The NMI will have a relatively different men’s tennis team in the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, the Solomon Islands.
Colin Ramsey, Moris Villanueva, and junior players June Yu and Nasson Wessel will represent the NMI to the tennis tournament that will take place from Nov. 17 to Nov. 30 at the National Tennis Court. Reigning singles champion Colin Sinclair (gold medalist in the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa and the 2022 Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games) could not make it to Solomons this time as the competition coincides with his participation in the ATP Challenger Tour. Collegiate standouts Robbie Schorr, Isabel Heras, and Carol Lee, on the other hand, are tied up with their respective collegiate leagues. Only Ramsey was the holdover from the men’s teams that won the gold medal in the Pacific Mini Games and the Pacific Games
“Our ability to field some of our top players who are in college was limited by the timing of the Games. Colin Ramsey is the only holdover from the gold medal teams of the last two Games. He will have the chance to share responsibility for competing and coaching for the first time,” NMI Tennis Association president and many-time national coach Jeff Race said.
Ramsey is up for the responsibility and likes the chance to guide young players as they prepare to represent the islands in many more off-island tournaments.
“I feel no pressure in the role I was given with. Traveling with the junior team earlier this year to Guam and Fiji helped me feel more comfortable with the responsibilities of a coach. Although I will also rely on Moris’ opinions since he has been playing the game for as long as I have,” said Ramsey, who has played with and against Villanueva since their junior tennis years.
Both Ramsey and Race welcomed having Wessel and Yu on the men’s team to get them ready for the bigger stage.
“I am hoping the competition will serve as a great way for them to gain experience and more confidence so they can represent the NMI in future games and events. With all the wonderful opportunities that are opening up for tennis in the NMI, the future for tennis is bright,” Ramsey said.
“This is a great opportunity to get some of our strong young players experience at this level. For Moris Villanueva, Nason Wessel and June Yu, it will be their maiden Games and I have no doubt that they will represent us well,” Race added.
The NMI men’s tennis team will have its hands full in the Solomons, as the tennis competition will feature players from Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and hosts Solomon Islands. Vanuatu finished second to the NMI in the men’s team event in last year’s Pacific Mini Games, while Tahiti came in at third. In the overall medal tally for 2022 Pacific Mini Games, PNG had the most medals with six (four golds and two silvers), while NMI took four (three golds and one bronze). PNG also topped the 2019 Pacific Games with a 3-5-0 gold-silver-bronze medal haul against the NMI’s 3-1-0, while Tonga scooped up one gold for third place. (PR)