3 in ZIM for Africa Junior Tennis Championship

Three local junior tennis players are in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe for the 14-day 2017 Africa Junior Tennis Championship qualifiers that started on Sunday.

Ramesh Banda, Sekelani Makuluni and Linda Msiska are competing in under-14 and under-16 categories, according to Junior Tennis Federation (JTF) national coordinator Hackson Methiwa who has accompanied the trio.

Methiwa said if the three impress at the tournament, they will qualify for the Southern Africa Junior Circuit Championship that will take place in Botswana late this year.

“We are glad that International Tennis Federation [ITF] funded the trip while our local body, Lawn Tennis Association of Malawi [Ltam] provided the allowances,” said Methiwa on Monday in an interview from Bulawayo.

Tennis national coach Thompson Mtengula said he is satisfied with the squad.

“It is our hope that they will do better,” he said.

Malawi had seven representatives in the 2016 Junior Circuit which was held in Pretoria, South Africa. However, the team failed to win a medal.

But in 2015, Banda was an outstanding performer having won the singles gold and bronze medals in the under-12 boys’ category.

Apart from winning two medals in the singles events, he also grabbed silver after teaming up with his fellow Mzuzu player, Makuluni, in the doubles contest.

Ltam vice-president Grey Mang’anda described the country’s three player’s participation at the tournament as imperative. n