World tennis president to tour Kenya

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) president, David Haggerty is scheduled to visit Kenya for two days.

This was announced by Tennis Kenya on Tuesday.

Haggerty will arrive on Tuesday to start his tour of the African continent that will also see him visit Rwanda and South Africa.

During his trip in Kenya, the American, who was elected to the helm of the Tennis body in 2015, will be joined by representatives from the ITF London office.

The tour team is expected to preside over the opening of the ITF East African Training Centre residence in Lavington, Nairobi on April 25.

The centre hosts elite players from Africa, where they also receive an education.

The players receive on court instruction from ITF certified coaches under the tutelage of the ITF Development Officer for the East African region, Thierry Ntwali at Nairobi Club.

The centre was moved to Nairobi from Bujumbura two years ago due political instability in Burundi. 

Among the players in the centre are Kenyans Angela Okutoyi and Angela Nyangweso.

Tennis Kenya president James Kenani will play host to the officials, who will also include Confederation of African Tennis president Tarak Cherif and his deputy in East Africa region Patrick Gichira.

“It will be interesting to host the administrators of the sport here and I am sure we will stand to benefit a lot and also seek ways for them to help the sport grow,” Kenani said.

Kenani is expected to brief the ITF boss on the status of the sport in the country on Wednesday at a breakfast meeting to be held at Nairobi Club.

Haggerty is scheduled to visit the National Olympic Committee of Kenya offices and the site of Tennis Kenya’s National Training Centre in Kasarani before an expected meeting with the Head of State.

He will next visit Rwanda in his African tour