141 to battle for honours at Kenya Open

Ismail Changawa (left) shares a light moment with his sister and partner Shufaa Changawa during their Britam Kenya Open Mixed doubles final match against David Oringa and Allyson Onya on June 25,2016 at Nairobi Club. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The siblings also won the mixed doubles final to extend their dominance on the court.
  • Former champions Duncan Mugabe from Uganda and Zambia’s Edgar Kazembe are also in the men’s draw and will be the main challengers to Ismail.

A total of 141 entries have so far been received for this year’s Britam Kenya Open Tennis Championship which gets underway ton Saturday at the Nairobi Club, organisers revealed on Thursday.

The entries are drawn from France, Argentina, Japan, Uganda, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Japan, Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Belgium, Cameroon, Nigeria, France, Burundi, Gabon and hosts Kenya.

More entries are expected ahead of Friday’s midday deadline with the draws set to be conducted later Friday evening. 

The annual competition, which is considered the biggest event in Kenya’s tennis calendar, has a total prize fund of Sh1.35 million.

Men’s singles winners will pocket Sh90,000 with the ladies’ champion walking away with Sh80,000 at the end of the week-long tourney.

Tennis Kenya administrator James Rogoi said he expects a last minute rush of entries and confirmed that everything was in place for the competition.

“Most of the international players have already arrived and we are good to go. It (the event) promises to be a real cracker and I urge fans to turn out in large numbers,” Rogoi told Nation Sport.

Just like previous years, categories include men and ladies singles, ladies and men doubles, mixed doubles, handicap and wheelchair.

“There will be no more extensions after noon tomorrow (today) and we expect to conduct the draws by evening as action gets underway on Saturday,” he added.

Kenya’s charge will be led by the Changawa siblings Ismael and Shufaa, who will be defending their men and women’s singles titles. Ismail, who is based in the US, has been in the country for the last one month and will be seeking a fourth crown.

The siblings also won the mixed doubles final to extend their dominance on the court. Former champions Duncan Mugabe from Uganda and Zambia’s Edgar Kazembe are also in the men’s draw and will be the main challengers to Ismail.

Mugabe, who was to take on Ismail in last year’s final, was disqualified at the last minute for engaging in a physical brawl with Kenya’s Kevin Cheruiyot during men’s doubles semi-finals. He was later fined Sh10,000 by the organisers for bad conduct.

In the ladies category, Argentine Natali Coronel, who has competed in several WTA events, will be the main threat to Shufaa’s title defence. Other challenges will come from Celestine Avomo Ella, a Gabonese player based at the ITF East African training centre in Nairobi, Nancy Onya of DRC and home player Sneha Kotecha.