.
Mairtown Tennis Club has organised the fundraising tennis tournament for Saturday, July 28. The mixed doubles event will be at Thomas Neale Tennis Centre.
Hammond's potential as a future NZ tennis player has already been recognised and he has represented New Zealand. The fundraiser will help fund his career which requires him to travel nationally and internationally on a regular basis for training and competition.
He has just been chosen to travel to Fiji for a playoff on August 17 against the top 14-year-old Oceania boy, with the winner earning a wild card spot in the Orange Bowl Tournament in America in December.
Hammond has already represented NZ three times, most recently in April as part of the NZ 14-year-old boys team that competed in Thailand in the Asia/Oceania qualifying round for the World Junior Teams event.
He has just returned from Brisbane Australia where he competed in two tournaments - the Rod Laver Lead International and Rod Laver Queensland Junior Open where he beat the No 1 seed in the semifinals and finished runner-up.
Next Saturday's tournament, which starts at 9am, is for A and B Grades with $30 entry per person.
Entries close on July 25 and can be made by emailing Cheryl Baker at mairtowntennisclub@gmail.com