Tennis tipped to make a splash in East Africa

Speaking in an interview with Citizen Digital, Nibigirwe acknowledged the region's talent but highlighted the need for better structures and increased competition.

“We are producing good players, and the organization is quite good. However, compared to other regions in Africa, we still have some catching up to do,” he stated.

Nibigirwe acknowledged that tennis in East Africa is on a positive trajectory, with nations like Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, and Rwanda developing young talents but pointed out that performance levels remain below other African zones.

“The most important thing we need is better physical preparation for our young players and more involvement in organization. We also need more competitions. Currently, we only have the annual ITF/CAT Championship East Africa Zone Championship, which is not enough,” he added.

He further stressed that increased funding and more frequent tournaments would significantly enhance player development.

Meanwhile, Kenya is set to host the Africa Junior Championship (AJC) Under-14 category at the end of February.

Kenya’s rising stars, Felicia Ouko and Bathsheba Ogamba, are expected to feature in the East Africa team after dominating the East Africa Junior Championship last week at Nairobi Club, where they won Kenya’s first gold in the Under-14 girls' singles.

ITF Development Officer for East and Central Africa, Ntwali Thierry, had earlier confirmed that Kenya would host the Under-14 Africa Junior Championship, while other age categories would compete in Tunisia and Botswana later in the year.

“We are working on increasing the number of competitions to grow the sport. Kenya remains a key host for many events, and this tournament is one of our major initiatives this year. We also aim to expand training opportunities for players,” Thierry stated.

With growing interest and commitment from stakeholders, East Africa is hopeful of narrowing the gap with other regions and strengthening its position in African tennis.