Tennis heroes inspiring
What you need to know:
- The two have weathered heavy odds, beating the harsh life in Mombasa slums to win the coveted titles
Victories by the Changawa siblings, Ismael and Shufaa during last weekend’s Kenya Open Tennis Championships are inspiring.
Ismael, 17, ended Kenya’s five-year drought with straight sets victory over defending champion, Duncan Mugabe, from Uganda.
Shufaa, 20, also edged out fellow countrywoman and defending champion Caroline Oduor in straight sets. It was her second Kenya Open victory after her 2011 exploits.
The two have weathered heavy odds, beating the harsh life in Mombasa slums to win the coveted titles. It goes without saying that their victory at tender ages will inspire more youths to work hard now that the Kenya Lawn Tennis Association has intensified junior programmes.
This was Shufaa’s first tournament since losing in last year’s final against Oduor. She has been unable to travel abroad due to lack of funds.
Ismael has been able to improve on his tennis after attending the ITF High Performance Centres in South Africa and later Morocco. Efforts by corporations like Real Insurance to sponsor tournaments are commendable, but it would be wise for them to support individual talent as well.
