KARANGI tennis player Charlie Pade has been awarded a Tennis Australia Theo Kotsabakidis Scholarship.

The 15 year-old has recorded a number of outstanding results over the past 18 months throughout Australia and Asia including representing Australia as part of the under-16 Indigenous team that played in the Rod Laver Cup Asia/Oceania in Hong Kong.

At this event Charlie was awarded the Male Sportsmanship Award.

Tennis Australia put together an elite selection panel and took into account a number of factors including whether Charlie has the potential to become a professional tennis player, his personal attributes and characteristics, technical skills and benchmarking Charlie’s ability, skill, attitude and character against international playing standards.

Meeting all of the criteria meant Charlie was selected as a recipient.

At the beginning of the year Charlie made the decision to leave his home in Karangi to further his tennis and begin boarding school at St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill.

Since being at Joey’s, Charlie has been under the watchful eye of head tennis coach David Moore who was a Tennis Australia touring coach who worked with the likes of John Millman, Max Purcell and Chris O’Connell.

Charlie’s week consists of two fitness sessions run by former Tennis NSW head fitness coach Matt Smith and hitting sessions with Australia’s top juniors Rinky Hijikata and Kody Pearson.

His hard work and dedication has been rewarded by him being selected as the number one player and captain in the College’s first team.

The prestigious scholarship was awarded to applicants who are considered to have elite tennis potential.

The funding covers tennis lessons, tennis equipment and tournament travel both in Australia and overseas.