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HomeNewsLocal newsTennis Cup Series Under-18 Tournament to Start May 13 at Buccaneer Hotel

Tennis Cup Series Under-18 Tournament to Start May 13 at Buccaneer Hotel

The IMG Academy Caribbean Cup Tennis Series will take place at The Buccaneer on St. Croix.

Hundreds of junior tennis players, coaches and tournament officials will begin arriving on St. Croix this weekend for the first-ever USVI Cup, an International Tennis Federation sanctioned tournament.

Organizers of the IMG Academy Caribbean Cup Tennis Series estimate more than 200 tennis players will participate in both boys and girls (under-18) back-to-back tournaments, scheduled for May 13-18 and May 20-25 at the landmark Buccaneer Hotel.

IMG Academy is a private prep school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Fla.

“St. Croix will be brimming with parents, players and coaches, hailing from international destinations like Mexico, Spain, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Brazil, China and The Netherlands,” said Canadian tennis coach Nima Naderi, who is acting as the IMG Academy Caribbean Cup Tennis Series tournament director.

Naderi has more than 20 years of coaching experience, and, as an industry expert, is the co-host of the Tennis Connected podcast and a frequent contributor to tennis-related outlets such as TennisPro magazine and Tennis View Magazine. Joining Naderi will be Karl Hale of Jamaica, who is president of the IMG Academy Caribbean Cup Tennis Series. Hale is an international tennis player and coach and is the tournament director of the Rogers Cup in Canada.

“The main purpose for the event is to develop a cadre of local players and provide an opportunity to play a professional junior event,” said Naderi. “Our aim is to develop the infrastructure of Caribbean tennis and help build a brand and grow the game.”

Joseph Boschulte, commissioner nominee of the U.S.V.I. Department of Tourism, noted the importance of such events and sports tourism to the territory. “We are getting back into the game, as we share with the world that we are open for business, and look forward to welcoming these talented athletes to our territory,” he said.

The IMG Academy Caribbean Cup Tennis Series kicked off recently in Jamaica and continues on St. Croix, the Cayman Islands and then later in the year in Barbados, Curaçao, Anguilla, Antigua and the Bahamas.

“The tournament will help to expose travelers to the beauty of the Caribbean … and visitors traveling to St. Croix will help boost the local economy. Hopefully they will enjoy their experience, spread the word and make this a bigger and better series next year,” said Naderi.

The Buccaneer has partnered with the event as the official tournament hotel. Naderi reported that close to 450 room nights have been booked on St. Croix at the host hotel as well as at surrounding accommodation facilities.

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