The 17th ITFR World Championships recently took place at Melbourne Park, coinciding with the Rotary International Convention in May 2023. Our Rotary Club was honored to organize the event, with Brenton Whittenbury from RC Adelaide serving as the tournament director. The championship featured 32 players from seven countries, competing in eight age-classified events, including singles and doubles for both men and women, as well as mixed doubles. Unfortunately, none of our teams made it to the finals, but Australia's Amanda Whittenbury emerged as the sole champion.
The event received generous sponsorship from Wildernesswear, which provided specially engraved tennis socks and T-shirts, in addition to support from Wilson. Festivities kicked off with a memorable cocktail cruise on the Yarra River, inaugurated by DG Amanda's warm welcome to Melbourne. President Adrian also attended the opening day to show support for our players. The closing Gala Dinner, hosted at the Lyceum Club, featured Garry receiving a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of our Club. The Brazilian team presented a soccer jumper bearing the emblem "RCMelbourne 23," with ITFR President Marcos Franco delivering the presentation in Portuguese, expertly translated by Phillip Endersbee.
What's particularly noteworthy is that the event raised USD 3,400 in net proceeds, which was all donated to End Polio Now, contributing to the ongoing global efforts to eradicate polio.
