(Jan 28, 2019 – Hong Kong) The Hong Kong Tennis Association announces Nissin Foods Company Limited as its official Youth Development Partner after the company extended its commitment over the next three years from 2019-2021 as title sponsor of the Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships, Hong Kong Junior Tennis Series, and Hong Kong Junior Tennis Novice Competition.

True to Mr. Momofuku Ando’s belief that ‘Eating and sports are the two axles of health’, Nissin Foods is committed to promoting of sports, physical activity, and a healthy lifestyle. “Nissin Foods will continue its partnership with HKTA to provide the necessary opportunities and platform to further junior tennis development here in Hong Kong,” said Kiyotaka ANDO, Executive Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nissin Foods. “We will also continue to identify and support the pudding players. One of them is Naomi CHEONG, the rising 16-year-old Chinese-American touring professional who reached a career-high WTA No. 485 in singles. We’ve been sponsoring her since 2017.”

“I want to thank Nissin Foods for their support of junior development in Hong Kong and I hope more kids will choose to engage in tennis, as we embark on this new three-year extension. Young players must have opportunities to hone their skills in local competition before they progress to bigger events overseas. These three local tournaments form the breeding ground for local talent during their formative years of tennis training and development,” HKTA President Philip MOK remarked.

Nissin Foods has been the title sponsor of the Nissin Cup Noodles Hong Kong Junior Series and Nissin Demae Iccho Hong Kong Junior Novice Competition since 2015. In 2017, Nissin Foods expanded its backing to the Nissin Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships.

From 2017-2018, participation has increased by 25% at the Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships.  Since Nissin Food’s sponsorship in 2015, there has also been a steady year-on-year growth in the number of entries for both Junior Series and Junior Novice competitions, with the combined total entries for all three junior events exceeding 13,000.

The Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships, Hong Kong Junior Tennis Series, and Hong Kong Junior Tennis Novice Competition are the three flagship local junior events organised by HKTA annually that provide competitive opportunities for young players of various age groups.

All of Hong Kong’s top juniors, past and present, including the current crop of budding players, such as Roger NG, Coleman WONG, Cody WONG, and Ophelia TANG, etc., have competed extensively in these tournaments over the years.

In addition, Nissin Foods was the title sponsor of the Nissin Foods Hong Kong & Japan Junior Tennis Team Match 2018, an event that provided another great opportunity for young players to gain valuable match-play experience against overseas opposition.

“Beat the Pro”, the first of a series of Nissin Tennis Clinics planned for Hong Kong in 2019, was held at the Hong Kong Sports Institute. It was hosted by tennis consultant to Nissin Foods, Hubert KARRASCH, and assisted by Naomi CHEONG.

The purpose of these clinics is to support and inspire local tennis development by offering expert guidance to aspiring youngsters, as well as adult enthusiasts. Since 2015, several well-known figures in Japanese tennis, such as former Davis Cup players Takao SUZUKI and Toshiaki SAKAI, have been invited to host a number of Nissin Tennis Clinics in Hong Kong.