THE 2014 staging of the Sagicor Bank All Jamaica Junior Tennis Championships, slated for July 3-6 at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre is set to unearth the island’s latest set of talented youngsters in local tennis.

The All Jamaica Junior Tennis Championships is the premier development tennis tournament for youngsters in the island. The tournament began in 1951 and 2014 will see the 63rd edition of the championships.

Aswad Morgan, first vice-president of Tennis Jamaica, is elated to be able to host the tournament yet again and is extremely satisfied with the calibre of young athletes on display as a result of the championships.

“Our local entrants will be better off from this competition and move on to be future senior national representatives. Tennis Jamaica is happy to partner with Sagicor Bank again to present this top-level International Tennis Federation Junior tennis tournament. These international tournaments are a major part of our overall junior development programme. We are looking forward to yet another successful tournament,” said Morgan.

Sagicor Bank will be the title sponsors for the eighth consecutive year. Rejeanne Campbell, brand manager for Sagicor Bank, said, “Jamaica has excelled on the world stage in various capacities and tennis is no exception. Sponsorship of this tournament is just one of the ways that Sagicor Bank supports the development of young athletic talent in Jamaica.”

Over 100 participants are expected to contest this year’s championships. The girls’ section will be competitive with matches slated for Under-12, 14, 16 and 18, while today’s boys’ section will see exciting encounters in Under-14, 16 and 18. There will also be a boys’ and girls’ open doubles section.

The 2013 championships saw the crowning of impressive mixed double champions in Andrew Bicknell and Shea-Ann Kameka. Bicknell was the champion of the boys’ Under-16 and 18, while Kameka triumphed in the girls’ Under-14 and 16. Both Bicknell and Shea-Ann Kameka are expected to return to this year’s championships.

Over the years, the All Jamaica Tennis Championship has unveiled Jamaica’s top performing players, including Tinesta Rowe, who went on to represent Jamaica for the Women’s Fed Cup, Dominic Pagon, Brandon Burke and, more recently, Daniel Harris — all past champions and members of the Davis Cup team representing Jamaica.

Dustin Brown, German-Jamaican international tennis player, is a past participant of the tournament. According to the ATP rankings, Dustin Brown is the world’s 78th best tennis player. At the Gerry Weber Open recently, he beat Rafael Nadal, one of the world’s best, in straight sets.

Tennis Jamaica is governed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).