ANZ renews support for junior tennis

Tennis Cook Islands has confirmed ANZ Bank as the key sponsor for the Tennis in Schools Junior Programme.

ANZ has pledged to support and promote tennis mainly in schools within the Cook Islands over a year and makes tennis accessible and available to over 500 primary school children aged between 5 and 10 on Rarotonga.

It is a comprehensive programme run by the Malcolm Kajer School of Tennis and is supported by Tennis Cook Islands (TCI) and Oceania Tennis Federation (OTF).

While ANZ has been a regional sponsor of junior tennis throughout the Pacific, this blanket sponsorship of over 20 years ceased at the end of 2012.

TCI’s president, Madeilene Sword, said, “Since the National Tennis Centre was erected in 2009, ANZ Banking Group Ltd, as a regional sponsor, have been instrumental in reinvigorating tennis on Rarotonga, especially with our youngsters. For the past four years, we have identified some wonderful talent and nurtured them through the competitive and national representative pathway. Without ANZ’s help and belief in what we are trying to achieve for our youngsters, many Cook Islanders would never know what it means to be able to hold a tennis racquet or be able to play a friendly game of tennis. Additionally, they are being exposed to many life long learning abilities and will become great ambassadors for the Cook Islands one day. This may not necessarily be in Tennis and it doesn’t matter. In this sense, we are able to support ANZ’s community goals as well in producing great citizens and role models.”

ANZ Bank manager David Dennis says that their bank has had a long relationship with tennis, “this programme started long ago and fantastic results came out of the juniors programme. Under Malcom and Maddy’s tutelage the programme will grow. I am very proud of the ethics behind the programme.”

Another ANZ employee, marketing officer and customer advocate, Julianne Westrupp, is an integral part of the programme as she ensures that the kids are rewarded with prizes at events.

“Tennis Cook Islands is very grateful to Dennis and Westrupp and ANZ Bank for supporting its vision and formally coming on board for 2013/14,” said Sword.