Botswana will host the finals of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) / Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) 12 and Under 12 Teams competition which from October 6th October to the 13th October at the national tennis centre in Gaborone.
The tournament will feature boys and girls aged 12 and under from different 12 African countries of Botswana, Uganda, Tunisia, Algeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Guinea, Cameroon, Madagascar and Benin. The 12th country is expected to be confirmed following an awarding of a wild card by CAT.
In an interview, Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) Public Relations and Marketing Director Tshephang Tlhankane has explained that the prestigious event is designed to foster the development of tennis players across the African continent.
Tlhankane has stated that team Botswana is working tirelessly with a high performance coach to ensure that they are competition ready. He said that the coach has been working with some of the players who played another leg of the tournament in Mozambique not so long.
According to Tlhankane, BTA has hosted a selection camp in June in which the players were selected to play at the competition. He stated that the team has been taking part in other competitions organised by CAT to earn themselves a position at the finals that Botswana will be hosting.
‘‘It will be the first time Botswana hosts the finals of the competition. This is a competition that’s played in legs hosted by different nations until they compete at the final stage which is what we are hosting,” he said.
Tlhankane has noted that the competition has attracted the generous sponsorship of Cresta Lodge and Senn Foods, both of whom are dedicated to supporting the development and sporting excellence in Botswana. He expressed that Cresta Lodge are contributing towards hospitality while Senn Foods will be sponsoring be sponsoring with tournament lunch meals as well as making sure the team is kitted up nicely and looking the part.
“The Botswana Tennis Association is working closely with its sponsors and to ensure the success of the tournament and to provide a welcoming environment for all participants,” he said.
