L. MathekaTeam Kenya eyeing Africa Junior Tennis Championships title
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 07.05.23. | 11:59
The youngsters, then under coach Rosemary Owino, dominated the International Tennis Federation East African Junior Teams’ Competition to qualify.
Top-ranked Kenyan in the Confederation of African Tennis 14 and under rankings, Seline Ahoya headlines a squad of three that left the country on Saturday 6 May for Cairo, Egypt ahead of the Africa Junior Team Championships.
The teenage sensation currently ranked 15th in the continent in her category will have Nancy Kawira and Michelle Murage for company in the championship under the tutelage of Caroline Oduor.
We are off to the Africa Junior Team Championships for 14 & Under in Cairo Egypt.
— Tennis Kenya (@tennis_kenya) May 6, 2023
This comes after the Girls Team won gold during the Zone Championships in Burundi in January.
Let's do this Seline Ahoya, Nancy Kawira, Michelle Murage and Coach Caroline Oduor pic.twitter.com/1WOAjBtD3a
The trio, alongside their tactician, left the country highly hopeful of replicating their performance at the qualifiers where they beat all and sundry to bag gold and qualify for the continental event in January in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The youngsters, then under coach Rosemary Owino, dominated the International Tennis Federation East African Junior Teams’ Competition for 14 and under and 16 and under for gold.
Ahoya and Melissa Mwakha had bagged individual titles in the 14 and under, 16 and under respectively before helping the teams to bag gold as the boys 14 & under took silver while the 16 & under settled for bronze.
With tough competition expected at the continental tourney, Ahoya will be hoping to lead the team to better performances than they did in Togo back in March where she was the highest ranked player among the squad of five players that graced the Confederation of African Tennis Africa Junior Championships hard court tournament and help Kenya bring the continental team title home.
With all Kenyans playing in the classification matches after suffering first and second-round exits in Togo, Ahoya fought for 14th as Kawira, an East Africa games medalist, also made herself a big statement in the big stage, finishing in 15th position, thanks to a final place victory over Emmly George of Zimbabwe.
In Togo, Murage could only carve out a 28th-place finish after going down to Ghanaian Christabel Eduafo Collins 4-1, 4-1. Her only victory in the week-long tournament came against Ugandan Claire Nalubuulwa in her second match from the main draw.
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