Youngsters Sneha Kotecha, Ryan Randiek for Africa U-14 event
Kenya’s Sneha Kotecha during a past match. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |
What you need to know:
- Ryan Randiek will take part in the boys’ contest while Sneha Kotecha will be in the girls’ category during the tourney, which will run concurrently with the Nations Cup Championship.
As the senior tennis players will be doing battle for Kenya in the Africa Nations Cup scheduled for November 7-13 at the Nairobi Club, two teen sensations will represent the country at the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) Under 14 Masters Championship at the Public Service Club.
Ryan Randiek will take part in the boys’ contest while Sneha Kotecha will be in the girls’ category during the tourney, which will run concurrently with the Nations Cup Championship.
The CAT Masters is an invitational tournament where the top eight players in both the girls’ and boys’ categories in the continent clash.
According to the CAT website, Randiek is ranked second in the boys’ list as of October 19 behind Damien Laporte from the Seychelles. The Kenyan has 3,395 points, 1,695 points behind Laporte whom he beat in January during the East African Challenge Cup held in Nairobi.
Nigeria’s Michael Osewa is placed third with 2,470 points. The next best Kenyan on the boys list is Kael Shah whose only hope of playing at the Masters would be a wild card due to absence of one or more of the eight.
Sneha Kotecha is fourth in the girls’ rankings with 3,000 points behind Kenyan-based Burundian Aisha Niyonkuru, Makalya Loubser and Lara van der Merwe both of South Africa. Kotecha will be banking on home advantage to win.
The list of eight girls contains four South Africans, two Nigerians with Niyonkuru and Kotecha being the other two.
Kotecha is on 3000 points and will be banking on home advantage to see her crowned the best girl in the continent at the under 14 level.
“It has been a good season for me and I am hoping that I can finish the year on a high by beating my peers and improving on my ranking,” Kotecha told Daily Nation Sport.
For Randiek, it will be a chance to close in on the number one spot and also ensure he extends his good record on home soil.
“I have played against most of those players and it is therefore easy to plan and train because I know their moves. Winning the crown on home soil is always a good feeling,” he said.
Home player Angela Okutoyi Nyangweso just missed out on a top eight position. Okutoyi lies in ninth place, 230 points behind Nigeria’s Marylove Edward who is the last player to qualify for the Masters event.
