Nine countries are set to grace the
International Tennis Federation/
Confederation of African Tennis
Eastern Africa Zone tennis
Championships starting today at
the Nairobi Club.
The countries are Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and host Kenya. The event’s format will see the individual event contested across four days (today to January 18 ) while the team’s event will run from January 19 – 23.
The 14 and Under individual tournament will be a Grade ( 2 ) event for the CAT circuit 2025.
The Individual zones’ championships for 14 and 16 years and under will serve as an evaluation for an eventual selection of potential players to take part at the first Africa Junior Championship for 14 and under in March and the Africa Junior Championships for 16 and Under in April. Kenya last hosted the event in 2018, an edition the country won.
Tennis Kenya (TK) administrative director, Nancy Nduku, said the Kenyan teams will stand a good chance of winning.
“Both our boys and girls teams, that featured in the W35 tournament at Nairobi Club played well and have trained well for the past couple of weeks,” added Nduku.
Besides the championships, there will be development clinics to be spearheaded by ITF technical director Dermont Sweeney and developmental officer, Thierry Ntwali.
Three teams in the U-16 boys will represent Team Kenya: Zayyan Virani, Ayush Bhandari, Jeff Okuku, Aum Chandarrana, Reyan Bulsara and Mark Murage.
They will be coached by Rosemary Owino Liya Gikunda will lead the girls’ under-14 team alongside Bathsheba Ogamba, Felicia Ouko, Jeanrice Rogoi, Ashley Lila and Paula Ouko and will be coached by former national champion Caroline Oduor.
Davis Cup coach George Oyoo takes charge of the boys under-14 category which will feature Indiatasi Olembo, Ayan Quadros, Vihan Bulsara, Kalil Nathani, Jyan Patel and Evans Mundia Elsewhere, Africa games champion Angela Okutoyi has set her sights on the European Futures Tour after coming up short in the W35 tournament on Sunday.
Okutoyi lost to Joanna Garland of Chinese Taipei 6-1, 6-4 in the final.
“I have a couple of ITF Future tournaments in May and June and I believe they will help improve my ranking which currently stands at 529,” said Okutoyi.
Before that, Okutoyi will play for her University side Auburn University against North Alabama University, Western Carolina, and Tennessee University this week before the Inter-Collegiate tennis kickoffs on January 24.