Kenya’s under-12 tennis team is gearing up for the Africa Under-12 Championship in Morocco this weekend, with coach Caroline Oduor confident of a strong showing.
Oduor revealed that the team has undergone an intensive training programme at the Nairobi Club over the past two months.
“We have trained well for the past eight weeks and focused on several aspects of our play. Both teams are confident and ready for the competition,” she said.
The tournament, running from November 15–24, brings together top junior sides from across the continent. Kenya qualified by winning the Confederation of Africa (CAT) regional tournament in Dar es Salaam in August, where the boys claimed gold and the girls took silver.
The boys’ squad features Indiatsi Olembo, Muyanze Kahi, Fidel Castral and coach-captain Wycliffe Okenye, while the girls’ team is made up of Naila Gikunda, Malia Mong’ina, Imani Kavuisya and coach-captain Caroline Oduor.
They will face stiff competition from Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, and hosts Morocco.
Oduor singled out Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa as the sides to beat, but said Kenya is mentally and physically prepared.
“The boys and girls are strong and focused. We hope to finish among the top teams,” she added.
Team member Indiatsi Olembo, a veteran of previous campaigns, is optimistic about improving on Kenya’s fifth-place finish in 2023.
“The mood is good, we have trained well, and we are ready to compete against the top nations,” he said.
Kenya will be making its seventh appearance at the championship since debuting in 2010, reflecting steady growth in the country’s junior tennis programme.
by WILLIAM NJUGUNA
