Tennis team makes progress at ITF/CAT tourney
Amanda Kagiso | Saturday May 7, 2022 06:00
The team is made up of 12 players and two coaches. The Harare tournament serves as a qualifier for the Junior Billie Jean and Davis Cup tournaments to be held in Turkey later this year. The Under-16 girls reached the semi-finals after beating Eswatini and Namibia by identical 3-0 wins. The Under-14 and 16 boys' teams are also through to the semi-finals.
The Under-14 girls beat Namibia 2-1 before losing 3-0 to Mozambique and were due to play South Africa yesterday to determine if they make it to the last four. The Under-16 boys progressed after they beat Madagascar 2-1, while their Under-14 counterparts dispatched Namibia 3-0. The team has the cream of junior players in the country such as Ntungamili Raguin who is ranked 16th in Africa, Mark Nawa who played at the recent J4 Gaborone 2022 T, top-ranked Denzel Seetso, and Talinda Sechele.
Botswana Tennis Association president, Oaitse Thipe said the association is happy with the performance of the team thus far. "The goal for the players is to qualify for the Africa Junior Championships in Sousse, Tunisia from May 31 to June 5, 2022," Thipe said. The team played in the J4 Gaborone 2022 tennis tournament before leaving for Harare, which gave the players game time to prepare for the qualifiers.