Australian Open inspires Pacific tennis pioneer
Next, he’s moving to Vanuatu to help develop the sport there and oversee a new programme that encourages female participation in tennis and addresses inequalities experienced by women and girls.
While the Australian Open represents a pathway to grand slam glory for the world’s top stars, for young hopefuls from the Pacific who are taking their first steps in the sport, a visit to Melbourne Park can be the start of a life-changing journey in tennis.
As a teenager, Ian Honila from the Solomon Islands was one of those youngsters, playing a sport relatively unknown in his homeland but dreaming big. In 2005, he was invited to take part in the Margaret Court Cup in Albury against Australian juniors and other emerging regional talent. The visit included a trip to the Australian Open, which cemented his commitment to the sport.
“Coming to the Australian Open for the first time, wow, it was just such an eye-opener for me,” he reflects. “It’s a wonderful place to experience tennis. Getting to experience that, I felt like I had to make a commitment to myself to introduce tennis to lots of kids in the Pacific, so I got into coaching. This sport has changed me, big time, and now that I’m coaching, I just love it.”
In 2019 Ian was back at Melbourne Park, this time as a coach and guide to a cohort of up and coming Oceania junior tennis stars who are following in his footsteps.
“We’ve got kids from Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Tahiti, Saipan and Guam,” he explains. “They’re the best of the Pacific in the under 12 and under 14 age groups, but they travel here without their parents so I’m their coach, tour guide, friend and guardian. It makes sense to me, helping these players find their journey. Coming to the Australian Open is a wonderful feeling for me, and it has inspired them.”
Ian’s next move is to Vanuatu, where he will play a key role in developing coaches and introducing a new programme that encourages female participation in tennis, and uses the sport to address inequalities experienced by women and girls.
The Game, Set, Respect programme has been developed by Tennis Australia in partnership with Tennis Vanuatu, Tennis Fiji and World Vision. It is supported by the Australian Government through the Pacific Sports Partnerships and is now being piloted in Vanuatu and Fiji.
For many young Pacific tennis hopefuls, a visit to the Australian Open is their first chance to attend a sporting event in Australia. Credit: Ian Honila
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