The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is expected to rule on whether the African Games champion Angela Okutoyi will be part of the Paris Olympics Games on Monday.
Tennis Kenya have been lobbying to have the 2022 Wimbledon doubles junior champion feature in the Olympic Games.
She is currently ranked 496th in the world —way outside the top 400 —which she needed a fortnight ago to qualify for the Paris games.
Sources familiar with the situation said the world governing body is looking into the issue and will make a decision on Monday next week.
Speaking Thursday, TK executive officer, Nancy Nduku, said they were keeping their fingers crossed and hoping Okutoyi would get a chance.
“We have to wait and see what happens. At the moment, It is out of our hands and we can only wait for the decision. I hope it's going to be favourable for her and us as a country,” added Nduku.
Nduku said it would be historic for Okutoyi to feature at the Olympics
“ It will be big for the tennis fraternity because this will grow the game and inspire younger players.
" The addition of tennis will encourage budding players to know that tennis players can also play at the highest level," she noted.
TK believes they have a solid case noting that Okutoyi should have been given eight months to qualify, unlike the two months she has given.
Okutoyi, who captained Kenya to bronze in the Billie Jean King Cup, said she hasn't given up on the Olympic Games.
“The best I can do is to wait. I have done everything possible to be in contention and qualify but things did not work out well. So we await and see but I am still optimistic about my chances,” he added.
She is slated to play in the Futures tournament in Morocco in August before returning to Auburn University in the USA in the same month for her studies
After featuring in several tournaments to boost her rankings, Okutoyi was at position 502 heading into her final tournament, the W50 La Marsa in Monastir, Tunisia early this month.
She was, however, eliminated in the Round of 32 ending her chance of being in the top 400 as per the June 10 deadline.
