TENNIS ICON NINETE RETIRES AFTER 39 YEARS

Tennis icon Rick Ninete had his retirement ceremony from the Department of Parks and Recreation Thursday afternoon after 39 years of service.

The 82-year-old Ninete started teaching tennis under the Bordallo Administration in 1985 and taught thousands of tennis players on the island over the years.

The Agana Tennis Center was renamed the Rick Ninete Tennis Center in 2004 by law from the Guam Legislature.

Ninete was a late bloomer in the sport, learning it when he met fellow CHamoru George Sablan in California in the 1970s.

The tennis courts in Hagatna were built for the 1975 South Pacific Game hosted on Guam.

He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Governor’s Council on Fitness.

He has led dozens of players in international play and coached high school championship teams from FD and Academy for decades.

Congratulations Mr. Ninete for the countless years of service to our community.