Okutoyi leads Kenyan juniors in sweep of titles in Dar
Kenya's Angela Okutoyi plays a forehand shot against Alicia Owegi during their Britam Kenya Open Tennis Championship semi-final match on September 21, 2018 at Nairobi Club.
What you need to know:
- The Kenyan juniors won three out of four team events and four out of six singles events as they clinched both the individual and team championship titles.
Britam Kenya Open champion Angela Okutoyi led fellow junior in sweeping virtually all the titles as ITF/CAT East Africa Junior Championships ended at Gymkhana Club, Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.
The Kenyan juniors won three out of four team events and four out of six singles events as they clinched both the individual and team championship titles.
Okutoyi, who is fresh from winning the Most Promising Girl award during the Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya) gals in Mombasa on Friday, and her sister twin sister, Roselinda Asumwa, won all their Girls’ 16 and Under round robin matches in the team event.
Okutoyi and Asumwa, who finished second in the Most Outstanding Girl in Schools category during the Soya gala, won without dropping any set. Together with Alicia Owegi, the team beat Tanzania 3-0 and Rwanda 3-0 to finish top of the group.
In girls’ 14 and Under, the team of Cynthia Cheruto, Radha Raja and Faith Urasa won the category without dropping a set, handing Tanzania, Rwanda, Seychelles and Comoros identical 3-0 defeats.
Kael Shah, who is based in Spain, led his team of Derrick Ominde and Bradley Onsongo in dismantling Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Seychelles and Comoros in identical 3-0 defeats to win boys’ 16 and Under title.
However, Kenya settled for second place in boys’ 16 and Under, losing to Burundi 2-1 after having beaten Rwanda 2-1, Tanzania 3-0 and Somalia 3-0.
Boys’ 16 and Under was an all-Kenyan final between Derrick Ominde and Kael Shah. Ominde prevailed 7-6 (3), 6-3. The duo teamed up in the doubles to dismiss Salum Mutabazi/Ndayishimiye Aboubakar from Burundi in sets of 6-2, 6-1 to win the event.
Okutoyi downed Hoziane Kitambala from Burundi 6-1, 6-2 to claim the girls 16 and Under title while Cheruto won Girls’ 14 and Under crown beating compatriot Raja 7-5, 6-3 in the final. Cheruto and Raja won the doubles beating Tanzania’s C. Mwangata/N. Singo 6-4, 6-0 in the final.
Kenya’s Edmond Ogega lost in boys’ 14 and Under final to Rwandese Junior Hakizumwami 6-1, 6-0.
The team was under coaches Caroline Oduor and Allan Saha.
Tennis Kenya vice president Francis Mutuku said the tournament provided the team with good preparations for Africa Junior Championships to be held in April (14 and Under) in Benoni, South Africa and Tunis, Tunisia (16 and Under).
All the teams have also qualified for the Africa Junior Teams Championships to be played in June in North Africa.
