Tennis 

Hundreds of young athletes will compete at two national junior tournaments from July 1 to July 17 in HCM City. Photo courtesy of VTF

HCM CITY — The National Junior Tennis Championship, also known as the AP Sports Cup, has started off on July 1 at the Bình Dương New City Community Sports Centre in HCM City.

The team version of the event, the National Junior Team Tennis Championship, will also be held from July 9 to 17 at the same venue.

Both tournaments are part of the Việt Nam Tennis Federation (VTF)'s Juniors Tour 2 and 3, key events in the national competition system.

More than 400 athletes from 14 cities and provinces will compete in boys' and girls' singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches, with ages ranging from U8 to U18.

Of these talented young players, Lê Trịnh Tuấn Nga from Ninh Bình, Nguyễn Văn Trường Hải from the military team, Trần Thái Thanh of HCM City and Vũ Tuấn Phong from Hà Nội are notable faces who are expected to earn high spots.

Their abilities have been proven through several different recent domestic and international events.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, VTF General Secretary Nguyễn Hồng Sơn said: “Youth development has always been a crucial foundation for the nation's tennis development strategy.

“Maintaining an annual youth tournament system that continues to grow in scale demonstrates the VTF’s determination to create a professional competitive environment, thus helping to elevate the quality of young athletes and boost the tennis movement nationwide.”

Bùi Minh Nhựt, a representative of AP Sports, the main sponsor of the tournament, said: "AP Sports firmly believes that every champion begins their journey in youth tournaments.

"We therefore aim to partner with the VTF to create more high-quality competitive opportunities for athletes. Each match today represents not only a contest for results, but also a journey of honing one's mettle, willpower and aspiration to excel." — VNS