NMITA president lauds NMI netters, North Pacific team

It was not too long ago when news hit about the North Pacific team competing in the 2003 ITF Pacific Oceania Junior Tennis Championships held in Lautoka, Fiji and successfully completing their journey, placing second overall—its best finish ever.

Much to the satisfaction of the Commonwealth community was that four members of the squad were not only representing the Pacific’s northern region, but the Northern Mariana Islands as well.

Quadruple sightings of NMI netter were seen all over the Dr. Robin Mitchell Regional Tennis Centre as youngsters Kanani Ashraf, Mayuko Arriola, Ji Hoon Heo, and Tim Quan battled the best the Pacific had to offer in the sport.

Delighted with their performance, Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association president Jeff Race took time to recognized the team’s accomplishment, lauding them for their impressive run.

“Congratulations to you and your tennis teammates from Nauru and Kiribati on your second place finish in the Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Lautoka, Fiji,” he said. “It is the North Pacific team’s highest finish ever. You and your families are all to be commended for your hard work and dedication.”

Aside from Arriola, Heo, Ashraf, and Quan, the team also consisted of Dean Dedicatoria, Michelle Pang, Yumika Sugahara, and Justin Dugan of Guam; Muraco Maaki, Willence Seymour, Tanine Harris, and Angelita Detudamo of Nauru; and Uere Katang, Yoichi Tomizuka, Taakena Kaumai, and Aruea Kaintikuaba of Kiribati.

As reported earlier, the team finished with 90 points, second to West Pacific, which garnered 139 points. East Pacific placed third with 82 points. Points were determined by individual placing. First place gets 12 points, second place 11, third place 10, and so forth.

Posting the highest placing among all North Pacific members was Pang, who finished second in the girl’s 18-and-under, while Detudamo placed third in the same category.

NMI’s Ashraf, the youngest competitor at 11 years old, followed in line and placed fourth in the girl’s 14-and-under, while Heo was fifth best in the boy’s corner.

For her part, Arriola placed seventh in the girl’s 14-and-under, while Quan made it to the Top 8 in the boy’s 18-and-under to qualify for a slot in the 2004 Air Pacific Oceania Closed Junior Tennis Championship, which also featured players from Australia and New Zealand. Tomizuka and Seymour also qualified—fifth and sixth place.

The tournament played host to 48 players from 12 countries.