Oceania Foundation: Scholarship for Priscila Tommy of Vanuatu
March 20, 2008

Pricilla Tommy at a training session in China Photo By: Andrew Hubbard

Courtesy of ITTF Andrew Hubbard, the Oceania Development Officer, returned recently from Hadi in Fiji a very happy man; he had been attending meetings of the Oceania National Olympic Committee and Olympic Sporting Federations of Oceania where he was able to present a vote of thanks. The reason for the thanks was the newly formed `Oceania Foundation’ had agreed to support sixteen year old Priscilla Tommy from Vanuatu, who in the table tennis events at the South Pacific Games earlier in the year had emerged as the Women’s Singles Gold Medalist.

Samsung Oceania Athlete Development Program
She is one of the first rising sporting stars to receive help from the ‘Samsung Oceania Athlete Development Program’. The scholarship will be used to enable Priscilla Tommy to practice and compete in international competitions.

“Priscilla is a deserving recipient of an award from the Samsung Oceania Athlete Development Program”, said Anne King, Executive Director Oceania Foundation. “We hope that this scholarship will make a difference to her preparations for international competitions; the Vanuatu National Olympic Committee and the Oceania Foundation will watch her progress with interest; we think as Priscilla has the potential to be an Olympic champion.”

High praise indeed; watch out Zhang Yining, Guo Yue and company!

Close Liaison
“The Oceania Foundation is working closely with corporate sponsor Samsung, who has made a seven figure investment in the program that will run over the next five years”, explained Andrew Hubbard. “The Samsung Oceania Sports Development Initiative and the Samsung Oceania Athlete Development Program are the two main programs; under the direction of the Oceania National Olympic Committee, the Oceania Foundation aims to encourage, promote and provide new and expanded financial opportunities for the participation of people, particularly youth, in sport throughout Oceania.”

Deserving
It is certainly a very exciting initiative and Priscilla Tommy is a very exciting prospect.

“Priscilla is a very deserving female table tennis candidate for this Samsung Oceania Athlete Development Program scholarship, she is currently living in Port Vila, Vanuatu where she is sponsored by local business man and table tennis stalwart Vanuatu Table Tennis President Mr. Mok”, said Andrew Hubbard. “This support enables her to train twice per day including a session each morning with a Chinese Embassy sponsored Vanuatu National coach.”

A structure has been put in place that will not only help Priscilla Tommy but also those who follow in her footsteps.

Recognized
“The International Table Tennis Federation and the Oceania Table Tennis Federation recognized her potential and with support from the Oceania National Olympic Committee she has benefited from five training visits to China”, added Andrew Hubbard. “ Priscilla Tommy was the winner of last year’s South Pacific Games Women’s Open Singles, making her the only athlete from Vanuatu to win a gold medal at the 2007 South Pacific Games in Apia, quite an achievement for a sixteen year old; she is frequently recognized and congratulated on the streets of Port Vila for her achievement, I know Priscilla would very much like the opportunity to improve her game by training and competing overseas and is very grateful for the opportunity this scholarship will provide.”

The program is a very positive innovation and it has a very prestigious launch.

Cathy Freeman
“Olympic Gold Medalist, Cathy Freeman was in Vanuatu at the start of March to Launch the Samsung Oceania Sports Development Initiative; the newly established Oceania Foundation Talent Identification Program recently ran a comprehensive training program conducting its first trial with a group of fifty athletes”, added Andrew Hubbard. “The program is strongly supported by the Sport Department at Monash University in Melbourne Victoria; Regional Database is currently under construction by Sporting Pulse to house and analyze the data collected on young people from all over the Pacific.”

Long Term Effect
It is a very professional approach, one that from which Priscilla Tommy and other will benefit and one that will undoubtedly help the whole level of table tennis in Oceania rise to new heights.

 

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