A local junior tennis player, Joelei Ioane, has been invited to join the Oceania Tennis Federation/International Tennis Federation Under 11 girls team. She is heading to Australia next month.
The American Samoa Junior Tennis Association says the invitation is an unexpected surprise and believes Joelei’s performance at the East Pacific Region Championship tournament in Apia, last month, caught the eye of officials attending the event.
In the Under 12 team event (U12G’s), Joelei held the #1 position defeating her opponents from Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, and Tahiti.
Joelei will be part of the Grand Slam Player Development Pacific Squad to Australia.
All her expenses will be funded by the Grand Slam Development Program. and she and teammates from around the Pacific will compete in various tournaments in the Gold Coast of Australia. Ms. Ioane, 11-years-old, is the daughter of Joe and Leiula Ioane.
Fiji
Joelei and her teammates, Alexandria Ula Amoa and Aitulagi Godinet, will compete in Fiji for the Pacific Oceania Jr. Championships in the U12 girls event, while Aifili Tamasoalii Tufa will be competing in the Under 14 Boys event this July.
East Pacific Regional Championship Tournament, Apia
Eleven players from American Samoa, ages 14 and under, competed in the event — a qualifying tournament to select the top 4 players among Girls and Boys from 3 different age groups (12 and under, 14 and under and 16 and under) to compete in the Pacific Oceania Junior Championship, a larger event to be held in Fiji in July. 
The East Pacific region includes 5 islands — Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, French Polynesia and American Samoa.
84 players from 5 island nations competed in the week-long event from April 17-21.
The American Samoa Girls team in the 12 and under won their overall division with a 3-0 score against teams from the other island nations.
In the 14 and under boys, American Samoa’s Aifili Tamasoaalii placed 4th overall in the boys singles event out of 16 players. Aifili and his doubles partner, Toamailelagi Godinet, placed third in the 14 and under Boys doubles division.
Team coach and manager, Dr. Francine Amoa writes, “Our young team showed tremendous effort, courage and team pride on and off the tennis court during their matches.
“I was very proud of each of them. 7 of our players were competing for the first time ever in an International Tennis Federation event, so there was a lot to be nervous about but team American Samoa made a great first impression.”
