By Bradley Mariori
Lae Tennis Club junior player, Macklyn Meninga, has been selected to attend the International Tennis Federation (ITF) U12 Regional Training, Competition and Fitness Camp in Honiara, Solomon Islands, from August 25 to 29, 2025.
Meninga is among four players from Papua New Guinea the top two boys and top two girls chosen based on their performances at the Pacific Oceania Junior Championships (POJC) in Fiji earlier this year.
Lae Tennis Club President, Glenn Cabasug, said Meninga has already proven herself on the regional stage. At the West Pacific Regional Championships in Fiji in February, she teamed up with Alani Smith and Imelda Ragu to win the U12 Teams Event, securing PNG’s first-ever gold medal for a junior player from Lae in an international tournament.
Cabasug said the ITF camp is the first of its kind for the region, designed to enhance players’ technical, physical, mental, and nutritional development, while also providing valuable competitive experience.
“This is a great initiative that will help shape promising young players for future international opportunities,” Cabasug said. He also acknowledged
the support of ITF, Oceania Tennis Federation (OTF), and PNG Tennis for investing in junior development.
He further thanked corporate partners and supporters of Lae Tennis Club’s Junior Development Program, which has nurtured Meninga and many other young players.
Meninga will travel from Lae this Friday, spend one night in Port Moresby, and fly to Honiara the next day with fellow representatives Alani Smith, River-Jordan Hakena, and Timothy Koliwan.
“We are very proud of Macklyn and wish her, along with the other U12 players, all the best as they represent PNG at this important regional camp,” Cabasug said.
