UNIQLO HOLDS WHEELCHAIR TENNIS NEXT GEN DEVELOPMENT EVENT
Global apparel retailer Uniqlo hosted a Wheelchair Tennis Next Gen Development event in London, United Kingdom, on Sunday, July 3rd, featuring Uniqlo Global Brand Ambassadors and wheelchair tennis champions, Gordon Reid and Shingo Kunieda. The event was part of Uniqlo’s broader Next Gen Program with its global brand ambassadors to generate social progress through youth development initiatives.
The event was held at the Lee Valley Tennis Center, in conjunction with the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Twenty-one young players, aged 8 through 19, took part. Kunieda and Reid conducted a wheelchair tennis clinic with coaching and mentoring for participating junior wheelchair tennis players. Four participating juniors will be invited to join the ITF’s Wheelchair Tennis Masters program in the Netherlands at the end of the year.
Speaking at the launch event, brand ambassador Reid said, “It was great to be part of the Wheelchair Tennis Next Gen event with Uniqlo. Through the event, we sought to inspire young talented people to become their very best, not only in wheelchair tennis but in life as well. Shingo Kunieda and I wanted to help develop young people’s on-court skills, but also some other important life skills associated with being a professional sportsperson: humility, respect, and dedication. We hope it was a valuable opportunity for young people.”
Koji Yanai, Group Senior Executive Officer of Uniqlo parent company Fast Retailing said, “The Wheelchair Tennis Next Gen Development initiative is a very natural progression of our ongoing commitment to the sport. It provides an opportunity for Uniqlo to continue fostering the development of wheelchair tennis and, by extension, to continue to help build a more inclusive society. We are delighted to collaborate with Uniqlo Global Brand Ambassadors Gordon Reid and Shingo Kunieda to help young people to grow and fulfill their dreams.”
