This weekend sees the 25th serving of an iconic Northland sporting tournament - the Janet Agnew Carnival Doubles Tennis Tournament.
The tournament has become the most popular in Northland. It has drawn players from all over New Zealand and on occasion from overseas.
In its earlier years the tournament catered for more
than 200 players with games often finishing under floodlights well after midnight.
One of the main reasons it has been such a success is the motivation and inspiration provided by Janet Agnew.
In 1987 the tournament started as the Northland Carnival Doubles, but the tournament took her name in 1989 in recognition of the tennis communities respect for her - a compliment she at first found hard to accept.
Agnew made an incredible return to tennis after a horrific car accident in 1986 which left her with serious head injuries. Before the accident she held the number-one ranking in Northland. After the accident, she initially believed her playing days were over but persevered with a comeback and today plays for the Northland Seniors and in the Senior interclub competition in Auckland every second weekend for Mangere Combined.
For over 20 years Janet and her partner Graham Nesbit organised the sponsors and practically ran the doubles tournament on their own, however a few years ago she was diagnosed with depression and was unable to cope.
Her longtime friends Raewyn Heywood, Ethne Mitchell and Lyn Ferguson rallied around to help her out and this year Shelley Yeates joined the team to allow Ferguson take more of a back seat in the tournament.
The tournament caters for both Mens and Ladies A and B grade doubles on Saturday and Mixed A and B grade doubles on Sunday - all at the Thomas Neale Family Memorial Park in Kamo.
The first tournament winners in 1987 were; Men's A Grade John Ross and Don Turner; Men's B Grade Ray McBreen and Alan Armstrong; Ladies' A Grade Delwyn Houlihan and Vicki Burkhart (now Hick); Ladies' B Grade Mary Miller and Hazel Taylor.
