Africa Nations Tennis Championship begins in Nairobi
What you need to know:
- Kenya’s top seeded player Ismael Changawa is ready to lead the country to glory at the Africa Nations Tennis Championship that gets underway at the Nairobi Club on Monday.
- The US-based player jetted in the country on Saturday ahead of the week-long championship. Twelve nations will do battle in the biennial competition that is being hosted in the country for the first time.
- Kenya has missed the last five editions but according to Changawa, the country has the talent to lift the diadem for the first time.
Kenya’s top seeded player Ismael Changawa is ready to lead the country to glory at the Africa Nations Tennis Championship that gets underway at the Nairobi Club on Monday.
The US-based player jetted in the country on Saturday ahead of the week-long championship. Twelve nations will do battle in the biennial competition that is being hosted in the country for the first time.
Kenya has missed the last five editions but according to Changawa, the country has the talent to lift the diadem for the first time.
“We are playing at home so we are confident of getting a good result. I have interacted with the rest of the team and everyone is fired up to go,” Changawa told Daily Nation Sport.
The Kenya Open champion singled out Tunisia and Morocco as Kenya’s main opponents in the competition which has total prize fund of Sh2.5 million.
“We have played in the Davis Cup African Competition where we got some good exposure and this should come in handy against our opponents, “the 20-year old added.
Changawa will team up with siblings Kevin Cheruiyot and Ibrahim Kibet as well as Sheil Kotecha, Petty Andanda, Maurice Wamukowa.
Changawa’s younger sister, Shufaa will lead the women’s team alongside Paige Mbugua, Faith Nyabera and Katarina Karanja.
The Kenyan teams are coached by Rosemary Owino and assisted by a former Kenya Open Ladies Champion, Caroline Oduor and George Oyoo.
The event, for senior players, will see countries play in individual events for both men and women and in a doubles competition.
The draws were due to be conducted on Sunday night.
Countries taking part include Sierra Leone, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Nigeria, Gabon, Comoros, Zambia and Ethiopia.
The ladies title will be contested by the hosts Kenya, Tunisia, Morocco, Congo - Brazzaville, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Congo – DRC and one representative from Gabon – Kenyan based Celestine Avomo Ella.
Winners in the men’s and women’s singles competition will walk away with Sh200,000 andSh100,000 respectively.
The team event has a cash prize of Sh300,000 and 150,000 for the winning men’s and women’s team.
In the doubles event, men’s and women’s winners will pocket Sh70,000 and Sh50,000 respectively.
Favourites Morocco will be anchored by Amine Ahouda who helped the Atlas nation climb into Group II of the Davis Cup earlier in the year in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
A few metres at the Public Service Club, the Under 14 Confederation of African Tennis Competition will also get underway on Monday.
Home players Ryan Randiek and Sneha Kotecha will do battle against the top eight ranked boys and girls in the continent.
